Results are in for the Joshua Tree National Park Christmas Bird Count. More than 56 species were counted from 2,740 individual birds. Reporter and ornithological enthusiast Jef Harmatz has a closer look at who’s up in our desert skies.
The Christmas Bird count, conducted on January 4 by local birders in association with the National Adubon Society, seeks to keep updated tallies of bird species and population numbers in the National Park. According to organizer Joseph Zarki, this year’s bird count was in line with recent trends in the high desert. The number of species spotted has been trending upwards in recent years, with 56 unique species identified in this year’s count, which is slightly higher than the annual average. However, the total number of birds continues to decline. Of note in this year’s count is that more birds are seen in Joshua Tree outside of the park than in the park, which Zarki says is related to ongoing drought conditions and limited water sources within the park, which leads to fewer food sources for birds. No new species were spotted this year, nor any rare birds.
For more information on the bird count and to see data from previous counts, follow the links below.
Christmas Bird Count Information
https://www.audubon.org/conservation/science/christmas-bird-count
Data from Previous Christmas Bird Counts
