Cocoa Christmas Bird Count Historic List
Compiled by Dave Freeland, Merritt Island, FL
Cocoa CBC Co-Compiler
Member of the Space Coast Audubon SocietyThe 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.
For more information about website registration, hosting and design by Peak Performance Co. please go to our website at:
PeakPerformanceCo.com.