Below I am sharing my 2018 Big Year bird list. As many of you know I tried to break Tim Barksdale’s 1991 record in 2017 and ended up at 310 species. Tim helped me find several species in 2017 and again in 2018. Many other birders were very helpful in finding new birds, especially vagrants, or joining me in the field on many days. The year 2018 was an amazing year for rare, casual and accidental birds.
I used The Audubon Society of Missouri (ASM) Annotated Checklist as my source for birds and their status. All my observations of rare, casual, and accidental species, as well as many of the common and uncommon species included ID comments on the eBird checklists for review by the eBird reviewer team. I submitted documentation for the casual and accidental species and other species on the Documentation Review List for review by the Missouri Bird Records Committee (MBRC). I especially tried to get photographs of all of the rare, casual, and accidental species or sketched the birds in the field when I wasn’t able to get to my camera in time.
I followed the American Birding Association Recording Rules within the boundaries of Missouri with one exception I used the ASM Checklist for countable species. I didn’t include any species that were considered domestic, zoo escapes, exotic: such as Egyptian Goose, Gray Lag Goose, Black Swan, Mute Swan, Ruddy Shelduck, Common Shelduck, etc. I have seen all of these in Missouri over the past 30 years. I did count Ring-necked Pheasant as it is considered naturalized, but counted no other pheasant species that have been seen in Missouri. I only counted birds that were alive, wild and unrestrained. E.g. the Ruffed Grouse released in 2018 in Missouri, or bird involved in or influenced by mist-netting or banding operations. I didn’t count bird’s eggs unless I saw the bird.
In 2017 before I started my 2018 Big Year, I listed 6 items that I hoped to accomplish in 2018 by doing a Big Year.
1) Find more than 314 species of birds in one year. I did that by 26 September 2018.
2) Get a lot more folks involved in trying to break their previous year's species and checklists totals.
3) Help birders add some rigor to their observational skills by using multiple ID characters to document and report any bird unusual species so that all birders can learn and replicate the approach.
4) Report all "good" birds, i.e. birds that others might want to try and locate and do it in a timely fashion.
5) Document observed MBRC review list species and post on mobirds.org.
6) Develop and establish a Big Year-like process, structure, special events and rules to follow.
While I thoroughly enjoyed 2018, I understand how crazy it was. Doing a Big Year like Tim did in 1991, and Kendell, Steve, Debbie, and myself did in 2018, when we all passed Tim’s record, might have been a function of an exceptional year for unusual birds to show up in Missouri. I’d like to think it also had a lot to do with eBird and the immediacy of knowing when a bird was reported and where it was observed. I don’t know for sure, but based on all the new birder names on eBird we may also see an increase in unusual bird sightings in the future.
I would love to see the Big Year lists of others, including Tim’s from 1991 which I have never seen. I hope you all start thinking about birding, including studying the bird books and finding a mentor to go into the field with.
Below is my Big Year summary of bird species observed in 2018. It includes the species name, number of individuals observed on the date and in the county listed.
No.
Species
Count
Location
Date
1
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
1
Boone
20-May-18
2
Snow Goose
400
Barton
13-Jan-18
3
Ross's Goose
2
Barton
13-Jan-18
4
Greater White-fronted Goose
360
St Charles
6-Jan-18
5
Cackling Goose
2
Boone
8-Jan-18
6
Canada Goose
25
Boone
3-Jan-18
7
Trumpeter Swan
4
Boone
4-Jan-18
8
Tundra Swan
4
St Charles
6-Jan-18
9
Wood Duck
5
St. Clair
23-Feb-18
10
Blue-winged Teal
2
Greene
2-Mar-18
11
Cinnamon Teal
2
Greene
2-Mar-18
12
Northern Shoveler
43
Boone
9-Jan-18
13
Gadwall
31
Boone
9-Jan-18
14
American Wigeon
4
Boone
9-Jan-18
15
Mallard
75
Macon
5-Jan-18
16
American Black Duck
1
Boone
17-Jan-18
17
Mottled Duck
1
Holt
29-May-18
18
Northern Pintail
2
Clay
20-Jan-18
19
Green-winged Teal
1
St Charles
6-Jan-18
20
Canvasback
6
St Charles
19-Jan-18
21
Redhead
9
Saline
1-Feb-18
22
Ring-necked Duck
50
St Charles
19-Jan-18
23
Greater Scaup
2
St Charles
6-Jan-18
24
Lesser Scaup
10
St Charles
6-Jan-18
25
Surf Scoter
3
Franklin
29-Mar-18
26
White-winged Scoter
1
St Charles
19-Mar-18
27
Black Scoter
1
Clay
19-Nov-18
28
Long-tailed Duck
1
St Charles
18-Nov-18
29
Bufflehead
1
Clay
20-Jan-18
30
Common Goldeneye
2
Macon
5-Jan-18
31
Hooded Merganser
16
St Charles
19-Jan-18
32
Common Merganser
23
St Charles
6-Jan-18
33
Red-breasted Merganser
1
St Charles
17-Feb-18
34
Ruddy Duck
4
St Charles
27-Jan-18
35
Northern Bobwhite
1
St Clair
12-Mar-18
36
Ring-necked Pheasant
1
Saline
18-Mar-18
37
Greater Prairie-Chicken
6
St Clair
22-Mar-18
38
Wild Turkey
13
Taney
3-Feb-18
39
Pied-billed Grebe
1
St Charles
19-Jan-18
40
Horned Grebe
1
Clay
20-Jan-18
41
Red-necked Grebe
1
Boone
10-Apr-18
42
Eared Grebe
1
Boone
9-Apr-18
43
Western Grebe
1
Taney CO
25-Nov-18
44
Rock Pigeon
2
St Charles
6-Jan-18
45
Eurasian Collared-Dove
2
Randolph
4-Jan-18
46
White-winged Dove
2
New Madrid
31-May-18
47
Mourning Dove
2
Boone
1-Jan-18
48
Greater Roadrunner
1
Greene
22-Mar-18
49
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
1
Boone
7-May-18
50
Black-billed Cuckoo
1
Holt
5-Jun-18
51
Common Nighthawk
1
St. Clair
3-May-18
52
Chuck-will's-widow
2
Callaway
5-May-18
53
Eastern Whip-poor-will
1
Boone
16-Apr-18
54
Chimney Swift
1
Greene
12-Apr-18
55
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
2
Laclede
26-Apr-18
56
Rufous Hummingbird
1
Dade
29-Aug-18
57
King Rail
2
Lincoln
23-May-18
58
Virginia Rail
1
Boone
16-Apr-18
59
Sora
1
Boone
9-Apr-18
60
Common Gallinule
1
Boone
20-May-18
61
American Coot
1
Clay
20-Jan-18
62
Yellow Rail
4
St Clair
3-May-18
63
Sandhill Crane
1
St Charles
6-Jan-18
64
Black-necked Stilt
1
St Charles
6-May-18
65
American Avocet
12
Dade
12-Apr-18
66
Black-bellied Plover
1
St Clair
3-May-18
67
American Golden-Plover
2
Boone
20-Mar-18
68
Semipalmated Plover
10
Vernon
17-Apr-18
69
Piping Plover
1
Boone
23-Apr-18
70
Killdeer
2
Morgan
22-Jan-18
71
Upland Sandpiper
3
Dade
12-Apr-18
72
Hudsonian Godwit
1
Boone
14-Apr-18
73
Marbled Godwit
4
Vernon
17-Apr-18
74
Ruddy Turnstone
2
Boone
12-May-18
75
Ruff
1
Boone
12-May-18
76
Stilt Sandpiper
1
Boone
23-Apr-18
77
Sanderling
2
Boone
12-May-18
78
Dunlin
2
Boone
15-Apr-18
79
Baird's Sandpiper
1
Boone
25-Mar-18
80
Least Sandpiper
3
Lincoln
13-Feb-18
81
White-rumped Sandpiper
8
Boone
5-May-18
82
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
2
Callaway
2-Aug-18
83
Pectoral Sandpiper
1
St Clair
12-Mar-18
84
Semipalmated Sandpiper
3
Vernon
7-Apr-18
85
Western Sandpiper
2
St Clair
16-Aug-18
86
Short-billed Dowitcher
7
St Clair
3-May-18
87
Long-billed Dowitcher
1
St Clair
12-Mar-18
88
American Woodcock
3
Boone
22-Feb-18
90
Wilson's Snipe
2
Morgan
22-Jan-18
90
Wilson's Phalarope
1
Vernon
17-Apr-18
91
Red-necked Phalarope
1
Boone
24-Aug-18
92
Red Phalarope
1
Monroe
19-Sep-18
93
Spotted Sandpiper
6
St Clair
19-Apr-18
94
Solitary Sandpiper
1
Boone
16-Apr-18
95
Greater Yellowlegs
2
Boone
17-Mar-18
96
Willet
1
St Clair
19-Apr-18
97
Lesser Yellowlegs
9
Boone
25-Mar-18
98
Pomarine Jaeger
1
Chariton
15-Oct-18
99
Sabine's Gull
1
Macon
23-Oct-18
100
Bonaparte's Gull
1
St Charles
27-Jan-18
101
Laughing Gull
Randolph
26-Sep-18
102
Franklin's Gull
25
Holt
9-May-18
103
Ring-billed Gull
1
Boone
1-Jan-18
104
Herring Gull
8
St Charles
6-Jan-18
105
Iceland Gull
1
Clay
20-Jan-18
106
Lesser Black-backed Gull
2
St Charles
27-Jan-18
107
Glaucous Gull
1
St Charles
25-Feb-18
108
Least Tern
6
St Charles
16-May-18
109
Caspian Tern
1
Boone
20-Apr-18
110
Black Tern
1
Boone
20-May-18
111
Common Tern
1
Dade
5-Sep-18
112
Forster's Tern
1
St Charles
6-May-18
113
Red-throated Loon
2
Taney
3-Feb-18
114
Pacific Loon
2
Greene
22-Mar-18
115
Common Loon
35
Taney
3-Feb-18
116
Wood Stork
1
Chariton
28-Jul-18
117
Anhinga
1
Dunklin
29-Jul-18
118
Neotropic Cormorant
1
Vernon
17-Apr-18
119
Double-crested Cormorant
220
Benton
23-Feb-18
120
American White Pelican
4
St Charles
6-Jan-18
121
American Bittern
1
Boone
9-Apr-18
122
Least Bittern
4
Lincoln
23-May-18
123
Great Blue Heron
12
St Charles
6-Jan-18
124
Great Egret
1
St Clair
3-Apr-18
125
Snowy Egret
1
Vernon
17-Apr-18
126
Little Blue Heron
2
Perry
31-May-18
127
Cattle Egret
1
Boone
20-Apr-18
128
Green Heron
1
St Charles
27-Apr-18
129
Black-crowned Night-Heron
1
Boone
22-Apr-18
130
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
3
Greene
12-Apr-18
131
White Ibis
3
Wayne
3-Aug-18
132
Glossy Ibis
1
St Clair
19-Apr-18
133
White-faced Ibis
2
Boone
14-Apr-18
134
Roseate Spoonbill
1
Wayne
9-Aug-18
135
Black Vulture
4
Miller
22-Jan-18
136
Turkey Vulture
2
Boone
1-Jan-18
137
Osprey
1
Dade
15-Mar-18
138
White-tailed Kite
1
Cedar
3-Apr-18
139
Golden Eagle
1
Saline
1-Feb-18
140
Mississippi Kite
1
Lawrence
11-May-18
141
Northern Harrier
4
Boone
3-Jan-18
142
Sharp-shinned Hawk
1
Boone
4-Jan-18
143
Cooper's Hawk
1
Boone
12-Jan-18
144
Bald Eagle
11
Macon
5-Jan-18
145
Red-shouldered Hawk
1
Boone
1-Jan-18
146
Broad-winged Hawk
1
Christian
12-Apr-18
147
Swainson's Hawk
1
Greene
12-Apr-18
148
Red-tailed Hawk
1
Boone
1-Jan-18
149
Rough-legged Hawk
1
St Clair
10-Jan-18
150
Barn Owl
1
Dade
15-Mar-18
151
Eastern Screech-Owl
1
Boone
12-May-18
152
Great Horned Owl
1
Boone
3-Jan-18
153
Snowy Owl
1
St Charles
6-Jan-18
154
Burrowing Owl
1
Dade
12-Apr-18
155
Barred Owl
2
Boone
19-Jan-18
156
Long-eared Owl
2
Linn
21-Mar-18
157
Short-eared Owl
1
Boone
3-Jan-18
158
Belted Kingfisher
1
Morgan
22-Jan-18
159
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
1
St Louis
6-Jan-18
160
Red-headed Woodpecker
1
Macon
5-Jan-18
161
Red-bellied Woodpecker
1
Boone
1-Jan-18
162
Downy Woodpecker
2
Boone
1-Jan-18
163
Hairy Woodpecker
2
Boone
3-Jan-18
163
Leconte's Sparrow
2
St Clair
3-Apr-18
164
Pileated Woodpecker
1
Boone
1-Jan-18
165
Northern Flicker
3
Boone
8-Jan-18
166
American Kestrel
2
Boone
4-Jan-18
167
Merlin
1
Boone
9-Jan-18
168
Peregrine Falcon
1
St Charles
19-Jan-18
169
Prairie Falcon
1
Barton
10-Jan-18
170
Olive-sided Flycatcher
1
Boone
15-May-18
171
Eastern Wood-Pewee
1
St Charles
28-Apr-18
172
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
2
Boone
15-May-18
173
Acadian Flycatcher
1
St Charles
27-Apr-18
174
Alder Flycatcher
1
Boone
15-May-18
175
Willow Flycatcher
2
St Charles
16-May-18
176
Least Flycatcher
1
Boone
4-May-18
177
Eastern Phoebe
1
Boone
28-Feb-18
178
Say's Phoebe
1
Barton
13-Jan-18
179
Great Crested Flycatcher
1
Boone
22-Apr-18
180
Western Kingbird
2
Cole
1-May-18
181
Eastern Kingbird
1
St Clair
19-Apr-18
182
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
1
Dade
12-Apr-18
183
Loggerhead Shrike
1
St Clair
10-Jan-18
184
Northern Shrike
1
Boone
1-Jan-18
185
White-eyed Vireo
2
St Charles
28-Apr-18
186
Bell's Vireo
1
Boone
7-May-18
187
Yellow-throated Vireo
3
Christian
12-Apr-18
188
Blue-headed Vireo
3
St Charles
28-Apr-18
189
Philadelphia Vireo
1
Oregon
30-Apr-18
190
Warbling Vireo
1
Boone
15-Apr-18
191
Red-eyed Vireo
2
St Charles
28-Apr-18
192
Blue Jay
12
Boone
1-Jan-18
193
American Crow
2
Boone
1-Jan-18
194
Fish Crow
13
Boone
20-Mar-18
195
Horned Lark
12
Randolph
4-Jan-18
196
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
6
Boone
6-Apr-18
197
Purple Martin
6
Boone
20-Mar-18
198
Tree Swallow
18
Boone
10-Mar-18
199
Bank Swallow
1
Boone
25-Mar-18
200
Barn Swallow
5
Boone
20-Mar-18
201
Cliff Swallow
4
Boone
25-Mar-18
202
Cave Swallow
1
Bates
14-Jul-18
203
Carolina Chickadee
8
St Louis
6-Jan-18
203
Common Yellowthroat
1
Boone
26-Apr-18
204
Black-capped Chickadee
2
Boone
1-Jan-18
205
Tufted Titmouse
1
Boone
1-Jan-18
206
Red-breasted Nuthatch
2
St Louis
6-Jan-18
206
Palm Warbler
1
Boone
22-Apr-18
207
White-breasted Nuthatch
1
Boone
1-Jan-18
208
Brown Creeper
1
Clay
20-Jan-18
209
Rock Wren
1
Dallas
1-Nov-18
210
House Wren
2
Boone
21-Apr-18
211
Winter Wren
2
Boone
10-Mar-18
212
Sedge Wren
1
St. Clair
3-May-18
213
Marsh Wren
2
Boone
20-Apr-18
214
Carolina Wren
1
Boone
1-Jan-18
215
Bewick's Wren
2
Cole
18-May-18
216
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
3
Christian
12-Apr-18
217
Golden-crowned Kinglet
2
Boone
12-Jan-18
218
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
1
Holt
1-Apr-18
219
Eastern Bluebird
7
Macon
5-Jan-18
220
Mountain Bluebird
1
St Clair
30-Nov-18
221
Veery
1
Oregon
30-Apr-18
222
Gray-cheeked Thrush
2
Shannon
1-May-18
223
Swainson's Thrush
1
Oregon
30-Apr-18
224
Hermit Thrush
2
Boone
8-Jan-18
225
Wood Thrush
2
St Charles
27-Apr-18
226
American Robin
1
Boone
3-Jan-18
227
Gray Catbird
1
Shannon
1-May-18
228
Brown Thrasher
1
Boone
3-Jan-18
229
Northern Mockingbird
1
Boone
3-Jan-18
230
European Starling
50
Randolph
4-Jan-18
231
American Pipit
3
Boone
4-Mar-18
232
Cedar Waxwing
3
Ray
20-Jan-18
233
Evening Grosbeak
1
Boone
1-Jan-18
234
House Finch
6
Boone
1-Jan-18
235
Purple Finch
8
Boone
1-Jan-18
236
Common Redpoll
1
Jackson
9-Feb-18
237
Red Crossbill
5
Ste Genevieve
6-May-18
238
Pine Siskin
2
Boone
25-Jan-18
239
American Goldfinch
4
Boone
1-Jan-18
240
Lapland Longspur
37
St Charles
6-Jan-18
241
Smith's Longspur
5
Boone
4-Mar-18
242
Snow Bunting
1
Macon
7-Nov-18
243
Grasshopper Sparrow
1
Callaway
5-May-18
244
Chipping Sparrow
1
Boone
27-Mar-18
245
Clay-colored Sparrow
1
Boone
15-Apr-18
246
Field Sparrow
1
Greene
2-Mar-18
247
Lark Sparrow
4
Vernon
17-Apr-18
248
American Tree Sparrow
3
Boone
1-Jan-18
249
Fox Sparrow
6
Boone
1-Jan-18
250
Dark-eyed Junco
20
Boone
1-Jan-18
251
White-crowned Sparrow
7
Boone
3-Jan-18
252
Golden-crowned Sparrow
1
Carroll
5-Mar-18
253
Harris's Sparrow
2
Barton
13-Jan-18
254
White-throated Sparrow
8
Boone
1-Jan-18
255
Vesper Sparrow
4
Boone
31-Mar-18
257
Nelson's Sparrow
1
Boone
24-Sep-18
258
Savannah Sparrow
8
Boone
9-Jan-18
259
Henslow's Sparrow
3
Pettis
11-May-18
260
Song Sparrow
1
Boone
1-Jan-18
261
Lincoln's Sparrow
1
Boone
14-Apr-18
262
Swamp Sparrow
1
Boone
7-Jan-18
263
Green-tailed Towhee
1
Dallas
21-Apr-18
264
Spotted Towhee
1
St Louis
6-Jan-18
265
Eastern Towhee
1
Boone
1-Jan-18
266
Yellow-breasted Chat
2
Shannon
1-May-18
267
Yellow-headed Blackbird
3
Saline
30-Mar-18
268
Bobolink
3
Boone
25-Apr-18
269
Western Meadowlark
1
Boone
1-Jan-18
270
Eastern Meadowlark
3
Boone
11-Jan-18
271
Orchard Oriole
2
Laclede
26-Apr-18
272
Baltimore Oriole
2
Laclede
26-Apr-18
273
Red-winged Blackbird
2000
Boone
8-Jan-18
274
Brown-headed Cowbird
75
Boone
8-Jan-18
275
Rusty Blackbird
1
St Charles
17-Feb-18
276
Brewer's Blackbird
150
St Clair
23-Feb-18
277
Common Grackle
2
Boone
8-Jan-18
278
Great-tailed Grackle
6
St Charles
13-Feb-18
279
Ovenbird
6
St Charles
28-Apr-18
280
Worm-eating Warbler
1
Boone
26-Apr-18
281
Louisiana Waterthrush
4
Boone
28-Mar-18
282
Northern Waterthrush
1
Boone
22-Apr-18
283
Golden-winged Warbler
1
Boone
5-May-18
284
Blue-winged Warbler
3
St Charles
28-Apr-18
285
Black-and-white Warbler
2
Christian
12-Apr-18
286
Prothonotary Warbler
1
Boone
22-Apr-18
287
Swainson's Warbler
1
Oregon
30-Apr-18
288
Tennessee Warbler
1
Boone
15-Apr-18
289
Orange-crowned Warbler
2
St Clair
19-Apr-18
290
Nashville Warbler
2
Christian
12-Apr-18
290
Mourning Warbler
1
Boone
7-May-18
292
Kentucky Warbler
2
St Charles
28-Apr-18
294
Hooded Warbler
3
Warren
18-May-18
295
American Redstart
3
St Charles
28-Apr-18
296
Cape May Warbler
2
St Louis City
15-May-18
297
Cerulean Warbler
2
St Charles
28-Apr-18
298
Northern Parula
1
Greene
12-Apr-18
299
Magnolia Warbler
4
Boone
5-May-18
300
Bay-breasted Warbler
5
St Louis City
15-May-18
301
Blackburnian Warbler
3
St Louis City
15-May-18
302
Yellow Warbler
1
Boone
22-Apr-18
303
Chestnut-sided Warbler
2
Boone
8-May-18
304
Blackpoll Warbler
1
Shannon
1-May-18
305
Black-throated Blue Warbler
1
St Louis City
6-Sep-18
307
Pine Warbler
3
Christian
12-Apr-18
308
Yellow-rumped Warbler
1
Boone
3-Jan-18
309
Yellow-throated Warbler
7
Christian
12-Apr-18
310
Prairie Warbler
3
Shannon
30-Apr-18
311
Black-throated Green Warbler
1
St Charles
28-Apr-18
312
Canada Warbler
1
Boone
8-May-18
313
Wilson's Warbler
1
Boone
7-May-18
314
Summer Tanager
1
St Charles
27-Apr-18
315
Scarlet Tanager
1
St Charles
27-Apr-18
316
Northern Cardinal
8
Boone
1-Jan-18
317
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
1
Boone
22-Apr-18
318
Blue Grosbeak
1
Boone
23-Apr-18
319
Indigo Bunting
1
Boone
14-Apr-18
320
Painted Bunting
2
Greene
11-May-18
321
Dickcissel
5
Hickory
3-May-18
322
House Sparrow
15
Boone
1-Jan-18
323
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
30
St Charles
6-Jan-18
Please share with others who might be interested. I know I have left off some folks unintentionally, but will send it to anyone who would like it that is not on Mobirds-L.Brad Jacobs Boone County Missouri
The Audubon Society of Missouri's Wild Bird Discussion Forum
Archives / Subscription options / ASM Website / Email the list ownersASM Spring Meeting: May 3-5, 2019 at Bunker Hill Retreat near Mountain View, MO Details and Online Registration
ASM Spring Meeting: May 3-5, 2019 at Bunker Hill Retreat near Mountain View, MO Details and Online Registration