SCCF: 12.1K birds spotted during annual count
Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) volunteers and staff recorded 12,104 individual birds from 100 different species on Sanibel and Captiva in December as part of the islands’ contribution to the National Audubon Society’s 125th Christmas Bird Count (CBC).
The CBC is one of the longest-running citizen science efforts in the world. The SCCF and island conservation partners, including the Sanibel Captiva Audubon Society and J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, have collaborated on the Sanibel-Captiva CBC for over 60 years.
“Over the years, there have been a number of circumstances that threatened to cancel the event — such as Hurricane Ian in fall 2022 — but the birders of Sanibel and Captiva are persistent and have always found a way to pull it off against all odds,” SCCF shorebird biologist Audrey Albrecht, who coordinated the count, said.
This year’s totals are the highest since 2020. Over 100 volunteers participated.
“Various factors can impact a count, including the weather, changes to the habitat, the number of participants observing birds and accessibility of sites,” she said. “Following Hurricane Ian, entry to the island was limited, and many sites were completely inaccessible. In 2023, habitats were still recovering, and though we had increased volunteer participation, the foul weather limited the scope of the count. Despite hurricanes Helene and Milton in October 2024, many areas are in better condition than they had been for previous counts.”
The top three species observed were:
– Snowy egret (Egretta thula)
– White ibis (Eudocimus albus)
– Fish crow (Corvus ossifragus)
Unexpected visitors included:
– Burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia)
– Snow goose (Anser caerulescens)
“Although burrowing owls are very common in Lee County, seeing them on Sanibel or Captiva is a bit unusual,” Albrecht said. “The snow goose was seen hanging near a golf course. Although a rare sight, it is not the first snow goose to drop by Lee County for a visit.”
A flamingo showed up on the islands a day later, but it was too late to be included in the data.
“This event would be impossible without the help of our amazing volunteers,” she said.