Years on Record: 39

Total Species Recorded: 299

Most Species Recorded: 202 (1987)

Least Species Recorded: 156 (1981)

Average Species Recorded: 177

Counts by Year

Special Thanks to Karl Krause

The Ventura Audubon Society honors Karl Krause for his 18 years of dedicated service as our Christmas Bird Count Compiler. Karl officially took on the responsibility in 1996, and finally handed over the reins in 2014, but he's been compiling CBC data since 1980 when VAS first started the annual tallies. In addition he fulfilled a long term role as the Lake Casitas sector leader. As Compiler, Karl worked hard to assure the greatest accuracy possible, a difficult and sometimes thankless challenge. With a keen mind for data and analysis he has enjoyed adding value beyond the national Audubon standards. It is due to Karl's forward thinking, and the help of so many CBC volunteers, that we are able to present 39 years of data which exposes some very interesting and important trends in our local species populations.

Interesting Trends

(click on species for history)

The following species are deemed as trending up or down based on averages of both the first and last halves of the cumulative count years. Upward trends are indicated where the difference in the count average for the latter half of count years relative to the first half is greater than or equal to 100%. Downward trends are indicated where the difference in the count average for the latter half of count years relative to the first half is greater than or equal to 50%. The assessments, based on an algorithm of somewhat arbitrary computations, are programmed to at least provide notice to some apparent trends. Isolated spikes, inconsistent with overall species data, are mitigated in the computations. This means that the averages will not always be perfectly consistent with the actual history data, which are available via the species links. If the current total of count years is an odd number, the old and new averages will share the middle year. Species with very low or sporadic incidences are excluded from these listings.

Note: Counts from year to year are subject to logistical variances beyond control and may not accurately reflect actual population trends in some cases.