Our long-serving Christmas Bird Count Coordinator David Schandlen has compiled and tabulated all the results of this year’s count. It looks like it was another great year – 56 species and 4882 individual birds were counted. The species count compares favourably to the counts in recent years (2024 58 species, 2023 63 species, 2022 58 species). The individual bird count however was down significantly. (2025 4882 birds, 2024 7409 birds, 2023 8348 birds, 2022 6771 birds). This decrease in numbers was obviously due to the fact that with the early onset of winter there was very little open unfrozen water in our count circle, leading to a steep decline in the number of water birds present. You only had to look at this year’s count of Canada Geese – 2 individual birds – compared to the Canada Goose count in recent years. (396 in 2024, 641 in 2023, 234 in 2022, 554 in 2021). Our intrepid group of volunteer counters can be commended for doing as well as they did under the circumstances.

Here are some comments from David Schandlen:

The Audubon Christmas Bird Count is the oldest and largest citizen science program in the world. It provides valuable information on population dynamics and trends for hundreds of North American bird species that are frequently encountered on count day.

On Saturday, December 20, 2025 the count was held in our area. The Midland Penetanguishene Field Naturalist Club organizes the count with 52 volunteers divided up into 17 areas. These areas, which are consistent from year to year world wide, are in a circle with a 15 mile radius. Wyebridge is the centre of our count circle. This area encompasses the Wye Marsh and Tiny Marsh.

Count day was sunny. Temperature was between -5C and -2C. The wind was light with all waterways either frozen or some ice at the shore. The day was successful with 56 different species (plus one other taxa – a duck not identified to species) seen with a total count of 4,882 individual birds.

You can view our count and the total count results from 1900 to the present at the Audubon website:
https://netapp.audubon.org/CBCObservation/CurrentYear/ResultsByCount.aspx (this link opens in a new tab)
Instructions for use:
You will be presented with a form which defaults to the current count year.
* Insert the characters “ONWM” into the field labeled Count Code.
The form will update. When it does, you will be presented with a new information row.
* Click the circle in the information row with the heading “#”.
You’ll be taken to the data.

We were able to have our wrap up pot luck dinner at the Wye Marsh and our silent auction was a success with $801 raised and donated to the McKeever Owl Foundation of Vineland

Thanks again to all who took part. Mark your calendars for next year Saturday December 19, 2026.

Dave Schandlen
Midland Penetanguishene Field Naturalist Club

Several records were set on the 2025 count. Record High Counts were established for the following species:
Sharp-shinned Hawk 5 (Old Record 3 in 2000)
Blue Jay 486 (Old Record 424 in 2000)
American Goldfinch 609 (Old Record 431 in 2023)
Dark-eyed Junco 348 (Old Record 304 in 2022)
White-throated Sparrow 6 (Old Record 3 in 2024)

We added two new species never before recorded on the MPFN Xmas Count:
Eastern Screech Owl with 2 recorded by volunteer Wayne Simkin.
Muscovy Duck (domestic type) 2 record by David and Liz Schandlen

This brings the total number of species ever recorded historically on our count to 117 (plus one “spuh” – a bird that couldn’t be identified to the species level. An unidentified tern species.)

We tied the record for a couple of species:
Lapland Longspur 1 (1 was also recorded in 2013)
Northern Cardinal 46 (tied with the 46 recorded in 2024)

Most of the woodpecker species came very close to the existing records:
Red-headed Woodpecker 2 (existing record 4 in 2019)
Red-bellied Woodpecker 15 (existing record 18 in 2024)
Downy Woodpecker 75 (existing record 77 in 2022)
Hairy Woodpecker 35 (existing record 38 in 2016)
Pileated Woodpecker 13 (existing record 20 in 2024)

We also came close to tying the record for Cooper’s Hawks with 5 recorded (existing record 6 in 2024)

With 52 volunteers on the count we came very close to tying last year’s record of 58 counters. A very good number considering that, with the way the calendar fell last year, we had several reinforcements from our neighbouring Naturalist clubs. This year most of them had their count on the same day as ours.

Perhaps the record we’re most proud of is the amount of money raised for the Owl Foundation of Vineland at our Mystery Gift Auction during the CBC Wrap up/Xmas Potluck – $810! A new record for sure! Thanks to all who attended the Potluck Xmas party and to the several members who, unable to attend, still sent in their contribution.

Resources:

A photo album with photos from the count and from the Count Wrap-up/Potluck Supper/Xmas Party:
(Hover over the photos for species IDs and photographer credits.)
To come.

A spreadsheet showing this year’s count and comparisons going back to 2002:
To come.

A document showing the results of this year’s count in taxonomic order:
https://naturemidland.ca/media/2026/05/2025-MPFN-CBC-taxonomic-order.docx (link downloads docx file)

A document listing our current Species High Counts for the Midland-Penetanguishene Count:
https://naturemidland.ca/media/2026/05/Xmas-Bird-Count-Species-High-Counts.docx (link downloads docx file)