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Rare species and extremely high numbers are excluded from this summary if details were inadequate or lacking; see our final paragraph for species deleted from Florida CBCs this season. Bold-faced totals denote high counts since the 102nd CBC season, when BP became Florida CBC Editor. We generally include the state’s three highest counts per species.

During the 125th season, 80 Christmas Bird Counts were conducted in Florida, two more than during the past season. We received no reports from Cedar Key and Lakeland (again), which greatly affects statewide counts of some species, especially shorebirds and larids at Cedar Key. No new count was begun this season. Florida’s 80 CBCs accounted for 9,539 accepted observations of 346 taxonomic forms and 1,905,603 individuals. The taxonomic forms comprised 278 native species or natural vagrants, the reintroduced Whooping Crane (reduced to just a few old individuals—this species is no longer “countable” on Florida CBCs), all 15 “countable” exotics, 15 “non-countable” exotics, two hybrids (Mallard × Muscovy Duck and Mallard × Mottled Duck), one intergrade (“Wurdemann’s Heron”), one color morph (“Great White Heron”), and 23 forms not identified to species (e.g., Greater Scaup/Lesser Scaup, hummingbird species). Six additional species were found exclusively during count-week: Red-footed Booby at Jacksonville (!); Buff-bellied Hummingbird at Apalachicola Bay–St. Vincent N.W.R.; Yellow-headed Caracara at Dade County (more about this bird later); Yellow-headed Parrot at West Marion; Orchard Oriole at Kissimmee Valley; and Pine Siskin at Gainesville.

Accepted, “countable” species totals ranged from 27 at Dry Tortugas to 175 at Gainesville (inland!). Six other CBCs exceeded 149 “countable” species: Sarasota (168), West Pasco (156), South Brevard County (153), Bradenton and North Pinellas (152 each), and West Palm Beach (150). The total number of individuals varied from 391 at Dry Tortugas to 541,038 at Cocoa (with 525,000 of these Lesser Scaup). Only two other CBCs tallied more than 50,000 individuals: Gainesville (108,773) and Kissimmee Valley (75,204).

Six species were found on all 80 counts: Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Belted Kingfisher, American Kestrel, Gray Catbird, and Palm Warbler. In contrast, 20 native species or natural vagrants were each documented on count-day by a single individual: Greater White-fronted Goose at Pensacola; Ross’s Goose at Brooksville; Cinnamon Teal at Gainesville; White-winged Scoter and Red Phalarope at Sarasota; Long-billed Curlew at Alafia Banks; Sabine’s Gull at Cocoa; Smooth-billed Ani and Cassin’s Kingbird at Homestead; Groove-billed Ani at Venice–Englewood; Yellow-bellied Flycatcher at West Palm Beach; Philadelphia Vireo at Kendall Area; Bank Swallow and Blue Grosbeak at Long Pine Key; Prothonotary Warbler at Coot Bay–Everglades N.P.; Tennessee Warbler at Zellwood–Mount Dora; Black-throated Gray Warbler at Aripeka–Bayport; Dark-eyed Junco and Scott’s Oriole at Tallahassee; and Great-tailed Grackle at St. Petersburg. Four species exceeded 50,000 individuals statewide: Lesser Scaup (542,801, with 525,000 at Cocoa); American Robin (176,794), American Coot (80,993); Tree Swallow (80,463); Laughing Gull (78,090); White Ibis (65,797); and Fish Crow (50,223).

There were 14,782 Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks on 44 CBCs, with 4,200 at Gainesville, 885 at Bradenton, and 700 at STA5–Clewiston. Fulvous Whistling-Ducks numbered 411 individuals on three CBCs: 350 at STA5–Clewiston; 80 at Zellwood–Mount Dora; and one at Gainesville. Pensacola reported the only Greater White-fronted Goose. Snow Geese totaled 32 on six CBCs, with 21 at St. Marks, five at Gainesville, three at West Pasco, and singles at East Pasco, Kissimmee Valley, and south to Sanibel–Captiva. An adult Ross’s Goose enlivened Brooksville. Canada Geese, largely or entirely feral, totaled 1,386 on 17 counts, including 500 at Jacksonville, 350 at Tallahassee, and 175 at Emeralda–Sunnyhill. Egyptian Geese numbered 681 individuals on 11 counts, with 150 at West Palm Beach, 147 at Kendall Area, 105 at Fort Lauderdale, and 103 at Stuart. Population expansion is suggested by four at Cocoa, 15 at Kissimmee Valley, and two at Lake Placid. Muscovy Ducks totaled 4,370 individuals on 52 counts, among these 870 at Kendall Area, 355 at Tampa, and 325 at West Palm Beach. Two American Black Ducks were at St. Marks, where expected, with another at Lake City.

We stress the need to examine Mallards and Mottled Ducks carefully to determine how many individuals may be hybrids/backcrosses (Mallard × Mottled Duck) or cannot be identified to species (Mallard/Mottled Duck, aka “Muddled Duck”). The identifications of these ducks are so confused that for this summary, we combine all Mallards, Mottled Ducks, hybrids/backcrosses, and unknowns into a single total, which this season equaled 6,634 individuals. Florida CBCs that report dozens or hundreds of Mottled Ducks and few or no backcrosses or unknowns are likely providing erroneous data. The lone Cinnamon Teal was at Gainesville. There were 3,325 Redheads on 25 counts, and 26 Canvasbacks on eight. Lesser Scaup numbered 542,801 individuals on 54 counts, with 525,000 at Cocoa. There were 86 Greater Scaup on 13 counts, with two south to Peace River and one inland at Tallahassee. All three scoters were reported: one White-winged at Sarasota with another count-week at Bay County; 10 Surf Scoters at St. Augustine, with two others at Matanzas and singles at Daytona Beach and Panacea; and 545 Black Scoters on 15 counts, including 142 at Panacea, 90 at Cocoa, and 72 at Jacksonville. Three Long-tailed Ducks inland at Zellwood–Mount Dora were the only CBC report. Buffleheads totaled 1,871 individuals on 30 counts statewide, with 382 at St. Marks, 325 at Panacea, 280 at Bay County, and 260 at Apalachicola Bay–St. Vincent N.W.R. Eight Common Goldeneyes were found on five counts, with three at St. Marks, two at Apalachicola Bay–St. Vincent N.W.R., and singles at Gainesville, Ichetucknee–Santa Fe–O’Leno, and Tampa. Hooded Mergansers numbered 3,940 individuals on 51 counts, including 650 at St. Marks, 250 at The Villages–Lake Panasoffkee, and 220 at Gainesville. Red-breasted Mergansers totaled 2,785 on 42 counts, with 600 at Sarasota, 530 at Fort De Soto, and 300 at Bay County. There were 2.603 Ruddy Ducks on 19 CBCs, including 1,100 at Melrose, 550 at Zellwood–Mount Dora, and 275 at Emeralda–Sunnyhill.

Wild Turkeys numbered 1,508 individuals on 48 counts, among these 125 at Gainesville and 100 at Melrose. Northern Bobwhites totaled 198 individuals on 21 counts, with 29 at Lake Placid, and 24 each at Gainesville and Zellwood–Mount Dora. Exotic landfowl totals were eight Helmeted Guineafowl at Jacksonville, 281 Indian Peafowl on 16 counts (among these 81 at St. Petersburg, 40 at Cocoa, and 34 at Kendall Area); and 62 Red Junglefowl/domestic chickens on six counts. Of the state’s 522 Clapper Rails, 181 on 15 counts were along the Gulf coast, while 341 on eight counts were along the Atlantic coast. Purple Gallinules numbered 406 on 32 counts, with 63 at Emeralda–Sunnyhill, 52 at West Palm Beach, 50 at STA5–Clewiston, and 45 at Christmas. High counts of the state’s 225 Gray-headed Swamphens on 11 counts were 60 each at STA5–Clewiston and West Palm Beach, 41 at Zellwood–Mount Dora, and 22 at Sarasota. Duos of Black Rails were at STA5–Clewiston and West Pasco, with another at Long Pine Key. Florida’s 9,161 Sandhill Cranes were found on 54 counts, among these 1,900 at Gainesville, 1,200 at Lake Placid, and 750 at Clermont. A single Whooping Crane—a long-surviving member of a sadly unsuccessful reintroduction program that ended in 2008—was found at Kissimmee Valley. Limpkin totals remain suppressed for unknown reasons, with 1,087 individuals on 46 counts, including 168 at Gainesville, 112 at Sarasota, and 90 at West Palm Beach. Two Eared Grebes were at Peace River. Fifty-four (!) American Flamingoes were at Coot Bay–Everglades N.P., with singles at Sanibel–Captiva and St. Marks. The feral flock at the Hialeah Race Track on the Dade County count was unreported.

Showing the effects of no Cedar Key CBC this season, American Oystercatchers totaled “only” 430 individuals on 21 counts, with 76 at St. Augustine, 61 at Panacea, and 49 at Ten Thousand Islands. There were 243 Black-necked Stilts on 10 counts, including 170 at Myakka River S.P. American Avocets numbered 220 on nine counts, with 82 at Merritt Island N.W.R. and 70 inland at Myakka River S.P. Snowy Plovers numbered 82 on nine counts along the Gulf coast, including 26 at Bay County, 13 at Apalachicola Bay–St. Vincent N.W.R., and 12 at Fort De Soto. Piping Plovers were found along both coasts: 207 individuals on 16 counts, with 51 at Fort De Soto, 48 at North Pinellas, and 30 at Fort Myers. Single Solitary Sandpipers were at Estero Bay, Econlockhatchee, and Kendall Area. There were 69 Hudsonian Whimbrels on seven counts, with 47 at Coot Bay–Everglades N.P. and 12 at Matanzas. The sole Long-billed Curlew was at Alafia Banks. Marbled Godwits totaled 425 individuals on 14 counts, among these 300 at Coot Bay–Everglades N.P. and 59 at Panacea. Red Knots numbered 1,758 individuals on 20 counts, including 880 at Fort De Soto, 340 at Ponce Inlet, and 212 at Estero Bay. Two Purple Sandpipers at St. Augustine provided the only report. Eighteen American Woodcocks were found on eight counts, among these six at Gainesville and trios at Clermont and South Brevard County. A Red Phalarope was photographed just off the beach at Sarasota.

Black Skimmers totaled 7,720 individuals on 34 counts, among these 1,100 at Fort De Soto, 950 at Matanzas, and 900 at Naples. A Sabine’s Gull enlivened Cocoa. There were only 280 Bonaparte’s Gulls on 27 counts, with 88 at Choctawhatchee Bay, 29 at Merritt Island N.W.R., and 27 at Melrose. Single Franklin’s Gulls were at Cocoa, Emeralda–Sunnyhill (inland!), and St. Petersburg, with two others at Kendall Area. Many Great Black-backed Gulls and Lesser Black-backed Gulls have been reported in the Florida Keys during recent CBCs, and these rarely elicit compiler comments—we now require documentation for these species in the Keys if more than a few individuals are reported (this season, almost none were). Lesser Black-backed Gulls numbered 594 on 25 counts, with 185 at Cocoa, 42 at Kendall Area, and 35 at West Palm Beach. There were 84 Great Black-backed Gulls on 10 counts, among these 39 at Ponce Inlet, 13 at Cocoa, and 11 at Jacksonville. No Gull-billed Terns were reported. Common Terns are a near-annual identification concern and a species for which documentation is required statewide. This season, duos were accepted at Apalachicola Bay–St. Vincent N.W.R. and Sarasota, with singles at Bay County, Port St. Joe, Stuart, Venice–Englewood, and West Pasco. There were 2,571 Forster’s Terns on 53 counts, including 225 at Jacksonville, 200 at Sarasota, and 125 at Venice–Englewood.

Two Red-throated Loons were inland at Gainesville (!), with another at Daytona Beach. Common Loons numbered 695 on 36 counts, including 145 at Bay County, 108 at Pensacola, 78 at St. Marks, and 72 inland at Melrose. Wood Storks totaled 3,370 individuals on 65 counts, with 225 at West Pasco, 145 at Bradenton, and 142 at Sarasota. There were 497 Magnificent Frigatebirds on 25 counts, among these 94 at Ten Thousand Islands, 60 at Cocoa, and 48 at Dry Tortugas. Two were photographed low over Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary! Northern Gannets totaled 209 individuals on 21 counts, including 30 each at Cocoa and Daytona Beach and 29 at Sarasota. Forty-eight Masked Boobys were at Dry Tortugas. Of the 33 Brown Boobys on three counts were 19 at Biscayne N.P., eight at Fort De Soto, and six at Tampa. Incredibly, a Red-footed Booby was photographed in flight over the St. Johns River at Jacksonville! No Great Cormorants or Neotropic Cormorants were reported. Double-crested Cormorants were found on 78 of 80 CBC; statewide totals were 35,344 individuals, with 5,300 at Coot Bay–Everglades N.P., 1,500 at Panacea, and 1,400 at West Pasco.

Wading birds (no longer including Wood Stork) numbered 136,376 individuals, including 449 “Great White Herons” (370 of these at Coot Bay–Everglades N.P.), one “Wurdemann’s Heron” at Coot Bay–Everglades N.P., and 116 Reddish Egrets on 24 counts (among these 13 each at Merritt Island N.W.R. and North Pinellas and 11 at Coot Bay–Everglades N.P.). White Ibises totaled 65,797 individuals on 77 counts, with 4.300 at Kendall Area, 3,500 at Ponce Inlet, and 3,000 at West Palm Beach. Of the 10,972 Glossy Ibises on 51 counts, 900 were at Sarasota, 860 at Venice–Englewood, and 800 at Stuart. Six White-faced Ibises were found on three counts: four at St. Marks and singles at East Pasco and Venice–Englewood. Seven Plegadis species were at Panacea. Florida’s 1,604 Roseate Spoonbills were distributed among 45 counts, with 320 at Coot Bay–Everglades N.P., 240 (inland!) at Myakka River S.P., and 180 at St. Augustine. There were 14.458 American White Pelicans on 55 counts, including 4,000 at Coot Bay–Everglades N.P., 1,150 at Bradenton, and 1,000 at Ten Thousand Islands. Brown Pelicans totaled 14,368 on 51 counts, including 1,400 at St. Augustine, 1,200 at Merritt Island N.W.R., and 850 at Coot Bay–Everglades N.P.

There were 11,061 Black Vultures on 76 counts, and 48,857 Turkey Vultures on 79 (all but Key West). Selected diurnal raptors included 4,053 Ospreys on 75 counts, 1,740 Bald Eagles on 71 (with 143 at Gainesville, 104 at Coot Bay–Everglades N.P., and 72 at Emeralda–Sunnyhill), and 3,525 Red-shouldered Hawks on 75 counts. Thirteen White-tailed Kites were found: eight at Homestead; three at Long Pine Key; and singles at Kissimmee Prairie–DeLuca and STA5–Clewiston. Accipiter totals were 240 Cooper’s Hawks on 62 counts, 74 Sharp-shinned Hawks on 36, and two not identified to species. Snail Kites numbered 199 on 11 counts, among these 112 at Gainesville, 38 at Kissimmee Valley, and 23 at STA5–Clewiston. Short-tailed Hawks totaled 150 individuals on 30 counts, including 36 at Kendall Area, 34 at Homestead, 12 at Ten Thousand Islands, nine at Fakahatchee, eight at Key West, and seven at Dade County. There were 25 Swainson’s Hawks on four CBCs: 21 at Homestead; two at Kendall Area; and singles at Long Pine Key and South Brevard County. A Smooth-billed Ani was found at Homestead, while a Groove-billed Ani was at Venice–Englewood. There were 21 American Barn Owls on 13 counts, including six at Gainesville, four at Homestead, and singles elsewhere. Great Horned Owls numbered 266 on 55 counts, including 42 at Gainesville, 18 at Tallahassee, and 16 at Lake Placid. Eastern Screech-Owls totaled 235 individuals on 49 counts, and there were 433 Barred Owls on 56 (among these 81 at Gainesville, 40 at Avon Park A.F. Range, and 18 at Ichetucknee–Santa Fe –O’Leno). Burrowing Owls numbered 128 individuals on 10 CBCs, with 75 at Fort Myers and 25 at Fort Lauderdale. Single Short-eared Owls were at St. Augustine and St. Petersburg.

Lesser Nighthawk totals were two at Homestead and singles at Kendall Area and Long Pine Key. Of the 35 Eastern Whip-poor-wills tallied on 14 counts, seven were at Homestead, six at Gainesville, and five at Long Pine Key. Three Chuck-will’s-widows were at West Palm Beach, with singles at Fort Lauderdale, Homestead, and Long Pine Key. Three swifts (species?) were found at Emeralda–Sunnyhill. Florida’s 368 hummingbirds were composed of 349 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (with 116 at Kendall Area and 48 at Homestead), two Black-chinned Hummingbirds (at Lake City and Tallahassee), four Rufous Hummingbirds (at Gainesville, Pensacola, Tallahassee, and West Palm Beach), one Archilochus, seven Selasphorus, and five not identified further. A Buff-bellied Hummingbird was found count-week at Apalachicola Bay–St. Vincent N.W.R. A Mangrove/Yellow-bellied Cuckoo was found at Crocodile Lake N.W.R. Rock Pigeons totaled 8,329 individuals on 55 counts, with 700 at Bay County, 580 at Dade County, and 500 at Sarasota. There were 110 White-crowned Pigeons on 10 counts, with 23 at Coot Bay–Everglades N.P., 21 at Kendall Area, and 19 at Long Pine Key. Eurasian Collared-Doves numbered 3,074 individuals on 66 counts, representing their lowest total since BP became state editor in 2002. This species continues its substantial, long-term decline in Florida (Figure 1). Belted Kingfishers were found on every CBC, with a statewide total of 2,376 individuals; the highest counts were 116 at Ten Thousand Islands, 100 at Merritt Island N.W.R., and 85 at St. Augustine.

Red-headed Woodpeckers numbered 342 individuals on 40 counts, with 38 at Ichetucknee–Santa Fe–O’Leno, 32 at Gainesville, and 26 Jackson County. Among 2,178 Downy Woodpeckers on 71 counts were 235 at Gainesville, 125 at Sarasota, and 100 at Ichetucknee–Santa Fe–O’Leno. Red-cockaded Woodpeckers numbered 63 individuals on nine counts, including 20 at Panacea and 10 each at Avon Park A.F. Range and South Brevard County. Possibly Florida’s rarest Dryobates, Hairy Woodpeckers totaled only 10 on eight counts, with three at Lake Placid and singles elsewhere. There were 545 Northern Flickers on 51 counts, among these 67 at Gainesville, 37 at Lake Placid, and 34 at Tallahassee. Pileated Woodpeckers numbered 1,658 on 70 counts, including 179 at Gainesville, 113 at Ichetucknee–Santa Fe–O’Leno, 80 at Melrose, and 52 at Fakahatchee. There were 106 Crested Caracaras on 16 counts, with 23 at Kissimmee Prairie–DeLuca, 20 at STA5–Clewiston, and 10 each at Dinner Island Ranch–East Okaloacoochee Slough and Lake Placid. The Yellow-headed Caracara (Daptrius chimachima) first found at Oleta River State Park in March 2023 and initially very difficult to relocate, was seen count-week at Dade County. This sighting marks the first CBC record of Yellow-headed Caracara north of Mexico! Of Florida’s 2,224 American Kestrels on all 80 counts were 99 at Lake Wales, 87 at Kendall Area, and 80 at STA5–Clewiston. Merlins numbered 90 on 47 counts, among these seven at Homestead, six at Kendall Area, and four each at Dade County and Zellwood–Mount Dora. Peregrine Falcons totaled 51 on 31 counts, all singles or duos except for four each at Homestead and Kendall Area, and three each at Fakahatchee and Long Pine Key.

Figure 1. Eurasian Collared-Dove numbers on Florida CBCs, January 2002–January 2025. These are raw data only, not based on birds-per-party-hour (which would show even more of a decline, as the number of Florida CBCs has increased from 61 in 2002 to 80 in 2025).

Twelve species of psittacids totaling 3,330 individuals were reported, distributed over 23 CBCs.

Two Rose-ringed Parakeets were tallied at Naples, their only remaining site in Florida. There were 1,009 Monk Parakeets on 19 counts (with 270 at West Palm Beach, 200 at St. Petersburg, and 93 at Dade County). White-winged Parakeets are now extirpated from Florida, with the last records in spring 2022. Seventy-one Yellow-chevroned Parakeets were at Kendall Area and 50 others at Dade County. A Yellow-headed Parrot photographed in flight during count-week at West Marion was a bizarre find. Kendall Area tallied 64 Orange-winged Parrots, with nine others at Dade County. Nanday Parakeets numbered 1,473 on 11 counts, with 320 at St. Petersburg, 300 each at Bradenton and Sarasota, and 225 at Fort De Soto. Kendall Area reported 20 Blue-and-yellow Macaws and 15 Chestnut-fronted Macaws, while 10 other Chestnut-fronteds were at Dade County. Blue-crowned Parakeets numbered 155 individuals, with 103 at St. Petersburg, 30 at Dade County, 12 at Fort De Soto, and 10 at Fort Lauderdale. Mitred Parakeets numbered only 199 individuals, with 160 at Kendall Area, 39 at Dade County, and count-week at West Palm Beach. If statewide CBC totals continue to be in the low hundreds for two more years, then we will remove Mitred Parakeet as a “countable” exotic. Other Psittacara consisted of 93 Red-masked Parakeets (60 at Kendall Area, 33 at Dade County, and count-week at West Palm Beach), and 160 White-eyed Parakeets at Dade County, plus count-week at Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.

A Yellow-bellied Flycatcher photographed and audio-recorded at West Palm Beach provided one of a handful of winter records in Florida. Thirteen Least Flycatchers were tallied on eight counts, all singles except for five at Homestead and two at Emeralda–Sunnyhill. Twenty Vermilion Flycatchers were tallied on 11 counts, with seven at Gainesville, three at Tallahassee, and two at Choctawhatchee Bay. Two Tropical Kingbirds were at Homestead, with another at Gainesville. A Tropical/Couch’s Kingbird was at Sarasota, while a Cassin’s Kingbird was at Homestead. There were 56 Western Kingbirds on 18 counts, with 17 at Homestead, seven at Port St. Joe, and six at St. Augustine. Fourteen Scissor-tailed Flycatchers were found on just two counts: 13 at Homestead and one at Pensacola. Single Gray Kingbirds were at Cocoa and Jacksonville. Thirteen Ash-throated Flycatchers graced eight counts, with five at Gainesville, two at Clermont, and singles at Brooksville, Homestead, Jackson County, Kissimmee Prairie–DeLuca, Lake Wales, and Sarasota. Great Crested Flycatchers totaled 295 individuals on 31 counts, among these 47 at Fakahatchee, 33 at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, 28 at Ten Thousand Islands, and 26 at Lake Placid. Three Brown-crested Flycatchers were found at Homestead, with another at Long Pine Key.

Twenty-nine Yellow-throated Vireos were found on seven counts, including 18 at Kendall Area, five at Dade County, and two at Homestead. Single Bell’s Vireos were found at Dade County, Gainesville, and Long Pine Key, with another count-week at Homestead. A Philadelphia Vireo photographed at Kendall Area furnished a very rare winter record. Loggerhead Shrikes totaled 1,785 on 68 counts, with 108 at Corkscrew Swamp, 91 at Homestead, and 90 at Venice–Englewood. Florida Scrub-Jays numbered 450 individuals on 14 counts, with 162 at Lake Placid, 80 at South Brevard County, and 75 at Merritt Island N.W.R. There were 10,528 American Crows on 63 counts, and 50,223 Fish Crows on 69. Cedar Waxwings totaled 6,089 individuals on 47 counts, with 2,000 at Gainesville, 420 at Jacksonville, 350 at Melrose, and 300 at West Marion. Parid totals were 2,728 Carolina Chickadees on 38 counts, and 4,624 Tufted Titmice on 57. Jackson County reported 32 Horned Larks, their only regular site in Florida. Seven Purple Martins were at martin houses at Sarasota. Northern Rough-winged Swallows totaled 331 individuals on 11 counts, including 220 at STA5–Clewiston, 72 at Jonathan Dickinson S.P., and 20 at West Palm Beach. A One Bank Swallow was detailed at Long Pine Key. Twenty-one Barn Swallows were found: 13 at Homestead; duos at Kissimmee Prairie–DeLuca and Melrose; and singles at Gainesville, Jacksonville, Panacea, and South Brevard County. There were 230 Cave Swallows at Homestead, with four others at Long Pine Key, one at St, Marks, and count-week at Choctawhatchee Bay.

Ruby-crowned Kinglets numbered 3,863 individuals on 61 counts, including 725 at Gainesville, 225 at Melrose, and 190 at Tallahassee. Golden-crowned Kinglets numbered 177 individuals on 17 counts, with 28 at Tallahassee, 24 at Panacea, and 19 at Jackson County. Ten Winter Wrens were tallied on four counts: four at Jackson County, three at Ichetucknee–Santa Fe–O’Leno, two at Tallahassee, and one at Gainesville. Blue-gray Gnatcatchers totaled 9,083 individuals on 79 counts (every count but Dry Tortugas), including 550 at Gainesville, 425 at Sarasota, 385 at Kendall Area, and 350 each at Clermont and North Pinellas. Nineteen White-breasted Nuthatches were found, all at Tallahassee. Brown-headed Nuthatches numbered 628 individuals on 38 counts, among these 63 at Apalachicola Bay–St. Vincent N.W.R., 62 at Panacea, 49 at Pensacola, and 45 at Christmas. Red-breasted Nuthatches were found at Choctawhatchee Bay (four), Pensacola (three) and Panacea (one). Single Brown Creepers were at Choctawhatchee Bay, Gainesville, Jackson County, and West Marion. European Starlings totaled 26,125 individuals on 69 counts, with 3,000 at St. Petersburg, 2,700 at West Palm Beach, and 2,100 at Fort Myers. This season, 70 Common Mynas were found on nine counts, with 29 at Homestead and 14 at Kendall Area. Common Hill Mynas are now extirpated from Florida, with no reports since May 2022. The statewide total of Eastern Bluebirds was skewed by the surely erroneous report of “2013” on one Panhandle CBC; counts included 370 at Pensacola, 325 at Gainesville, and 215 at Tallahassee. It was a great year for American Robins, with 176,094 on 57 counts, among these 45,000 at Gainesville, 26,000 at Melrose, and 11,500 at West Pasco.

House Sparrows totaled 1,572 individuals on 56 counts, among these 139 at Sarasota, 130 at Homestead, 109 at Kendall Area, and 103 at Pensacola. There were 128 Scaly-breasted Munias on three counts: 96 at Pensacola, 28 at Kendall Area, and four at Tampa. Although the peninsular munia populations are not related to the burgeoning population found from Mississippi to the western Florida Panhandle, Scaly-breasted Munias are “countable” statewide; we suspect that they will become widely established over the next few decades. American Pipits numbered 260 on 14 counts, among these 165 at Jackson County, 38 at Jacksonville, and 20 at Econlockhatchee. No Sprague’s Pipits were found. House Finches numbered 1,158 individuals on 48 counts, among these 183 at Pensacola, 175 at Gainesville, and 85 at Jacksonville. There were 1,809 American Goldfinches on 53 counts, with 335 at Gainesville, 139 at Ichetucknee–Santa Fe–O’Leno, and 114 at Tallahassee. The only Pine Siskin was count-week at Gainesville.

Twenty-two species of sparrows were accepted, with the rarest being one Dark-eyed Junco at Tallahassee and another count-week at Jackson County; single Fox Sparrows at Emeralda–Sunnyhill and Tallahassee, with another count-week at Jackson County; and three LeConte’s Sparrows at Kissimmee Valley. Thirty-three Bachman’s Sparrows were found across 11 counts, with 11 at Kissimmee Prairie–DeLuca and four each at Avon Park A.F. Range and South Brevard County. Eight Henslow’s Sparrows were tallied: four at Gainesville, three at Kissimmee Prairie–DeLuca, and one at Choctawhatchee Bay. Thirty-nine Nelson’s Sparrows were found on eight counts, 19 on six Gulf coast counts (including seven at Choctawhatchee Bay and six at St. Marks) and 20 on two Atlantic coast counts (16 at Jacksonville and four at Matanzas). Twenty-four Saltmarsh Sparrows were found on three counts: 12 at Jacksonville, 10 at St. Augustine, and two along the Gulf coast at Fort De Soto. Eleven Seaside Sparrows were tallied on six counts: singles along the Gulf coast at Panacea, Crystal River, Aripeka–Bayport, and West Pasco; and along the Atlantic coast at Jacksonville (two) and Matanzas (five). Clay-colored Sparrows totaled nine on eight counts, with two at Clermont and singles elsewhere. Lincoln’s Sparrows totaled 25 on six counts, with 12 at Long Pine Key, seven at Homestead, three at West Pasco, and singles at Gainesville, Matanzas, and St. Augustine. Statewide Swamp Sparrows numbered 2,405 on 63 counts, among these 610 at Gainesville, 126 at Emeralda–Sunnyhill, and 120 at North Pinellas.

Five Yellow-breasted Chats were at Gainesville, with another at Long Pine Key. Eastern Meadowlarks totaled 1,736 individuals on 55 counts, including 210 at STA5–Clewiston, 200 at Kissimmee Prairie–DeLuca, and 140 each at Avon Park A.F. Range and Jackson County. One Scott’s Oriole at Tallahassee furnished the fourth record for Florida. Of the 138 Baltimore Orioles found on 18 counts, 42 were at Gainesville, 23 at Lake City, 14 at Kendall Area, 13 at Melrose, and 12 at Tallahassee. Spot-breasted Orioles were tallied at Kendall Area (four), Fort Lauderdale (three), and Dade County (one). A first-year male Orchard Oriole was photographed count-week at Kissimmee Valley. Three Shiny Cowbirds were at Homestead, with another at Sarasota. Bronzed Cowbirds were at West Palm Beach (three), with two each at Peace River and STA5–Clewiston, and count-week at Kendall Area and Kissimmee Valley. There were 5,450 Brown-headed Cowbirds on 59 counts, including 625 at Melrose, 400 at Ponce Inlet, and 365 at Bay County. Florida’s 127 Rusty Blackbirds were divided among Gainesville (125), and Bay County and Pensacola (one each). No Brewer’s Blackbirds were reported. There were 46,939 Common Grackles on 76 counts, and 23,268 Boat-tailed Grackles on 74. St. Petersburg’s Great-tailed Grackle, present since March 2023, was recorded on its second CBC season.

This season, 24 species of New World warblers were accepted. One Prothonotary Warbler was detailed at Coot Bay–Everglades N.P., while a Tennessee Warbler was photographed at Zellwood–Mount Dora. A Black-throated Gray Warbler at Aripeka–Bayport was never relocated. Single Louisiana Waterthrushes were at Dade County and Kendall Area, while single Blue-winged Warblers were at Bay Lake and West Palm Beach. Nashville Warblers were at Kendall Area, South Brevard County, and Tallahassee, plus count-week at West Palm Beach. Wilson’s Warblers were at Long Pine Key and Tampa, plus count-week at Kissimmee Valley. Duos each of Worm-eating Warblers were at Kendall Area and Long Pine Key. Of the 135 Northern Waterthrushes found on 33 counts, 44 were at Coot Bay–Everglades N.P., with 12 at Gainesville and 10 at Kendall Area. Other New World warblers found at Kendall Area included 46 American Redstarts, 30 Cape May Warblers, 145 Northern Parulas, 13 Magnolia Warblers, three “Yellow” Warblers, 18 Black-throated Blue Warblers, 58 Yellow-throated Warblers, 77 Prairie Warblers, and 31 Black-throated Green Warblers! Five warbler species exceeded 1,000 individuals statewide: 37,331 Yellow-rumped Warblers on 79 counts (all but Ten Thousand Islands, likely an inadvertent omission), 20,980 Palm Warblers on all 80 counts; 5,054 Pine Warblers on 72 counts; 3,322 Common Yellowthroats on 75 counts; and 1,277 Black-and-white Warblers on 75.

Among the 30 Summer Tanagers found on 19 counts were six at Kendall Area and three each at Dade County and Gainesville. Of seven Western Tanagers documented: two were at Kendall Area, with singles at Gainesville, North Pinellas, Port St. Joe, Tallahassee, and Tampa. Northern Cardinals were found on every CBC except Key West, with 6,990 counted; high totals were 725 at Gainesville, 325 at Tallahassee, and 300 at Sarasota. Rose-breasted Grosbeaks were photographed at Homestead and Kendall Area. A Blue Grosbeak was at Long Pine Key, with another count-week at West Palm Beach. Indigo Buntings totaled 105 individuals on 22 counts, including 27 at Bradenton, 11 at Myakka River S.P., and nine each at Homestead and Key West. Painted Buntings totaled 453 individuals on 42 counts, among these 69 at Kendall Area, 58 at West Palm Beach, 34 at Homestead, and 30 at Fort Lauderdale. Single Dickcissels were at Kendall Area and Tallahassee.

For the 17th year, BHA reviewed most of the documentation forms received from compilers. Following his review, BP searched eBird for photographs of rare species that were found on CBCs but for which compilers did not submit documentation. Valid records in eBird allowed more than 40 rare species to remain in the CBC database. Together, our efforts resulted in more than 200 rare birds being documented on 49 CBCs. Compilers from 23 other CBCs that contained rare species submitted no details, thereby failing to perform one of the most important compiler duties: ensuring that all species reported on their CBC were correctly identified and properly documented.

This season, we deleted 25 reports of rare species not supported by details or eBird data from 18 counts, much lower totals than is typical, due in large part to our online review. We should not have to spend hours reviewing the eBird database for rarities found on Christmas Bird Counts. This season, one compiler reported more than 20 rarities on his count, with not a single rare bird form sent in; we were able to salvage most of these species via eBird. This effort pushed us beyond our limits. We no longer guarantee in the future that we will search eBird for rarities found on Florida CBCs. We strongly advise compilers to submit details for all rare birds seen on their counts—even as a simple link to an eBird checklist with one or more photographs (or an iNaturalist record). For 12 years, we have recommended that compiler’s use the “30% guideline,” which states that documentation should be provided for any diurnal species if seen on less than 30% of your previous counts. (30% is probably overkill, but we’d rather receive too much documentation rather than none at all). If you are surprised by the appearance of a native, diurnal bird on your CBC—especially one never seen before—please document it.

We deleted three species each from two CBCs, two species each from three other counts, and one species each from 13 other counts. Deleted reports were Mottled Duck (northern peninsula), Red-breasted Merganser (inland), Purple Gallinule (Lower Keys), Willet (inland), Least Tern (there is no winter record in Florida), Common Tern, Common Nighthawk, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Chaetura species, Least Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Great Crested Flycatcher, Purple Martin (from two counts), Barn Swallow (from two counts), American Pipit (southern peninsula), Common Redstart (no Florida record; the compiler probably meant American Redstart), American Yellow Warbler, Field Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco (four, northern peninsula), Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Purple Finch. Deleted reports represent 0.26% of all Florida CBC sightings this season. We appended 28 other sightings with the DD (“Details Desired”) code, and 15 sightings—primarily for Mottled Duck totals—with the QN (“Questionable Number”) code.

We thank the following compilers for their attention to detail and for documenting the rarities found on their counts: Sharon Allen (Lake Wales), Laura Berkelman (Melrose), Patrick Blake (Avon Park A.F. Range), Ed Bowes (Fort Pierce), David Bowman (Tampa), Dana Bryan (St. Marks), Bob Clark (Venice–Englewood), Gigi DelPizzo (Emeralda–Sunnyhill), Charlie Ewell (Fort Myers), Jay Exum (Wekiva River), Ginger Feagle (Ichetucknee–Santa Fe–O’Leno), Charlie Fisher (Alafia Banks), Kristina Fisher (Merritt Island N.W.R.), Luis Gonzales (Kendall Area), Mitchell Harris (Cocoa), Emily Johnson (Key Largo–Plantation Key), Bill Kaempfert (North Pinellas), Kevin Kalasz (Lower Keys–Key Deer N.W.R.), Sue Killeen (Matanzas), Eric Plage (St. Petersburg), Andrew Kratter (Gainesville), Belinda Perry (Myakka River S.P.), Brian Rapoza (Coot Bay–Everglades N.P. and Dade County), Michele Reyes (West Marion), Carlos Sanchez (Homestead), Allison Scheflow (Fort Lauderdale), Bradley Smith (Apalachicola Bay–St. Vincent N.W.R.), Elizabeth Stakenborg (The Villages–Lake Panasoffkee), Malcolm Mark Swan (Choctawhatchee Bay), Jon Thomton (Bay Lake), Steven Thyme (Lake Placid), Chuck Weber (West Palm Beach), Aaron Virgin (Sarasota), Catherine Welch (Kissimmee Prairie–DeLuca), and James Wheat (Jacksonville).