ILLINOIS AUDUBON BULLETIN 19 
The I.A.S. 1975 Christmas Bird Count 
by KATHLEEN STRUTHERS 
THIS YEAR A TOTAL OF forty-seven count reports were received. 
There were six new counts: Cook—Chicago Lakefront (counting only 
lakefront birds, no inland birds), Jefferson and Franklin (this count, 
including newly formed Rend Lake, must have excellent habitat as 76 
species were reported by only five observers on a day with hard rain until 
noon.), Jersey—Elsah (along the Mississippi River just west of Alton), 
Macon (Decatur), and Stephenson (Freeport—NW Illinois on the Peca- 
tonica River). Six counts reported again after an absence of one to two 
years, and only St. Clair did not report. 
There were 146 species reported, an increase of two over last year. 
One color form (Blue Goose, now a color form of Snow Goose) and one 
race (Oregon Junco, now a race of Dark-eyed Junco) were also reported. 
A total of 1,889,978 individual birds was reported. Sixteen species were 
represented by a single bird. The most notable among them were the 
White Pelican (Rock Island and Whiteside), Surf Scoter (Cook—Chicago 
North Shore), Snowy Owl (Jefferson and Franklin), Varied Thrush 
(Carroll and Whiteside), and Pine Grosbeak (Cook—Calumet City.) 
Winter “finches” were reported in much greater numbers than last 
year. (Last year’s numbers are in parentheses.) These included: Red- 
breasted Nuthatch, 452 (125); Evening Grosbeak, 747 (31); Purple 
Finch, 834 (559); Pine Grosbeak, 1 (0); Common Redpoll, 70 (5); Pine 
Siskin, 932 (79); Red Crossbill, 138 (2); White-winged Crossbill, 20 (0); 
Lapland Longspur, 538 (359); Snow Bunting, 651 (500). 
A Gray Catbird, reported by Cook—Chicago North Shore, was the 
only bird seen during count week and not on any count day. Other 
species seen during count week but not on count day are shown by an 
“X” on the chart. 
