Whidbey Audubon Society has released a new checklist of all the birds people are likely to see on Whidbey Island — an impressive 234 species — available free to anyone interested in birding.
Published in brochure form, the checklist groups the islands’ birds by families, for example, shorebirds, owls and thrushes, and includes a bar graph for each species showing which months it’s been seen here and how common its appearances are.
Using the graphs, people can see that downy woodpeckers are likely to be seen here year around, but the rare snowy owl has been sighted only November through February.
Symbols indicate which birds commonly nest here.
Joe Sheldon, one of the leads on the Whidbey Audubon committee that compiled the checklist, said the previous checklist was published in 2016.
The new version of the checklist revises some of the bird groupings as determined by new DNA studies at Cornell University.
The list also updates the sighting frequencies based on local birders’ reports.
The checklist “is primarily designed for people who are beginning or intermediate birders,” Sheldon said.
“If you see a bird on the island, you can look it up with your phone using one of the Audubon birding apps or Merlin Bird ID from Cornell, then look at our checklist to see how likely it is to be here.”
“It’s a user-friendly method of identifying birds,” he said.
People using the checklist may be surprised to learn just how rich this island is in avian life.
Thirteen species of gulls and terns have been seen around our shorelines.
Seven types of owls haunt the woods, and nine species of hawks and eagles make life hazardous for their land- and water-based prey.
Shorebirds and waterfowl have the best representation on the list with 35 and 34 species, respectively.
The checklist can be downloaded at www.whidbeyaudubonsociety.org.
The printed brochure, also free, will be available at island bookstores, tourist agencies and some lodgings; and from individual Audubon board members.
• For membership inquiries, see the Whidbey Audubon website above.
