May Bird Count 2023 Results
![](https://naturealberta.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CAGO-GR.jpg)
Cackling Goose by Gerald Romanchuk
May Bird Count Results are in! 2023 results include:
- 267 species (just a bit below average of 271), plus three species seen only during count week
- 174,712 birds (nearly 20% below average) - half of this is low #'s of Franklin's Gulls, along with lows for American Coots, Black-bellied Plovers, swallows, and some shorebirds.
- No new species this year, keeping Alberta at 340 cumulative species since 1976
- 13 record high species counts - Yellow Warblers and Mourning Doves notably high
- Unusual species for Alberta MSC: Indigo Bunting (Edmonton), Lewis's Woodpecker (Waterton), Ross's Goose (Taber), Cackling Goose (Fort McMurray)
- Missing "regulars" that we normally see nearly every year: Semipalmated Plover, White-rumped Sandpiper (seen during Count Week only)
- 18 counts, with 451 participants who spent 1,469 hours and travelled 11,392 km. A bump up in # of participants, but about 10% lower time and distance than average
For detailed spreadsheets and summary notes for all years, visit our May Species Count Archive.