Space Coast Birding

Cocoa Christmas Bird Count Historic List

Compiled by Dave Freeland, Merritt Island, FL
Cocoa CBC Co-Compiler
Member of the Space Coast Audubon Society

The Cocoa Christmas Bird Count, one of thousands conducted annually under the auspices of National Audubon Society in North America and several other continents, was started in 1951 by famed ornithologist Allan Cruickshank. At one time, before habitat changes occasioned by development, the Cocoa CBC was the nation's best, twice setting national records for most species seen in one day on a Christmas Count. Christmas Counts began in 1900 when Audubon invited people to go out on Christmas Day and count birds rather than shooting them, as was a popular event of the day, called a "side hunt." The compilation included here is a summary of all Cocoa CBC species by highest count and year in which that count was recorded.

Species Max Year(s) Notes
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 170 2004 Since 1999 only
Fulvous Whistling-Duck 56 1964 None since 1983
Snow Goose 27 1997 Blue and white forms
Ross' Goose 1 2005 Lone record
Canada Goose 15 1956 Seen 14 years
Brant 5 1970 None since 1994
Muscovy Duck 63 2005 Not counted till 2001
Wood Duck 63 1977
Gadwall 75 2005
Eurasian Wigeon 1 1957,1958,1972
American Wigeon 1500 1963
American Black Duck 31 1997
Mallard 135 2004 Feral and nonferal
Mottled Duck 310 1996
Cinnamon Teal 1 2000 Lone record
Blue-winged Teal 1200 1964
Northern Shoveler 583 1989
Northern Pintail 5500 1963
American Green-winged Teal 500 1968
Canvasback 480 1955 None since 1995
Redhead 1000 1964
Ring-necked Duck 1015 1974
Greater Scaup 46 1977
Lesser Scaup 235,000 2005
Common Eider 1 1984,1995,1996,1999,2002
Surf Scoter 42 2005 Seen 10 years
White-winged Scoter 6 1981 Seen 6 years; none since 1981
Black Scoter 100 2005 Seen 12 years
Long-tailed Duck 4 1960 None since 1996
Bufflehead 280 1970
Common Goldeneye 7 1964 None since 1996
Hooded Merganser 1250 2005
Common Merganser 1 1957,1977,1982
Red-breasted Merganser 240 1964
Ruddy Duck 542 1974
Ring-necked Pheasant 1 1969 Lone record; countable?
Wild Turkey 8 1956 None since 1998
Northern Bobwhite 145 1959 None since 1999
Red-throated Loon 3 1954 None since 1992
Common Loon 69 1979
Pied-billed Grebe 503 1975
Horned Grebe 1322 1979
Eared Grebe 2 1982,1986 None since 1986
Western Grebe 1 1958 Lone record
Cory's Shearwater 1 2001 Lone record
Sooty Shearwater 2 1968 Lone record
Brown Booby 1 1959,1960,1965,1966
Northern Gannet 615 2003
American White Pelican 3161 1976
Brown Pelican 3269 1978
Double-crested Cormorant 11,885 1978
Great Cormorant 1 1987 2 count-week records
Anhinga 403 1988
Magnificent Frigatebird 8 1967
American Bittern 14 1957
Least Bittern 42 1957
Great Blue Heron 524 1984,1991
Great Egret 1077 1984
Snowy Egret 1226 1974
Little Blue Heron 822 1975
Tricolored Heron 652 1976
Reddish Egret 15 1997
Cattle Egret 1782 1983
Green Heron 277 1975
Black-crowned Night-Heron 93 1960
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 26 1997
White Ibis 5000 1957
Glossy Ibis 1710 2005
Roseate Spoonbill 65 2004 None till 1973
Wood Stork 1108 1986
Black Vulture 580 2002
Turkey Vulture 1375 1984
Greater Flamingo 1 1960 Lone record
Osprey 416 2000 Increasing since 1984
White-tailed Kite 2 1991,1995 3 records, plus count-week
Bald Eagle 19 1956
Northern Harrier 54 1972
Sharp-shinned Hawk 36 1978
Cooper's Hawk 15 2005
Red-shouldered Hawk 75 2005
Broad-winged Hawk 3 1959
Short-tailed Hawk 1 1980 Lone record
Swainson's Hawk 1 1985,1986,1987
Red-tailed Hawk 68 1971,1980
Rough-legged Hawk 1 1965,1969,1976,1978,1980,1996
Crested Caracara 6 2001,2002 None till 1970
American Kestrel 294 1978
Merlin 8 1958,1967
Peregrine Falcon 7 1987
Yellow Rail 1 1983 Lone record
Black Rail 8 1967 None since 1990
Clapper Rail 126 1975
King Rail 317 1975
Virginia Rail 108 1975
Sora 596 1977
Purple Gallinule 2 1960,1995
Common Moorhen 481 1984
American Coot 38,300 1972
Limpkin 10 1998
Sandhill Crane 496 2000
Black-bellied Plover 600 1963
Snowy Plover 6 1987 None since 1987
Wilson's Plover 12 1972 None since 1997
Semipalmated Plover 260 1965
Piping Plover 88 1961 None since 1987
Killdeer 3260 2003
American Oystercatcher 10 1975
Black-necked Stilt 5 2001 None till 1987
American Avocet 80 1979
Greater Yellowlegs 134 1990
Lesser Yellowlegs 800 1964
Solitary Sandpiper 3 1959,1972,1980 None since 1985
Willet 136 1980
Spotted Sandpiper 46 1977
Whimbrel 19 1978
Long-billed Curlew 9 1961 None since 1978 (count-week)
Bar-tailed Godwit 1 1970 Lone record
Marbled Godwit 50 1974 None since 1995
Ruddy Turnstone 398 1981
Red Knot 120 1993
Sanderling 650 1958
Semipalmated Sandpiper 3200 1964 None since 1974; questionable
Western Sandpiper 649 1975 Lower numbers before then
Least Sandpiper 329 1994
White-rumped Sandpiper 1 1970,1972,1973
Pectoral Sandpiper 3 1959 None since 1978
Purple Sandpiper 2 1962,1964 None since 1993
Dunlin 2500 1959
Short-billed Dowitcher 1500 1966
Long-billed Dowitcher 30 2001 Seen 9 years
Wilson's Snipe 382 1976
American Woodcock 8 1966 None since 1997
Red-necked Phalarope 14 1951 Lone record (count-week '78)
Red Phalarope 1 1956 Lone record
Pomarine Jaeger 3 1964 None since 1985
Parasitic Jaeger 3 1966,1968 None since 1983
Laughing Gull 12,218 1988
Black-headed Gull 2 1972 None since count-week 1994
Bonaparte's Gull 480 1994
Ring-billed Gull 20,000 2002
Herring Gull 3358 1977
Iceland Gull 1 1960,1973,1977,1978
Lesser Black-backed Gull 62 2005 None till 1976
Glaucous Gull 4 1968 None since 1983
Great Black-backed Gull 153 1989
Black-legged Kittiwake 4 1968 None since 1997
Gull-billed Tern 7 1961 None since 1986
Caspian Tern 92 1954,1989
Royal Tern 2581 1983
Sandwich Tern 217 1990
Roseate Tern 1 1959 Lone record
Common Tern 14 1957
Forster's Tern 369 1976
Least Tern 2 1954 None since 1955; questionable
Sooty Tern 1 1978 Lone record
Black Skimmer 2100 1966
Dovekie 1 1963 Lone record
Rock Pigeon 1948 2004 Not counted till 1973
Eurasian Collared-Dove 923 2005 None till 1989
White-winged Dove 60 2003 2 records before 2001
Mourning Dove 1876 1995
Common Ground-Dove 310 1963
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1 1959,1979
Smooth-billed Ani 53 1970 2005 record first since 1986
Barn Owl 9 1993
Eastern Screech-Owl 37 1977
Great Horned Owl 22 1959
Burrowing Owl 2 1985 None since 1994
Barred Owl 9 1956
Long-eared Owl 1 1966 Lone record
Short-eared Owl 3 1960,1962
Common Nighthawk 1 1978,1988
Chuck-will's-widow 5 1969 None since 1985
Whip-poor-will 5 1975
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 22 1969 Some archilochus, sp?
Black-chinned Hummingbird 1 2001 Lone record
Belted Kingfisher 202 1980
Red-headed Woodpecker 8 1987
Red-bellied Woodpecker 160 1963
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 115 1989
Downy Woodpecker 40 2005
Hairy Woodpecker 7 1987
Red-cockaded Woodpecker 9 1954 2005 record first since 1974
Northern (Y-S) Flicker 170 1966
Pileated Woodpecker 53 1987
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1 1981,1982,1986
Empidonax, sp 2 1972,1980,1990
Eastern Phoebe 165 1955
Great Crested Flycatcher 2 1981 None since 1993
Western Kingbird 3 1957,1966,2000,2002
Eastern Kingbird 2 1987 None since 1995
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher 1 1997 Lone record (count-week '55)
Loggerhead Shrike 112 1957
White-eyed Vireo 65 1991
Yellow-throated Vireo 4 1965 None since 1996
Blue-headed Vireo 32 1974
Red-eyed Vireo 1 1963,1970,1995
Blue Jay 310 1968
Florida Scrub-Jay 108 1988
American Crow 1020 1987 High numbers 1983-1993
Fish Crow 30,000 1966
(Prairie) Horned Lark 3 1956 Lone record
Purple Martin 30 2002 Seen 5 years
Tree Swallow 50,000 1958,1966,1973
No. Rough-winged Swallow 9 1961 2005 record first since 1982
Cave Swallow 2 2002 Lone record
Barn Swallow 6 1973 Seen 14 times; none since '90
Carolina Chickadee 30 1992 Seen 10 times
Tufted Titmouse 7 1962
White-breasted Nuthatch 1 1951 Lone record
Brown-headed Nuthatch 82 1962 None since 1997
Brown Creeper 1 1956,1966,1970,1976
Carolina Wren 122 1981
Bewick's Wren 1 1960 Lone record
House Wren 310 1962
Sedge Wren 93 1965
Marsh Wren 64 1955
Golden-crowned Kinglet 1 1956,1966
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 160 1968
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 292 1976
Eastern Bluebird 134 1957 Missing 1989-2001
Swainson's Thrush 3 1964 Seen 5 years; none since '72
Hermit Thrush 17 1972
Wood Thrush 1 1967 Lone record
American Robin 91,430 1998
Gray Catbird 363 1980
Northern Mockingbird 420 1962
Brown Thrasher 32 1963
European Starling 4572 1975
American Pipit 236 1977
Cedar Waxwing 2500 1973
Tennessee Warbler 2 1978 2005 record 4th ever
Orange-crowned Warbler 78 1968
Nashville Warbler 1 1966 Lone record
Northern Parula 5 1965
Yellow Warbler 3 1968,1987
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1 1973 Lone record
Magnolia Warbler 1 1968,1972,1984
Cape May Warbler 2 1967 Seen 8 years
Black-throated Blue Warbler 5 1968 2005 record first since '81
Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warbler 14,076 1995
Black-throated Green Warbler 3 1961 Seen 13 years
Blackburnian Warbler 2 1963 Seen 4 years; none since '72
Yellow-throated Warbler 44 1963
Pine Warbler 128 1977
Prairie Warbler 38 1974
Palm Warbler 1500 1968 Western and Yellow races
Bay-breasted Warbler 2 1964,1974,1975,2004 Seen 13 years
Black-and-white Warbler 23 1977
American Redstart 2 1970,1973,1979
Prothonotary Warbler 1 1979,1991
Worm-eating Warbler 1 1968,1974
Ovenbird 12 2005
Northern Waterthrush 5 1965
Louisiana Waterthrush 1 1973,1974,1976
Connecticut Warbler 1 1968,1972
Common Yellowthroat 587 1980
Hooded Warbler 1 1984 Lone record
Wilson's Warbeler 2 2000 Seen 6 times
Canada Warbler 2 1965 Lone record
Yellow-breasted Chat 6 1966 None since 1994
Summer Tanager 1 1993,1997
Scarlet Tanager 2 1966 Seen 2 years; none since '96
Eastern Towhee 282 1981
Bachman's Sparrow 37 1974 None since 1998
Chipping Sparrow 570 1966
Clay-colored Sparrow 3 1963,1965 Seen 9 years; none since '87
Field Sparrow 58 1962
Vesper Sparrow 59 1965
Lark Sparrow 12 1964 None since count-week '85
Savannah Sparrow 710 1968 All forms
Grasshopper Sparrow 14 1956 2005 record first since '97
Henslow's Sparrow 4 1967 Seen 13 years
LeConte's Sparrow 2 1964 Seen 3 years
Sharp-tailed Sparrow 25 1956 Both Nelson's and Saltmarsh?
Seaside Sparrow 7 1955 Dusky also; none since 1984
Fox Sparrow 5 1958,1963 None since 1981
Song Sparrow 32 1957
Lincoln's Sparrow 5 1965
Swamp Sparrow 424 1961
White-throated Sparrow 24 1969 None since 1979
White-crowned Sparrow 21 1966 Seen 13 years
Dark-eyed Junco * 1977 Count-week bird only
Northern Cardinal 310 1962,1968
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1 1997 Lone record
Blue Grosbeak 2 1994,1998 Seen 3 years
Indigo Bunting 110 1966
Painted Bunting
130 1966
Dickcissel 4 1961,1967,1969 None since 1983
Red-winged Blackbird 7600 1970
Eastern Meadowlark 650 1965
Western Meadowlark 2 1958 Seen 3 times; none since '74
Yellow-headed Blackbird 3 1979 Seen 9 years
Rusty Blackbird 230 1967 None since 1997
Brewer's Blackbird 6 1965,1967 None since 1994
Common Grackle 4465 1993
Boat-tailed Grackle 5586 1998
Brown-headed Cowbird 3211 1979
Baltimore Oriole 6 1967,1977,1979
Bullock's Oriole 1 1960,1965,2005 Also count-week 1972
Purple Finch 36 1969 Seen 12 years; none since '89
Pine Siskin 25 1987 Seen 12 years; none since '92
American Goldfinch 856 1973
House Sparrow 500 1973




Annual Total 209 1973

Please note that any 2005 record is pending acceptance, in one case by the Florida Rare Birds Committee.

Also be aware that certain species were once considered likely here (Semipalmated Sandpiper, Least Tern, etc.) but that today's knowledge suggests may not be accurate. This is a list of the records only, not meant to be a substitute for authenticity.

Finally, I have dropped off birds uncountable on Brevard County lists -- such as Monk Parakeet, Common Peafowl and Budgerigar -- to match today's standards. They are often seen on Cocoa CBCs, but their presence is not noted.




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