Great Backyard Bird Count 2016

February 26th, 2016

By: Kate StoneM.S. Avian Scientist

On Monday, February 15, MPG Ranch hosted members of Five Valleys Audubon and Bitterroot Audubon for the 19^th annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). The GBBC is a joint effort between the National Audubon Society and Cornell Lab of Ornithology using ordinary citizens to create an annual snapshot of bird populations around the world. From February 12-15, birders submitted 158,468 checklists, recorded 5556 species, and counted 18,165,425 birds. In Montana, birders submitted 877 checklists and counted 131 species.

A pair of Golden Eagles overhead draws the attention of birders. Photo Kate Stone.

On the MPG Ranch, we split 19 participants into three groups and birded several different habitat types. We all agreed that the birding seemed slow compared to previous winters. We still counted 35 species. Our most unusual species included an early-arriving Say’s Phoebe, a Barrow’s Goldeneye, and a lone Snow Bunting.

Birds seen on the MPG Ranch for the Great Backyard Bird Count February 15, 2016
Canada Goose	Mountain Chickadee
Barrow’s Goldeneye	Black-capped Chickadee
Mallard	Dark-eyed Junco
Common Merganser	Pileated Woodpecker
Great Blue Heron	Northern Flicker
Belted Kingfisher	Downy Woodpecker
Golden Eagle	White-breasted Nuthatch
Bald Eagle	Red-winged Blackbird
Red-tailed Hawk	House Finch
Rough-legged Hawk	Song Sparrow
Black-billed Magpie	American Tree Sparrow
Common Raven	House Sparrow
Clark’s Nutcracker	Common Redpoll
Townsend’s Solitaire	Snow Bunting
Say’s Phoebe	Horned Lark
Wild Turkey	Northern Shrike
Ruffed Grouse	European Starling
Mourning Dove	35 Species

Northern Shrikes breed in the far north, and only visit us in the winter. Photo Nicholas Ramsey

About the Author

Kate Stone

Kate graduated from Middlebury College with a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Conservation Biology in 2000. She pursued a M.S. in Forestry at the University of Montana where her thesis focused on the habitat associations of snowshoe hares on U.S. National Forest land in Western Montana. After completing her M.S. degree in 2003, Kate alternated between various field biology jobs in the summer and writing for the U.S. Forest Service in the winter. Her fieldwork included projects on small mammal response to weed invasions, the response of bird communities to bark beetle outbreaks and targeted surveys for species of concern like the black-backed woodpecker and the Northern goshawk. Writing topics ranged from the ecology and management of western larch to the impacts of fuels reduction on riparian areas.

Kate coordinates bird-related research at the MPG Ranch. She is involved in both original research and facilitating the use of the Ranch as a study site for outside researchers. Additionally, Kate is the field trip coordinator and website manager for the Bitterroot Audubon Society. She also enjoys gardening and biking in her spare time.