Summer Bird Count

If a Christmas Bird Count can be fun in the midst of a North Dakota/Minnesota winter, then why not have a count in the Summer when many more birds are around (even singing!), and the weather is much nicer? The summer bird count is run on a weekend day in the last half of June.

The count is open to all birders who wish to participate. The objective is to find as many species as possible within the 15-mile circle that has been used for the Christmas Bird Count for more than 40 years. We usually tally between 120 and 140 species, which can be compared with recent Christmas Bird Count totals in the mid 40s. We try to time the count so that we minimize the number of migrant shorebird species found. A comparison of counts run in the 1980s with those run since the late 1990s show significant changes in the species that are now being found.

Although interesting numbers for the more interesting species should be submitted, our main goal is to identify all species present without being concerned with how many of each species. To learn more about the counts, click on the links below.

Summer Bird List

Instructions For Count

Comments on 2001 Count

Summary of Bird Counts in Excel