Unofficially, Matagorda County has 224 bird species reported for the 122nd Annual Audubon Matagorda County Mad Island Marsh Christmas Bird Count (CBC) Monday, Dec. 20.
That number awaits verification for about six rare or uncommon birds before becoming official sometime next year.
Those rare birds mentioned during the countdown Monday night were the Anna’s Hummingbird, Prairie Warbler, Green Kingfisher, Wood Stork, Swainson’s Hawk, and an unidentified species of Scoter.
Rare birds will have to be verified and birders are required to provide documentation to be officially counted towards the CBC total.
Audubon’s CBC takes place from Tuesday, Dec. 14 through Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022.
Only five or six counts in North America can reach 200 species of birds,” said Dr. Brent Ortego, wildlife ornithologist, and CBC compiler.
“I heard that San Diego closed out at 206, so, we’re ahead of them and they’re usually one of the ones to beat every year.”
He added that the weather could have impacted the count.
“We were really worried about the count earlier in the day, but we’re happy to have things clear up towards the end,” he explained.
As of press time Tuesday morning, no official results had been posted to the Audubon website, which leaves no clue as to the Matagorda CBC’s ranking compared to others throughout North America.
Birders are divided into 13 teams to cover a 15-mile diameter circle of terrain featuring private and public land alike.
“There’s definitely some quality habitats for birds in this part of the state,” added Ortego.
“The CBC features extensive native grasslands, brushlands, floodplain forests, beaches, and coastal marshes.”
Ortego added that much of the count circle is on private land.
“We’re lucky to have landowners in the area to give us access and help with the count,” he said.
The birders also deliberate and select the best bird for the year though one wasn’t mentioned yet for this year.
The best bird usually gains a spot on the following year’s commemorative T-shirt; an item given to each birder that reports into the final count the evening after the CBC is over.
This year, birders received a tote bag featuring last year’s best bird – the Red-headed Woodpecker.
“We won’t have the best bird chosen for this year until I’ve had a chance to speak with all the section leaders,” said Ortego.
“After that, we usually vote on the best bird for the count and it usually ends up on the shirt.”
Last year, birders reached a confirmed total of 224 species with 96 total participants and over 305 hours of work identifying and verifying the species and number of each.
With those numbers, the Matagorda County Mad Island Marsh count reached No. 1 status for the year – the 14th year in a row and for 23 total CBC counts overall.
The annual CBC has been active in Matagorda County since 1993 – when Ortego started it.
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