Woodhouse, Long Point Christmas Bird Count results

An orange-crowned warbler was spotted for the second time in the history of the Long Point Christmas Bird Count. 

Lisa Timpf

Advocate Contributor

While many people were busy with holiday season activities, the period between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5 marked an important time for birding enthusiasts.

During that time frame each year, volunteers participate in annual Christmas Bird Counts, working within set 24-kilometre circles to tally as many different species and individual birds as possible over the course of a designated day. 

The information helps researchers and conservation groups study long-term trends in bird populations across North America. Here in Norfolk County, there are two annual counts, the Woodhouse Christmas Bird Count and the Long Point Christmas Bird Count.

The Woodhouse Christmas Bird Count, which takes place on the first Sunday of the count period each year, fell on Dec. 14. The Woodhouse Count covers an area from Port Ryerse and Port Dover to Waterford, and from west of Simcoe to east of Jarvis. This year, 34 birders were out in the field, while 12 feeder watchers reported their results.

Count organizer Adam Timpf noted that conditions were “bitterly cold” at the start of the day, and the cold temperatures prior to the count led to many frozen bodies of water. As a result, waterfowl were seen in lower-than-usual numbers.

In total, 89 species of birds were counted, two more than the average for the last 10 years. A new species, the Lincoln’s Sparrow, was added to the count list, bringing the Woodhouse Count’s all-time species list to 157.

A total of 15,346 birds were tallied, with the top three species being Canada Goose, Slate-coloured Junco, and European Starling. The total number of birds recorded was lower than the 39-year average of 24,448.

On the positive side, the count either matched the record, or set a new record, for the number of birds of particular species spotted. Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker, Common Raven, Hermit Thrush, and White-throated Sparrow set new highs, while Ruby-crowned Kinglet and Peregrine Falcon matched previous records.

Several species that have been seen on past counts were not spotted on count day, including Horned Grebe, Cackling Goose, Gadwall, and Mockingbird. The numbers of Greater Scaup, American Kestrel, and Herring Gull either matched or fell below the previous low numbers.

The Long Point Count occurs on the first Saturday of the count period, which turned out, for the 2025 count, to be Dec. 20. The designated count area covers a 24-kilometre diameter circle centred on the lighthouse south of St. Williams. 

This year’s numbers included both the Long Point Family Winter Bird Count and the traditional Long Point Christmas Bird Count. Over 100 participants surveyed the area, sighting 27,710 birds from 108 species. 

The 2025 Long Point Count results were average to slightly below average by recent standards. The number of species seen was higher than the long-term average of 102 species, while the total number of birds was well short of the 10-year average of around 42,000, noted count organizer Stu Mackenzie.

On the other hand, Dec. 20 is the latest date on which the Long Point count is typically held, and as noted in the count report, low temperatures and the fact that most waterways were frozen solid influenced the results. In particular, the 4,977 Sandhill Cranes tallied represents roughly half the number seen in recent years.

As was the case with the Woodhouse Count, Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers were seen in record numbers. White-Crowned Sparrows also recorded a new high, while Eastern Phoebes tied the highest previous count record. Northern Flickers, Carolina Wrens, and Lapland Longspurs logged their second-highest totals.

Other noteworthy finds included an Orange-Crowned Warbler, only the second seen on the count since the first was spotted in 2014. An American Woodcock, sighted for the fourth time on the count, a Brown Thrasher, noted for the second year in a row, and an Evening Grosbeak were among the other interesting sightings.

As data from other counts rolled in, some trends have become evident, Woodhouse Count organizer Timpf noted. For example, throughout southern Ontario “a lot of counts had low waterfowl numbers due to the cold start to winter and water freezing up.” He said the low numbers of ducks is the result of weather patterns this year, and not an indication of any population changes, which are “better assessed by looking at the long-term data sets over all the years.”

Timpf also observed “other counts are also reporting abnormally high numbers of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers,” citing Long Point’s record as well as that on the Woodhouse Count.

“Our high forest cover and more southerly location probably explains why these two counts had the most sapsuckers in Ontario, but why the sudden spike this year is still a mystery. I expect on future counts the number will be more modest, although the trend line is probably creeping upwards with our warming climate.” The Christmas Bird Count has been running for 126 years, and is North America’s longest-standing wildlife census. The 2025 counts represent the 39th Woodhouse Christmas Bird Count, while the Long Point Christmas Bird Count marked its 65th year.