HOT PURSUIT
One of the favorite activities my late father always enjoyed was watching and feeding the birds. It brought immense joy and pride to him over the years, especially in his later years.
He had bird books handy in the area where he watched them so he could immediately identify who came to visit him. He loved to share about new birds he found flying around.
It’s widely known that bird watching improves mental health by reducing stress and boosting mood, increases cognitive function through identification skills and promotes physical activity. All of this was true for dad. It gave him an opportunity to connect with nature.
In fact, one of the final instructions dad gave to mom as he neared his final days was to take care of the birds that flock to the kitchen window to enjoy the feeders my dad had placed on the deck overlooking their farm. Mom continues to make dad happy by stepping up to feed the birds, which provides essential nutrients that increase survival rates.
As I look back on my dad’s fondness for birdwatching and feeding them, I take special note every year when the Steele County Christmas Bird Count rolls around. The results from this past year’s count have been released by organizers Seth Muir and Leanne Alt. My dad never took part in an organized bird count, but I know it would have been something he would have loved to do.
During the one-day count on Dec. 20, counters saw 1,706 species, down from 1,945 in 2024 and 2,964 in 2023. It’s sharply down from 2020 when 7,777 birds were found during the count. The record was established in 1998 when counters spotted 8,430 birds.
Top birds in this year’s count were dark-eyed Junco- 254, Mallard duck- 191, House sparrow- 168 and American Crow- 123.
The annual bird count brought out 37 counters to focus on a 15-mile circle with Havana in the center. Weather conditions were 26-28 degrees with light winds and snow cover about 2 inches.
The bird count has become an annual tradition in Steele County for about 55 years, though it began 127 years ago by the National Audubon Society. It’s known as the largest public scientific project in the world.
I’m certainly no bird expert so I’m not sure why the numbers are significantly down from previous years in Steele County, but I’m guessing it mirrors the nationwide trends. Bird populations are declining primarily due to severe habitat loss.
North America has reportedly lost nearly 3 billion birds since 1970. Key drivers include urbanization, agricultural expansion, pesticide use, climate change and high mortality from cat predation and window collisions.
It’s sad to see so many birds gone, especially when it provides so much entertainment for older folks like my father enjoyed for years.
I can only hope local conservation efforts, habitat restoration and policy changes can go in hot pursuit of reversing these trends for future generations.
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2025 Steele County Christmas Bird Count
Junco-Dark-eyed 254
Duck- Mallard 191
Sparrow- House 168
Crow- American 123
Jay- Blue 102
Pigeon- Rock 95
Finch- House 91
Goldfinch- American 86
Chickadee- Black-Capped 84
Sparrow- American-Tree 58
Cardinal- Northern 54
Turkey- Wild 50
Pheasant- Ring-necked 49
Nuthatch- White-Breasted 49
Dove- Mourning 42
Woodpecker- Downy 42
Blackbird- Red-Winged 41
TOTAL 1,706
Species 39
Source: Seth Muir and Leanne Alt
Steele County Christmas Bird Count