Lisle-Arb CBC Special Notes

National Audubon Society no longer requires Christmas Bird Count participants to pay a $5.00 fee. To read the press announcement with further details, click here. To reduce costs, American Birds will no longer be printed in paper form (American Birds provides a summary of the CBC season). Also, National Audubon will move to a voluntary donation basis to fund the CBC program, along with its other citizen science endeavors. To donate to National Audubon Society in support of the CBC program, visit this page: https://give.audubon.org/giving/Page/62/1/62

New taxonomic order. We try to keep the checklists and tally sheets in conformance with the latest taxonomic order as determined by the American Ornithologist's Union. One change that occurred this year is that Falcons and Psittacids (parrots) have been moved in between the Woodpeckers and the Perching Birds. So if you are having trouble finding American Kestrel on your tally sheet, look just after the woodpeckers.

Trumpeter Swans: Trumpeter Swans have been present in the Palos area, but we always have a chance to get Tundra Swans on the count, too. Don't make assumptions on the species identity of any swans that you see! All swans are "Code 4" and require documentation to be included in the count tally. Some web resources for swan identification that you may find helpful are David Sibley's swan identification page and Kevin McGowan's Swan ID in Upstate New York page.

Cackling Goose: As requested for the last few years, please be careful with your identifications of Cackling Goose! You will need to complete documentation on any Cackling Geese you report. Cackling Geese are smaller than Canada Geese. Make special note of the bill size, shape of the head, size in comparison to nearby birds, relative coloration of the breast, whether or not the black "neck stocking" is separated from the breast by a white collar or pale crescent, the voice, and length of the wings.

Be aware that Canada Geese can look small and short necked in certain postures. Cackling Geese that you can be sure of will be about the size of a Ross's Goose. Note on the individual pictured here (taken on Montrose Beach, Chicago, Cook County on 7 October 2004) that the bill is very stubby and that the forehead is steep. This bird shows a pale frontal crescent (Michael Retter notes that he sees this on about 25% - 30% of the Richardson's Geese -- the subspecies of Cackling Goose most common in Illinois -- that he sees). Note also on this individual that the wingtips extend past the end of the tail. This may be a helpful clue.