Join in the fun of the Isle of Man Christmas Bird Race
The Isle of Man Christmas Bird Race is an island-wide collaborative effort. It isn’t a competition between individual birdwatchers. The aim is for birdwatchers across the Island to work together to see as many species as possible.
The rules are simple:
Updates from Previous Christmas Bird Races
The 2024 Christmas Bird Race saw an outstanding 125 species recorded between Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, making this year’s race the biggest and most successful to date.
Species recorded:
Mute Swan, Whooper Swan, Pink-footed Goose, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Barnacle Goose, Brent Goose, Shelduck, Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Pintail, Shoveler, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Ring-necked Duck, Eider, Common Scoter, Goldeneye, Goosander, Red-legged Partridge, Red Grouse, Pheasant, Red-throated Diver, Black-throated Diver, Great Northern Diver, Fulmar, Gannet, Cormorant, Shag, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Little Grebe, Slavonian Grebe, Hen Harrier, Red Kite, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Water Rail, Moorhen, Coot, Oystercatcher, Grey Plover, Golden Plover, Ringed Plover, Avocet, Lapwing, Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit, Turnstone, Knot, Sanderling, Dunlin, Purple Sandpiper, Greenshank, Redshank, Jack Snipe, Woodcock, Snipe, Black Guillemot, Razorbill, Common Guillemot, Kittiwake, Black-headed Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Rock Dove/Feral Pigeon, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Barn Owl, Long-eared Owl, Kingfisher, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine, Chough, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Hooded Crow, Raven, Goldcrest, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Skylark, Long-tailed Tit, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Treecreeper, Wren, Starling, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Robin, Black Redstart, Stonechat, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit, Rock Pipit, Brambling, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Linnet, Twite, Redpoll, Common Crossbill, Goldfinch, Siskin, Yellowhammer and Reed Bunting.
Species not seen this year:
These species were not recorded in 2024 but have appeared in previous races. The number in brackets shows how many times each has been recorded before:
- Red-breasted Merganser (13)
- Long-tailed Duck (5)
- Waxwing, Snow Bunting (3)
- Scaup, Great Crested Grebe (2)
- Green-winged Teal, Black-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Puffin, Little Auk, Little Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Glaucous Gull, Short-eared Owl, Lesser Whitethroat, Water Pipit (1)
As always, the aim of the Bird Race is to encourage everyone on the Island to take a moment to enjoy the birdlife around them, whether watching the birds in their gardens and streets or visiting some of the Island’s birding hotspots.
Manx BirdLife Christmas Bird Race 2023 Update
Christmas Day 2023 produced 98 species, including a new bird for the CBR in the form of a Greenshank. Boxing Day yielded another 12 species, with Jack Snipe, Waxwing and Tree Sparrow among the highlights.
Wednesday’s appalling weather limited the finds to Barnacle Goose and Red-breasted Merganser, taking the total to 112.
Little Auk, Kingfisher, Pintail and Lesser Redpoll take the closing tally on Thursday to 116. And a late report of Red Grouse makes it 117!
Friday’s Red-legged Partridge takes the tally to a teasing 118! Two days to go and two species needed to match the record.
Saturday is Day 6 and the penultimate day of the bird race. No new birds spotted today, but three earlier reports have now been verified – Whimbrel, Long-eared Owl and Crossbill – taking the tally to a record-breaking 121! With one day left, can we add any more…?
Final day, Day 7 and no new species reported, so 121 it is! Thank you for all your reports and
photographs. The bar is set high for 2024!
Manx BirdLife Christmas Bird Race 2016 Update
‘Well, unless any new sightings come to light, we’ve ended this year’s Manx Christmas Bird Race with the magnificent total of 113 species. This is a new record.The last two species to be discovered were: Black Redstart and Black-throated Diver. Both seen by Keith Johnson in Peel/Peel Bay.
The total number of species seen compares with totals of 111, 108, 100, 109, 103 for each of the previous five years.
Despite the fantastic efforts of Manx birdwatchers, there were some species that could be called ‘the ones that got away’:
• Reed Bunting; reported in all 5 previous races, but not this year.
• Barn Owl: seen in 4 previous races. No owls seen this year.
• Black Swan: seen in 3 previous races. Not wild birds, but still interesting. Have they all died?
At the other end of the scale, one new species was reported this year that had never been seen during a Bird Race before, namely Pink-footed Goose.
Three species were seen this year that had only been seen during one of the previous Bird Races, which were Water Rail, Knot and Waxwing.
There were 88 species that have now been seen in all six Bird Races: Mute Swan, Whooper Swan, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Brent Goose, Shelduck, Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Eider, Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser, Goosander, Pheasant, Redthroated Diver, Great Northern Diver, Little Grebe, Fulmar, Gannet, Cormorant, Shag, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Hen Harrier, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine, Moorhen, Coot, Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Lapwing, Sanderling, Snipe, Curlew, Redshank, Turnstone, Kittiwake, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Razorbill, Black Guillemot, Rock Dove/Feral Pigeon, Woodpigeon,
Collared Dove, Meadow Pipit, Rock Pipit, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Stonechat, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Blackcap, Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Treecreeper, Magpie, Chough, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Hooded Crow, Raven, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Siskin, Linnet and Twite.
Manx BirdLife Christmas Bird Race 2013 Update
The ‘ones that got away’ included ten species that had been recorded on the Isle of Man in December 2013 before the Bird Race, but weren’t seen during it: Pink-footed Goose, Rednecked Grebe, Long-tailed Duck, Water Rail, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Stock Dove, Kingfisher, Swallow, Lesser Redpoll, Snow Bunting; a Ross’s x Barnacle Goose hybrid was also recorded. There were also eight species that breed on the Island and were likely to have been present somewhere on the Island but weren’t seen during the Bird Race: Red Grouse, Grey Partridge, Woodcock, Long-eared Owl, Short-eared Owl, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Chiffchaff and Tree Sparrow.The weather during 2013’s Christmas Bird Race did not help at all. On Boxing Day Ronaldsway Met Office recorded gale force winds, increasing to Severe Gale Force 9 on 27th. The maximum wind recorded on each of the other dates was Force 6. On both 30th and 31st there was significant rainfall during daylight hours – enough to dampen birds as well as birdwatchers!
Manx BirdLife Christmas Bird Race 2011 Update
The ‘ones that got away’ include nine species that had been recorded on the Isle of Man in December 2011 before the Bird Race, but weren’t seen during it: Barnacle Goose, Pintail, Black-throated Diver, Manx Shearwater, Water Rail, Kingfisher, Brambling, Common Crossbill and Snow Bunting. This list also includes 8 species that breed on the island and were likely to have been present somewhere on the Island but weren’t seen during the Bird Race: Red Grouse, Grey Partridge, Woodcock, Stock Dove, Long-eared Owl, Short-eared Owl, Skylark and Chiffchaff.103 species is a good result. If the ‘ones that got away’ are taken into consideration, along with various other possible species such as Knot and Waxwing, it suggests that it may be possible in a good year to get over 110 species – possibly closer to 120. But for that to happen a certain amount of luck is needed (good weather and co-operative birds!) as well as a considerable amount of hard work by birdwatchers.
Notes
Black Swan
As of December 2016, Black Swan Cygnus atratus has been removed from the Christmas Bird Race list. The species totals from previous years have been adjusted to reflect that this Category E species is no longer included in the counts.
2017
Please note that for 2017 we have updated the taxonomic order of both the recording card and results table.
