Bird count shows plenty of eagles in Glacier

Hungry Horse News

The Christmas bird count in Glacier National Park recorded 592 individual birds and 37 different species, nearly matching the high species count of 38 in 2001.

The number of birds exceeded totals from the past three years, though it was below the long-term average.

Christmas bird counts are organized by the National Audubon Society and cover a specified area. All Christmas counts occur within a 15-mile diameter circle. These circles are not randomly located, but are chosen by the compiler. The only restriction is that they should not overlap any other Christmas bird count circle in the area and they must occur on a single calendar day within two weeks of Christmas.

The Audubon Society began Christmas counts more than 100 years ago.

In Glacier, the count covers the West Glacier/Lake McDonald/Apgar area.

The most abundant species in the count were mallard ducks and goldeneye ducks - 98 of both species were counted.

They were followed by: 55 crossbills, 51 Canada geese, 30 bufflehead, 28 black-capped chickadees. Sprinkled in were some unusual birds, including, a Wilson's snipe, a killdeer, two western grebes, five trumpeter swans, three American widgeons, a pygmy owl (not uncommon, but tough to spot), six bohemian waxwings, and a Glacier Park first - an American goldfinch.

There were also 16 bald eagles - the most since the mid 1980s when salmon spawned in McDonald Creek. Ruffed grouse had higher than usual numbers - 14.

There were also eight three-toed woodpeckers counted, reflecting the post-fire habitat from the 2003 fire. Many of the 23 unidentified woodpeckers were likely three-toed, who favor drilling in dead trees for beetle larvae.

On a different note, counters saw no pine siskins and only 20 common red polls and three evening grosbeaks. In the past, those birds have dominated count totals, but have been much reduced in recent years.