Is development affecting Bradenton’s bird population? What latest count says

This holiday season, dozens of Manatee County bird lovers teamed up with a simple goal: to count as many birds as they could in one day around Bradenton.

The annual outing is part of the National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count. Now in its 126th year, the census uses local volunteers to track the health of bird populations across North America and fuel scientific research. It’s one of the largest and longest-running wildlife tracking efforts in the world.

To do their part, members of the Manatee County Audubon Society and volunteers split into 31 teams and fanned out across a 15-mile radius around Bradenton and Palmetto, covering coastal to inland areas.

In total, the bird counters tallied 151 species and 32,463 individual birds, according to a final report.

What did Manatee County bird counters see?

The report said highlights of this year’s count included “high numbers” of Wilson’s plover (a medium-sized shorebird with a big head and a black beak) short-billed dowitcher (despite its name, this shorebird has a very long bill) and tree swallow (a songbird with dark wings and a bright white breast known for its acrobatic flying).

There were also some rarities.

Unusual sightings for Manatee County bird counters included a short-tailed hawk, stilt sandpipers and a groove-billed ani.

“A loose-limbed, disheveled-looking bird of tropical dry country, the Groove-billed Ani is always entertaining,” the Cornell Lab of Ornithology says of the bird. “These all-black cuckoos have curiously tall, flattened bills marked with narrow grooves, which they use to catch large insects and small lizards.”

In the U.S., the species is only common to Texas, but will occasionally stray into Florida and other Gulf Coast states, according to the Audubon Society.

Bird experts warn of declining numbers

Despite having more bird counters than last year, the 2025 count tallied 3% fewer species and 2% fewer birds around Bradenton than last year, the report says. This year’s count of around 32,000 individual birds was among the lowest over the last decade.

That reflects a concerning national trend, according to the Audubon Society.

“Despite consistent increases in the number of circles surveyed and the effort data reported, the total raw counts of birds has been steadily declining. This pattern, most noticeable since the year 2014, is a chilling reminder that bird conservation efforts are more important than ever to slow and ultimately reverse bird declines,” the National Audubon Society said in summary of last year’s count across North America.

Is development lowering local bird numbers?

Local birders believe development could be a factor in Manatee County’s recently declining bird count numbers.

“Unfortunately, damage to habitat caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, removal of trees and wetlands for new development and restricted access to more residential areas continue to be a challenge for birders and birds,” the report says.

It’s not just bird lovers who should be worried about declining numbers, experts say.

Birds provide important ecosystem services that people rely on, including pest control, pollination and dispersal of seeds that keep forests and wetlands healthy, according to conservation advocacy group BirdLife International.

How to join Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count

To find out how to join next year’s Audubon Christmas Bird Count on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2026, visit ManateeAudubon.org or email local bird count organizer Kathy Doddridge at kathydoddridg56@gmail.com.