Prior Years BWBS Survey Results

Originally begun as a “Cardinal-Tufted Titmouse Census,” the Backyard Winter Bird Survey was expanded in 1987 to gather information on the distribution and abundance of many winter species in New Hampshire.

Where Are All the Birds? – During the winter of 2022-23 there were many reports of fewer birds at feeders in New Hampshire and on early returns from NH Audubon’s annual Backyard Winter Bird Survey. Many bird lovers are worried about declining populations in light of recent news concerning “highly pathogenic avian influenza” (HPAI, or avian flu) and the documented loss of almost three billion birds in North America since 1970. While avian flu and long-term declines are clearly of concern to bird conservationists, it’s important to understand the nature of bird populations: what factors influence them both in space and over time. Click here to read Dr. Pam Hunt’s article “Where Are All the Birds?”.

Survey Results

Please select any of the year links from the menu below to open the corresponding Survey Results. All Survey Results are Adobe Acrobat (PDF) files.

Click here to view/download 30-Year Summary.

BWBS photo galleries

Click here to view photo galleries from previous years.

Survey Research

Winter Ranges of Birds in New Hampshire; Changes in the Past Two Decades by Danielle Aube

Other Backyard Bird Surveys

Great Backyard Bird Count — This national bird count is a project of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society. It usually takes place the week after New Hampshire’s Backyard Winter Bird Survey. Participation is done on-line and more information is available at http://www.birdsource.org/.

Project FeederWatch — The Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology coordinates this survey in which participants watch and record birds every other week from November through March. Information is available on-line at http://birds.cornell.edu/, or contact Project FeederWatch, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, PO Box 11, Ithaca, NY 14851-0011, phone: 607-254-BIRD.

Focus on Feeders Weekend — This is a Massachusetts survey run by the Massachusetts Audubon Society. Contact them for more information: 208 South Great Road, Lincoln, MA 01773.