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The 101st annual Toronto Christmas Bird Count was held on Sunday, December 14th, 2025. Despite being the 5th coldest count since 1962 (when CBC weather conditions began being recorded) with a high temperature of -8°C, 147 counters and 4 feederwatching teams bundled up and hit the town - covering a combined 580km of trails and roads across Toronto. Throughout the day, a total of 28,283 birds were counted - an average amount for the last decade. An impressive 99 species were observed, setting the highest ever recorded for the Toronto Christmas Bird Count!

The most notable birds this year were a flock of Sandhill Cranes, making their second record on the Toronto Christmas Bird Count (first in 2016)! This flock of 53 birds were seen by teams in Sector 16A - Leslie St. Spit and Sector 14B - Toronto Islands East, who will share the Hole Truth trophy given for the best bird on the count. Other noteworthy birds from this year include an Ovenbird (third record) poking around some overflowing garbage bins in Sector 13 - Lakeshore, a Golden Eagle (fifth record) flying high over Hawk Hill in Sector 1 - High Park, and a returning male King Eider (seventh record) in both Sector 16A - Leslie St. Spit and Sector 14B - Toronto Islands East.

Record setting high counts were set for ten species, with an incredible showing of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers across the city! Below are this year’s totals (with previous high counts in parentheses):

Bald Eagle: 9 (8 in 2012)
Common Goldeneye: 1,150 (1,092 in 2020)
Fox Sparrow: 3 (2 in 2002, 1971, and 1947)
Hermit Thrush: 15 (11 in 2020 and 2018)
Horned Lark: 43 (31 in 1975)
Red-bellied Woodpecker: 58 (47 in 2024)
Sandhill Crane: 53 (44 in 2016)
Trumpeter Swan: 184 (130 in 2024)
White-throated Sparrow: 212 (147 in 2021)
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: 13 (2 in 2017, 2010, 1982, 1971, and 1970)

Four species had noticeably lower counts than in the recent past:
Hooded Mergansers: 15 (20 year average: 95)
Northern Mockingbirds: 13 (20 year average: 25)
Ring-billed Gulls: 639 (20 year average: 2,479)
Sharp-shinned Hawk: 1 (20 year average: 7)

One significant species missing from this year’s result is Pileated Woodpecker - which has only been missed 13 times since 1952. No Common Loons were counted either, appearing in 15 of the last 20 years.

Complete results can be viewed here: https://ebird.org/tripreport/437293

A big thank you is deserved to all of the sector leaders and counters who contributed to this important citizen science project, to Ivor Williams for his CBC Roundup App which made this report easy to put together, to Victoria and John Carley for kindly hosting the roundup party again, and to Amsterdam Brewery for supplying the party with great beverages and an extra prize for the Hole Truth winners!

Happy holidays, happy new year, and happy new year lists to all!

Cheers,
Sean Fraser