Cheyenne Big Day Count, May 20-21, 2005

By Greg Johnson

The total number of bird species counted on Cheyenne's Big Day May 20-21 was the lowest count over the last 13 years, and the 104 species observed was far lower than the record number of 169 species observed in 1993.

One of the highlights of the count was the great-horned owl which was called in by a group of birders at the High Plains Grassland Research Station the first night of the count.

Especially disappointing was the warbler migration, as only 6 species were observed. Just two years ago, 17 species of warbler were tallied during the count. The low number of species observed during the count cannot be blamed on missing the peak of migration, as several local birders reported disappointing numbers of birds in the 2 weeks leading up to the count, and this pattern continued in the days after the count. Similar disappointing numbers of migrants were reported in Colorado, as well.

The cause of the slow migration this year is not known for sure, but is likely due to unusual weather patterns including snow storms at the start of migration and near record heat in the middle of May. One can only hope that the low numbers of migrants is not due primarily to declining numbers of song birds that have been documented for several species across America.

The disappointing number of bird species cannot be blamed on lack of effort, as 36 people participated in the count, coming from Cheyenne, Casper, Laramie, Wheatland, Yellowstone National Park, and Denver and Nunn, Colorado. We are especially grateful for the presence of Terry McEneaney, Yellowstone National Park Ornithologist, who gave an excellent presentation on an ornithologist’s view of Yellowstone National Park after our tally party. Hopefully, more birds will be present the next time Terry comes to visit.

Note: The next day Terry, Vicki Herren and Bill Gerhart found a Northern Parula at Lions Park and a Chestnut-sided Warbler at WHR.

104 species

Location Code:

1 - Lions Park – including view of Kiwanis Lake.

2 - Wyoming Hereford Ranch

3 - High Plains Grasslands Research Station

4 – Other city locations, including various backyards.

1,2,3,4 Canada Goose

2 Green-winged Teal

1,2,3,4 Mallard

2,4 Northern Pintail

2 Blue-winged Teal

2 Cinnamon Teal

2 Northern Shoveler

2,4 Gadwall

2 American wigeon

1,2,3,4 Redhead

1,2 Lesser Scaup

2 Bufflehead

2,4 Ruddy Duck

1,4 Pied-billed Grebe

2 Eared Grebe

1,2 Western Grebe

2,4 American White Pelican

1,2 Double-crested Cormorant

1,2,4 Great Blue Heron

4 Snowy Egret

1,4 Black-crowned Night-Heron

1,2,3,4 White-faced Ibis

3,4 Turkey Vulture

1,4 Sharp-shinned Hawk

2,3,4 Swainson’s Hawk

2,4 Red-tailed Hawk

3 Ferruginous Hawk

2,3 American Kestrel

2,3,4 American Coot

1,2,3 Killdeer

2 American Avocet

1,2 Spotted Sandpiper

2 Stilt Sandpiper

2 Long-billed Dowitcher

3 Wilson’s Snipe

2 Wilson’s Phalarope

2 Franklin’s Gull

2 Ring-billed Gull

2 California Gull

2,4 Forster’s Tern

1,2,4 Rock Pigeon

1,2,4 Mourning Dove

2,4 Eurasian Collared-Dove

3,4 Great Horned Owl

4 Burrowing Owl

1 Chimney Swift

4 Belted Kingfisher

1,2 Downy Woodpecker

1,2,4 Northern Flicker

1 Olive-sided Flycatcher

1,2,3,4 Western Wood-Pewee

4 Say’s Phoebe

3 Least Flycatcher

1 Hammond’s Flycatcher

2 Cassin’s Kingbird

1,2,3 Western Kingbird

2 Eastern Kingbird

1 Plumbeous Vireo

1 Warbling Vireo

1,4 Blue Jay

3 Black-billed Magpie

1,2,3,4 American Crow

2,3,4 Horned Lark

4 Violet-green Swallow

4 Northern Rough-winged Swallow

2 Bank Swallow

2,3,4 Cliff Swallow

2,3,4 Barn Swallow

1,2,3,4 Red-breasted Nuthatch

1,2,3,4 House Wren

1,2 Ruby-crowned Kinglet

3 Eastern Bluebird

2 Swainson’s Thrush

1,2,3,4 American Robin

2 Gray Catbird

3 Cedar Waxwing

1,2,3,4 European Starling

1,2,3,4 Yellow Warbler

1,2,3 Yellow-rumped Warbler

1 Blackpoll Warbler

2 Northern Waterthrush

2 Common Yellowthroat

1,2,3 Wilson’s Warbler

1,2 Western Tanager

1,2,3 Chipping Sparrow

3,4 Lark Sparrow

2,4 Lark Bunting

1,2,3 Song Sparrow

2 Lincoln’s Sparrow

4 Rose-breasted Grosbeak

4 Black-headed Grosbeak

3 Indigo Bunting

1,2,3,4 Red-winged Blackbird

2,3,4 Western Meadowlark

1,2 Yellow-headed Blackbird

1,2,3,4 Common Grackle

2,4 Great-tailed Grackle

1,2,3,4 Brown-headed Cowbird

2 Orchard Oriole

2,3 Bullock’s Oriole

1,2,3,4 House Finch

1,2,3,4 Pine Siskin

1,2,3,4 American Goldfinch

1,2,3,4 House Sparrow