2026 Birdathon Report
2026 BIRDATHON REPORT
May 2026
Dear Friends,
The 42nd annual Northern Flint Hills Audubon Society Birdathon, April 25-26, was the effort of seven teams who searched in an area generally centered on Manhattan. Our teams were very successful and found a total of 137 species, another new record. The third and fourth pages, Spring 2026 Birdathon Report, show those we found, the birders who reported their findings, and the local areas we all searched. We were blessed with seasonal weather and no muddy roads. The members of all the other teams who reported their species to me are shown at the bottom of Page 4 of this Report. This report is my effort to continue the more than 20-year effort to show the species found. This year my team, Koelliker, identified the 100 species shown by the RED “6” in the ’26 column, and the 37 additional species not found by my team, but found by at least one other team, are identified by the RED “A.” The row for each species shows the years that species was found in the previous twenty years.
Unusual species found this year are shown on the fifth page, Best Birds of 2026. Favorable conditions aided us in finding five species, Semipalmated Plover, Eastern Wood Pewee, White-Eyed Vireo, Yellow-Breasted Chat, and Scarlet Tanager, for the first time. Every year we miss several species that we expect to find. Our biggest misses are listed on that same page. I am thrilled with our results. I was happy my team Koelliker met my goal of finding 100. Unfortunately, my continuing this effort in now my eighth decade is getting more challenging. Many thanks to the other teams for their assistance in capturing the most complete picture of local species.
I have enjoyed working on this Birdathon because I like the challenge of the birding, but continuing to make this detailed report has become more than I can handle going forward. I do hope you find this last report from me both interesting and informative.
Yes, this report is a request for your financial support for the Northern Flint Hills Chapter of the Audubon Society. This effort is Chapter’s primary fund-raising activity. Last year over forty contributors generously donated more than $3,000 that the chapter put to effective use to support our efforts in the area.
I am again asking you to support my team and/or the other teams who made this effort a success by completing the form on the last page of this report and sending it along with your check or cash to me, Jim Koelliker, 321 Fordham Rd., Manhattan, KS 66503 or directly to Birdathon NFHAS, P.O. Box 1932, Manhattan, KS 66505-1932.
I hope you find this report interesting and useful.
I look forward to your support of this 42nd Annual Birdathon!
Thank You!
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