Babcock Ranch Birds: Annual Count Documents 37 Species

PALM BEACH GARDENS — Babcock Ranch residents documented 37 avian species and 269 individual birds along the Dr. Bill Hammond Trail on Dec. 18 during the National Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count.

The daylong effort was one of more than 1,600 surveys conducted nationwide between Dec. 18 and Jan. 5, during which volunteers counted nearly 25 million birds.

Gray catbirds, American robins, tree swallows and pine warblers were the most frequently observed species at Babcock Ranch. Observers also spotted a male common yellow-throated warbler and a great-horned owl.

Environmental Mitigation Manager Christa Kontos, who reported the findings, thanked participants, Senior Wildlife Assistance Biologist Jayne Johnston of the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, and resident Lester Strena for their volunteer contributions.

The Christmas Bird Count, which ornithologist Frank M. Chapman initiated on Christmas Day in 1900, began as a conservation effort to replace the historical Christmas side hunt. The survey has provided researchers with over a century of data on early winter bird populations across North America.