The Audobon Society hosts an annual Christmas Bird Count, with volunteers identifying bird species and counting the birds they find in the area. The program, now in its 111th year, is "citizen science in action." It provides very long term information about trends in bird populations and appearance and disappearance of species from an area, and gives the local birding community a chance to coordinate an annual event.

This year's Ann Arbor area count had 61 total counters, 6 of whom were under the age of 18, and 4 feeder watchers. 70 species were counted, which is typical for counts of the past decade which average 69.5. The total bird count was 32,861, below the 10 year average of 36,065. The biggest source of variation in bird counts from year to year is the count of crows; over this decade the count has been as low as 4,800 to as high as 29,000.

Here's the bird count list for 2010; as much as possible, I've collected photography from staff photographers, file photos, and contributor photos, with a modest goal of having a photo on hand of every bird in the area. If you have pictures to share, please let me know!

Bird count for 2010

This list provided by Jacco Gelderloos of the Audobon Society; notes and photos throughout as available. Entries marked with HC are a high count for area.

Canada Goose (1,817).

Mute Swan (47).
Trumpeter Swan (33 - HC)
Tundra Swan (1)
swan sp. (1)
Wood Duck (1)
Gadwall (4)
American Black Duck (10)
Mallard (993)

Northern Shoveler (2)
Redhead (1)
Lesser Scaup (1)
Common Goldeneye (22)
Hooded Merganser (19)
Common Merganser (10)
Ruddy Duck (1)
Wild Turkey (77 - HC)
Pied-billed Grebe (2)
Great Blue Heron (6)
Bald Eagle (1)

Sharp-shinned Hawk (2)
Cooper's Hawk (13)
Red-shouldered Hawk (1)
Red-tailed Hawk (99)
American Kestrel (6)
Peregrine Falcon (2)

American Coot (2)
Ring-billed Gull (3)
Rock Pigeon (448)
Mourning Dove (418)
Eastern Screech-Owl (33)
Great Horned Owl (4)
Belted Kingfisher (7)
Red-bellied Woodpecker (174)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (3)
Downy Woodpecker (234)
Hairy Woodpecker (34)
Northern Flicker (23)
Northern Shrike (2)
Blue Jay (435)
American Crow (15,650)

Horned Lark (63)
Black-capped Chickadee (757)
Tufted Titmouse (243)
Red-breasted Nuthatch (10)
White-breasted Nuthatch (217)
Brown Creeper (7)
Carolina Wren (30)
Golden-crowned Kinglet (49)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (2)
Eastern Bluebird (217 - HC)
Hermit Thrush (9)
American Robin (1,993)
European Starling (4,141)
Cedar Waxwing (403)
Yellow-rumped Warbler (2)
American Tree Sparrow (583)
Fox Sparrow (1)
Song Sparrow (25)
Swamp Sparrow (2)
White-throated Sparrow (122)
White-crowned Sparrow (5 - HC)
Dark-eyed Junco (740)
Snow Bunting (1)
Northern Cardinal (579 - HC)
Brown-headed Cowbird (4)
Purple Finch (2)
House Finch (427)
Pine Siskin (146)
American Goldfinch (718)
House Sparrow (721)

Total: 32,861

Edward Vielmetti writes about town fauna for AnnArbor.com.