Date: 12/23/25 6:40 am From: Jason Luscier <luscier...> Subject: [cayugabirds-l] Syracuse CBC Results
The 106th Syracuse Christmas Bird Count
20 December 2025
This year’s Syracuse Christmas Bird Count (CBC) was held on Saturday, 20
December. A total of 19,206 individual birds representing 82 species were
recorded, both figures falling below the recent eight-year averages of
approximately 27,500 individuals and 83 species. Many observers noted that
the day felt unusually “quiet.” The most notable sighting was a Surf Scoter
at Green Lakes State Park. No warblers were observed, likely reflecting the
early onset of harsh winter conditions. Particularly low numbers were
recorded for sparrows, American Robins, and gulls.
Below is the complete list of birds detected:
*Species*
*2025*
Snow Goose
1
Canada Goose
2521
Mute Swan
43
Trumpeter Swan
24
Tundra Swan
79
Gadwall
8
Mallard
632
American Black Duck
34
Redhead
200
Ring-necked Duck
1
Greater Scaup
5
Lesser Scaup
9
Surf Scoter
1
Long-tailed Duck
1
Bufflehead
115
Common Goldeneye
29
Hooded Merganser
51
Common Merganser
1151
Red-breasted Merganser
36
Wild Turkey
81
Pied-billed Grebe
1
Horned Grebe
1
Mourning Dove
356
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
2092
American Coot
37
Ring-billed Gull
322
Herring Gull
37
Great Black-backed Gull
16
Red-throated Loon
1
Common Loon
9
Double-crested Cormorant
69
Great Blue Heron (Blue form)
8
Black Vulture
4
Turkey Vulture
44
Sharp-shinned Hawk
5
Cooper's Hawk
7
Northern Harrier
1
Bald Eagle
16
Red-tailed Hawk
43
Rough-legged Hawk
2
Eastern Screech-Owl
3
Great Horned Owl
1
Barred Owl
2
Belted Kingfisher
5
Red-bellied Woodpecker
54
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
2
Downy Woodpecker
108
Hairy Woodpecker
21
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)
30
Pileated Woodpecker
9
American Kestrel
3
Merlin
1
Blue Jay
134
American Crow
6187
Fish Crow
6
Common Raven
13
Black-capped Chickadee
262
Tufted Titmouse
64
Golden-crowned Kinglet
7
Cedar Waxwing
11
Red-breasted Nuthatch
28
White-breasted Nuthatch
89
Brown Creeper
17
Carolina Wren
23
Winter Wren
2
Northern Mockingbird
15
European Starling
2574
Eastern Bluebird
19
Hermit Thrush
1
American Robin
257
House Sparrow
289
House Finch
168
Purple Finch
2
Common Redpoll
7
American Goldfinch
331
American Tree Sparrow
61
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)
225
White-throated Sparrow
100
Song Sparrow
17
Red-winged Blackbird
30
Brown-headed Cowbird
1
Northern Cardinal
193
*Jason D. Luscier, PhD*
*Pronouns: he, him, his*
Professor | Biological and Environmental Sciences
Certified Wildlife Biologist ®
Chair | Urban Wildlife Working Group of The Wildlife Society
Associate Editor | *Urban Ecosystems*
Le Moyne College
1419 Salt Springs Road
Syracuse, NY 13207
