2025 Christmas Bird Count Overview 

The 84th Eugene Christmas Bird Count (CBC) was held on a very foggy December 28, 2025. The fog was cold, sticky, and did not burn off as forecast. Many teams commented that birds were harder to find in the clammy, dim landscape, but everyone was glad it didn’t rain.

We recorded 76,573 birds with a total of 132 species, a species tally just below our average of the last 20 years. However, the actual number of birds was about 3,000 more than last year, despite having a 20-year low of European Starlings (only 3657—last year we had 12,944). Pine Siskin was also much harder to find, in comparison with last year’s record high (1,311 last year but only 26 this year); none of the field counters found them but thankfully several home counters did.

The most unusual birds were a Cinnamon Teal (16 previous years), two Barrow’s Goldeneyes (two years), a Snowy Egret (6 years), 10 Barn Swallows (11 years), two Canada Jays (six years) and a Chipping Sparrow (11 years). A Snowy Egret has been found on four of the last five counts, but it may be the same wintering individual. Barn Swallows also seem to be more consistently found during the count in recent years, with sightings six of the last seven years.

Two additional species were found during count week (the three days before and after the count): Greater Yellowlegs and Short-billed Gulls (formerly called Mew Gull). The rare Hooded Warbler that was in a neighborhood near Hendrick’s Park in late November and early December could not be found. Other misses were Green Heron, Greater Scaup, and Red Crossbill (not around this year, another irruptive species like Pine Siskin).

For more….

SAVE THE DATE!
2026 Christmas Bird Count
Sunday January 3, 2027

2025 ECBC Home Count Information

Our Home Counters were definitely the lucky ones who didn’t have to brave the cold, damp, bone-chilling weather! We hope that they enjoyed a day of birding from the warmth and comforts of their own home. Most Home Counters, though, commented on poor visibility and less bird action in their yard this year.

The Dark-eyed Junco emerged as one of the most reported yard birds (633). Did you know that the collective noun for a group of Juncos is sometimes called “a blizzard.” Maybe because their white outer tail feathers create an illusion of snow when they fly?

Canada Geese (1094) and American Crows (335) made a decent showing this year and Anna’s Hummingbirds hovered in with 108 individuals. Impressive! Other species that made the top 10 list were: Bushtits, 269; American Robin, 225; Red-winged Blackbirds, 215; House Finches, 174; European Starlings,143 and Black-capped Chickadees, 146. The remaining species were in single or double digits.

Hurrah for the Home Counters!

Many thanks go to these 77 birders who observed 72 species, for a sum total of 4,600 individual birds. Especially noteworthy were the eagle-eyed birders who added two species that eluded the 176 Field Counters: 2 Canada Jays who “crossed the border,” and 26 Pine Siskins who fluttered into five yards! Way to go!

By Marcia Maffei, 2025 Eugene Christmas Bird Home Count Coordinator

Mark your calendar for the 2026 Eugene Christmas Bird Count, Sunday, January 3, 2027.  Save the date and plan to join us.

The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is a long-standing program of the National Audubon Society, with over 100 years of community science involvement. It is an early-winter bird census, where thousands of volunteers across the US, Canada and many countries in the Western Hemisphere, go out on one calendar day to count birds.

Our local Lane County events in Eugene, Florence, Cottage Grove, and Oakridge at the end of December are open to anyone interested in birds. If you are just starting to get interested and want to learn more, this is a fun and exciting opportunity to learn about birds and birding from experienced birders. For all the dates, see our December events calendar.

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KLCC News Spreads the Word about the Home Count

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