
ta from Christmas Season Counts 
Table 2 shows a summary of the number of snipe recorded per 100 
party-hours of field observation on the annual Christmas Bird Counts 
sponsored by the National Audubon Society and other organizations. All 
areas which have been covered in each of the past five years and which 
recorded the snipe in one or more of these years are included in the 
table. The areas are grouped by administrative regions to facilitate 
comparisons with the figures obtained on the January Abundance Index. 
A single count of 1000 birds in 1953-5 in central Orange County, 
Calif., where no concentration had been reported in prior years and 
where only one snipe was found in 1954-55, makes it impractical to 
arrive at a fair comparison for changes of abundance in California this 
year. The total change indicated for Regions 2, 3, 4, and 5 is a 
decrease of 10 percent. Of the 183 areas that reported in both 1953- 
5 and 1954-55, 62 ahowed an increase, 77 a decrease, and 3 no change 
of more than 25 percent in either direction. 
In summary, both the January Abundance Index and the Christmas 
Season counts show small declines from the previous year, both in total 
mumber of birds observed per unit time in the field, and in number of 
areas reporting changes in abundance. 
Table 2e-=Data from Christmas-season counts 
Region | Number Starr as 100 ae a 
of areas | 1950 koe 
1961 1985 [over 
I Wash., Mont., 
Oreg., Calif. 
It thyome, Utah, Colo., 21 
NeMex., Kans., 
Okla., Tex. 
IfTl Minn., Wis., Mich., 18 
Tll., Ind., Ohio, Mo. 
IV Lae, Kye, Tenney | h3 
MisSe, Ala.s Vaes N.Ce, 
OeCes Ga., Flae 
V Mass., ReIe, Conn.,; 35 
NeYes Nedey Pa.,Del., 
Md., DeCeoy We Vae 
Total, Regions 2-5 13.0 | 16.5] 11.6 aa 2} 1.6/1h.b 
Grand Total 132 12.6 | 16.7] 11.0 |30.9] 13.6 = 
Change from previous year: All areas 433-3) 04104 great (incudes 
so tgaeepe 
28.2 

Regions 2-5 #27. 0 -30)—s + :*O ee 
50 
