Winter Bird Count Draws a Record 132 Participants

Saturday, December 20, started out at 27 degrees F. By 5 pm, the temperature had dropped to 12 degrees. Molly Jo Miller, Team Leader for Area 15 Pig’s Eye, said, “We could all feel the biting wind get colder and colder as the day went on.” She thanked her bird counters for their perseverance.

Kiki Sonnen & Greg Burnes – Saint Paul Bird Alliance volunteers, conducted this year’s Winter Bird Count, also known as the Christmas Bird Count, on Saturday, December 20, 2025. Our Count Circle is centered at County Road B and Dale Street and radiates 7.5 miles out in all directions. We have our Count Circle divided into 15 areas. Teams of volunteers search their assigned area, tabulating all birds seen or heard. 

132 birders found a total of 54 species of birds in this year’s Count. A total of 14,392 individual birds were reported. Mallards won the count by a long shot with 7,306  (Thanks to those who took the time to carefully count thousands of Mallards). Rock Pigeons came in a distant second with 1,104, followed by Robins at 905 and House Sparrows at 897.

Several area teams found Great Horned Owls on this year’s Count. Jim Rogers said, “Spent a (very cold) morning with the delightful people of Saint Paul Bird Alliance, taking part in my first Christmas Bird Count…The best spotting was a pair of Great Horned Owls at Hidden Falls Park.” Another team in Roseville, led by Greg Burnes, saw a Great Horned Owl fly overhead while an 11-year-old girl and her mom were present. Even though they are regular visitors to the Raptor Center, they were so excited to see their first owl in the wild! 

John Zakelj and Kathy Janis headed up the Area 10 team, finding 22 species, including Trumpeter Swans, ducks, Mourning Doves, and woodpeckers. Above is a picture of a Tree Sparrow John took.

While the project’s goal is to count birds, equally important is the connection we build with one another and with the birds we see. After the Count, 15 birders who were up for it came to the Post-Count Party. We talked about the day’s adventures, the sightings, the fun, and the cold. 

Mark your calendars – next year’s Winter Bird Count will be Saturday, December 19, 2026.