Highlights To Remember From 2008

Montezuma Quail photographed by Laurens Halsey in Upper Ramanote Canyon.

On December 15, 2008, 56 participants in 21 teams found an all-time high of 139 species. It was a great day that will be hard to beat.

Of special note were the addition of eight new species to the all-time list. They were:

Greater Scaup

Hooded Merganser

Brown Pelican

Whiskered Screech-Owl (long overdue)

Short-eared Owl

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Olive Warbler

Western Tanager

Also, we broke all-time national record high counts for five species, more than any other CBC in 2008. They were Montezuma Quail, Elegant Trogon, Painted Redstart, Hepatic Tanager, and Scott's Oriole. For the numbers, see the list below. Of special note was Hepatic Tanager – the count had recorded four in three different years, and that was previous all-time national high. So our 27 was simply amazing. The Green Valley CBC was the next closest count, breaking three all-time national highs, including Painted Redstart, edging us out with 17 of them.

We hold the all-time national highs for six additional species. They are:

Mexican Jay – 1110

Bridled Titmouse – 574

Rock Wren – 300

Canyon Wren – 213

Rufous-crowned Sparrow – 460

Five-striped Sparrow – 6

In 2008 we had the annual national high count for Arizona Woodpecker, Hammond's Flycatcher, Gray Flycatcher, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Rock Wren, Canyon Wren, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, and Five-striped Sparrow.

In comparing counts made on this CBC since 1960, we broke or set new high counts for 45 species, listed below.

New high species counts set in 2008

Northern Shoveler – 28

Canvasback – 10

Greater Scaup – 1

Hooded Merganser – 3

Montezuma Quail – 268

Brown Pelican – 1

Black Vulture – 24

Northern Harrier – 37

Sharp-shinned Hawk – 11

Red-tailed Hawk – 98

American Kestrel – 29

Barn Owl – 1

Western Screech-Owl – 25

Whiskered Screech-Owl – 6

Short-eared Owl – 1

Common Poorwill – 1

Elegant Trogon – 4

Red-breasted Sapsucker – 1

Arizona Woodpecker – 37

Hammond's Flycatcher – 26

Gray Flycatcher – 59

Dusky Flycatcher – 8

Black Phoebe – 97

Eastern Phoebe – 1

Ash-throated Flycatcher – 16

Cassin's Kingbird – 19

Plumbeous Vireo – 2

Hutton's Vireo – 81

Western Scrub-Jay – 7

Common Raven – 103

Bewick's Wren – 263

House Wren – 46

Black-capped Gnatcatcher – 3

Olive Warbler – 1

Orange-crowned Warbler – 4

Black-throated Gray Warbler – 31

Townsend's Warbler – 16

Common Yellowthroat – 4

Painted Redstart – 14

Hepatic Tanager – 27

Western Tanager – 1

Abert's Towhee – 5

Rufous-winged Sparrow – 12

Scott's Oriole – 29

Lesser Goldfinch – 216