14 T HE AUS DU BION Bist ei 
Christmas Census — 1947 
ONCE MORE we give you the results of the efforts of a number of those 
whose enthusiasm carried them into the field during the recent census 
season. The near-blizzard of New Year’s Day probably interfered with 
the plans of some and fewer reports have been received. Inasmuch as 
those received are concentrated in the northeast section of the state no 
satisfactory comparison with previous years can be made. 
In two cases approximately the same locations were covered, but on 
different days, and the differences in the listings are very interesting as 
showing that probably no party, large or small, ever finds all of the birds 
in any territory in one visit. 
The twelve reports list some 10,500 birds, not including a raft of some 
2,000 ducks reported as “not identified,” and which are not included in any 
totals. Of the 10,500 the great majority are water birds—geese, ducks and 
gulls of various kinds—and add up to nearly 8,600 of the grand total, 
leaving only a little more than 1,900 for all the others. 
On the other hand, there are nine species that are represented by only 
one individual each: Cooper’s hawk, bald eagle, glaucus gull, yellow- 
bellied sapsucker, short-eared owl, screech owl, robin, snow bunting and 
white-throated sparrow. Carolina wren came in with two individuals in 
one report, while six other species in various numbers appear in but one 
of the twelve lists. 
The bird showing in greatest numbers (3,461) is the herring gull, but 
the bird appearing most often is the black-capped chickadee which, with 
95 individuals, found its way into ten of the twelve lists, closely followed 
by the downy woodpecker, with but 27 individuals, in nine lists, and the 
crow, with 249 individuals, in eight lists. The reports follow: 
Blue Island, Cook County; in the vicinity of Oak Hill banding station 
and fields south and east; Dec. 21 to Jan. 2 (listing largest number seen 
in any one day); ground mostly covered with snow; temperature ranging 
from 40° to 18°. Red-shouldered hawk, 1; pheasant, 2; herring gull, 100+; 
crow, 5; black-capped chickadee, 1; tufted titmouse, 1; brown creeper, 1; 
starling, 800+; English sparrow, 50+; cardinal, 5; goldfinch, 5; junco, 15; 
tree sparrow, 15; song sparrow, 1; total, 18 species, 1,010 individuals. 
(15 red-winged blackbirds were seen on Jan. 4.)—Karl E. Bartel. 
Channahon, Will County; along the towpath of the I & M Canal from 
the DuPage River to where the Kankakee and the DuPage merge to form 
the Illinois; Dec. 25; 1:30 to 4:30 P.M.; snowing most of the time; wind 
west; temperature 25°; 8 miles, made by auto only. Mallard, 300+; ee 
duck, 50+; pintail, 150+; lesser scaup, 100+; golden- -eye, 275+; ruddy, 1 
hooded merganser, 1; conan: merganser, 15; red-breasted merganser, 15: 
flicker, 1; chickadee, 1; prairie horned lark, 150+; total, 12 species, 1,119+ 
individuals; there were approximately 2,000 additional ducks too far out 
for identification.—Karl E. Bartel. 
Channahon, Will County; (Somewhat late for Christmas census, but 
sent in for comparison.) along towpath of I & M Canal and McKinley 
