On May 1, 2020, our friends at the Dayton Audubon Society posed a challenge to all Audubon chapters in Ohio. Which chapter could rack up the most bird species seen in a 24-hour period? Remember, this was in the middle of the pandemic restrictions, so we had to count birds only within our home county.
The game was on! Columbus Audubon had to rise to the occasion — and we did. Twenty-three CA birders collectively found an amazing 150 species! That number was good for first place in the state, upholding our chapter honor. It was all for a good time and bragging rights in these difficult days. The most important thing is that we all had fun, getting out to enjoy nature and our avian friends.
Our thanks go out to the following participants who found all those birds: Kandace Glanville, Kori Gasaway & James Muller, Jeff Grabmeier, Jim Palus, Michael Goldman, Carolyn Clinkinboomer, John & Kristan Finn, Stacy & Darrell McGrath, Lynn Solomon, Frank Phillips, Jen Allen, Colleen Sharkey, Beth & Tom Reimenschneider, James Taylor, Chris & Christine Rinehart, Victoria Foeller, Becca Mathews, and Tyler Ficker.
Here’s the list of species that were identified:
Canada Goose
Mute Swan
Wood Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Mallard
American Black Duck
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Ruddy Duck
Wild Turkey
Pied-billed Grebe
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Common Nighthawk
Eastern Whip-poor-will
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Virginia Rail
Sora
American Coot
Killdeer
Upland Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Wilson’s Snipe
Spotted Sandpiper
Solitary Sandpiper
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Double-crested Cormorant
American White Pelican
American Bittern
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Cooper’s Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Bald Eagle
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Barred Owl
Barn Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Red-headed Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Least Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Acadian Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
White-eyed Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Blue-headed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Horned Lark
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Bank Swallow
Barn Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Winter Wren
House Wren
Marsh Wren
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
Eastern Bluebird
Swainson’s Thrush
Gray-cheeked Thrush
Veery
Hermit Thrush
Wood Thrush
American Robin
House Sparrow
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Grasshopper Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Henslow’s Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Eastern Meadowlark
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Ovenbird
Louisiana Waterthrush
Northern Waterthrush
Blue-winged Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Prothonotary Warbler
Nashville Warbler
Mourning Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Worm-eating Warbler
Hooded Warbler
Cape May Warbler
Kentucky Warbler
Cerulean Warbler
Northern Parula
Canada Warbler
American Redstart
Magnolia Warbler
Blackpoll Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Blackburnian Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Palm Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Pine Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Black-throated Green Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Summer Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting