2025 Moscow-Pullman Christmas Bird Count Results
The next CBC will be held December 19, 2026.
The 55th consecutive (and 72nd overall) Moscow–Pullman Christmas Bird Count was held 20 December 2025. We had a record 68 participants, besting the record-breaking 67 we had last year, with 19 field teams and 22 feeder watchers. Volunteers spent about 42.5 hours driving 388 miles, 63 hours walking 63 miles, and 23.5 hours watching feeders. We tallied 67 count day species (plus 2 count week species) and 11,151 individuals. The number of count day species was just below our 10-year running average of 68, and our total individuals was below our 10-year running average of 12,077.
Although we did not add any new species this year, we welcomed back a species not seen on the CBC since 1937: COMMON MERGANSER. We set new high-count records for 2 species (new high; old high, year): RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH (208; 187, 2024) and WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH (20; 17, 2020). We also tied high counts for 3 species: GOLDEN EAGLE (1; 2018, 2013, 2005, 1999, 1978), WESTERN BLUEBIRD (6; 2010), and SPOTTED TOWHEE (6; 2022). Our 2 count week species were NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL (ID) and WHITE-THROATED SPARROW (WA). See the attached PDF (ID_WA_Totals) for the list of all species seen by state.
For the 26 folks who came to the social at Shattuck West Brewing in Moscow, the conclusion was that the count was “average.” Our effort numbers and total individuals counted were nearly identical to last year, but our species count was down by five. On one hand, this was somewhat surprising given that the mild (non-existent?) winter kept water open, but on the other hand winter finches were low in number or absent and waxwings were a surprisingly hard bird to find. Just like last year, our crabapples, hawthorns, and mountain ashes are dripping with fruit but the frugivore numbers (except for American Robins) were abysmal. Disappointing misses were Western Meadowlark and jays.
The use of eBird by teams and feeder watchers was about the same as last year. This year, we helped pilot National Audubon’s use of Mobilize to register and communicate with participants. At the national level, this is the first step in a long-needed update to the CBC platform. The hope is that this system will encourage more new people to join the Christmas Bird Count experience and allow compilers to more effectively communicate with participants and upload data. As with any pilot program, many issues needing refinement were discovered. We thank you for your patience and appreciate your candid feedback on this first go with the system.
See you next year on Saturday, December 19th!
Thanks to everyone who participated!
IDAHO: Ben Alabiso, Marilyn Beckett, Tom Besser, Jacob Beus, Nathan Bluto, Alida Bockino, Ben Bright, Carson Bright, Miles Butler, Tyler Coleman, Steve Dougill, Debbie Dumroese, Kas Dumroese, Lee Anne Eareckson, Sam Earnest, Sid Eder, Renee Eder, Donna Erickson, Daryle Faircloth, Jeff Hicke, Bettie Hoff, Andy Hudak, Dave Koehler, Greg Lambeth, Peter Meserve, Bill Moore, David Pierce-Garnett, Stephanie Sant, Mike Scott, Sharon Scott, Phil Shinn, Evelyn Smith, and Charles Swift.
WASHINGTON: Victoria Aguilar, Theresa Allen, RJ Baltierra, Bob Barry, Cassandra Bates, Eleanor Bates, Sarah Bofenkamp, Jess Boone, Puck Brecher, Kelly Cassidy, Minxi Cheng, Mike Costa, Marie Dymkoski, Michael Gilman, Alex Hammond, David Herbold, Felix Herbold, Finn Herbold, Wayne Holderby, Andy Jacobs, John Koenigs, Nicole LeBlanc, Paulette Lowery, Mike Lowery, Lauren McCleary, Steve Mulgrew, Lynne Nelson, Franco Sanchez, Monique Slipher, Bill Spence, Ashley Taylor, Jessica Tir, Allie Tir, Mary Welcome, Judy Willington, and John Wolff.
Documents for the CBC created by Kas Dumroese, Moscow-Pullman Christmas Bird Count compiler.
data collection & submission
Document your counts and submit to compiler
feeder watcher instructions
Details for counting at your feeder
tally sheet
Sheet for tallying your counts
Dark-eyed Junco subspecies ID
Dark-eyed Junco Subspecies ID
rare bird report
Fill out if you observe a bird that is bold on the tally sheet
Previous CBC results
The 54th consecutive (and 71st overall) Moscow–Pullman Christmas Bird Count
was held 14 December 2024. We had a record 71 participants, besting the
record breaking 66 we had last year, with 28 field teams and 19 feeder
watchers. Volunteers spent about 39 hours driving 383 miles, 64 hours
walking 74 miles, and 24 hours watching feeders. We tallied 71 count day
species (plus 2 count week species) and 11,429 individuals. The number of
count day species was above our 10-year running average of 68, and our
total individuals was a bit below our 10-year running average of 12,453.
We added 2 new species: *GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE* (2) and *GADWALL*. We
set new high-count records for 5 species (new high; old high, year),
including a record that had stood for nearly half a century: *GREAT BLUE
HERON* (17; 12, 2004), *BELTED KINGFISHER* (9; 7, 2018), *AMERCIAN CROW*
(117; 96, 2021, 2022), *MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE* (76; 72, 1975), and *EUROPEAN
STARLING* (4,149; 4,016, 2020). We also tied high counts for 5 species: *LESSER
SCAUP* (1; 2011), *VIRGINIA RAIL* (1; 2012), *SHARP-SHINNED HAWK* (14;
2023), *SAY’S PHOEBE* (1; 2018), and *RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH* (187; 2018).
Our 2 count week species were PINE GROSBEAK and BOHEMIAN WAXWING; single
birds of each species.
No doubt, our two recent high counts for participants are due to
involvement by the Paradise Audubon Society, a new University of Idaho
student organization. The mild (non-existent?) winter kept water open. We
tallied 8 waterfowl species (SNOW GOOSE, GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE,
CACKLING GOOSE, CANADA GOOSE, MALLARD, AMERICAN WIGEON, LESSER SCAUP, and
GADWALL), a record number of GREAT BLUE HERON, and the marshy species
VIRGINIA RAIL, KILLDEER, and MARSH WREN. Open water also yielded our record
number of BELTED KINGFISHERS. On the flip side, this was the first time in
our consecutive bird counts (1971–2024) where we did not tally a
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK. And where are the frugivores? Many of you commented
about crabapples, hawthorns, and mountain ashes dripping with fruit. After
four terrible years (2019–2022) of BOHEMIAN WAXWING counts (2, 6, 2, and
11), we rebounded to 180 last year only to plummet to a single bird this
year during CW. CEDAR WAXWING, AMERICAN ROBIN, and VARIED THRUSH numbers
were also very low. A good showing of MERLIN (7), just one bird shy of
tying the high count record, was a treat.
About 30 participants gathered at the Lumberyard Food Yard in Pullman to
enjoy the post-count social. Next year’s count is on Saturday, 20 December!
Thanks to everyone who participated!
Kas Dumroese and Casey Lowder
Compilers