Almost 100 species of bird were recorded on the island as part of the annual Christmas Bird Count.

Janice Hetzel, executive director of the Bermuda Audubon Society, said that 90 bird species were reported as part of the annual count on December 17, while another five species were recorded during the count week.

While the bulk of the birds spotted were common invasive species, such as European starlings, house sparrows and kiskadees, a wide variety of visiting birds were also recorded.

Ms Hetzel said: “These numbers are remarkable considering that we have only 17 permanent resident species meaning we observed 70 migrant species on the island in one day.

“On average we will see 200 different species in Bermuda in the course of a year. Bermuda is an important stop for migrant birds as it provides food and shelter on their long trips across the ocean.

“Bird populations are declining across the globe, and we must protect habitat to provide this safe haven for our visitors.”

Notable sightings during the bird count included red-breasted merganser, black-crowned night heron, Eastern phoebe, yellow-throated vireo, ruby-crowned kinglet and ruby-throated hummingbird.

While several raptors were also seen, one notable absence was a juvenile bald eagle, which spent much of 2022 hunting around the western side of the island.

Ms Hetzel noted that the bird of prey had not been seen this year.

Last year was the 48th year that Bermuda has taken part in the annual bird count, organised by the National Audubon Society in the United States.

The purpose of the count is to collect data to help scientists gauge the long-term health and status of bird populations and inform strategies to protect birds and their habitats.

On December 21, Miguel Mejías managed to snag pictures of a hairy woodpecker on a rubber tree at the Botanical Gardens.

While the species had been sighted in Bermuda once previously, but it was the first time the bird had been photographed on the island.

Dr Mejías said in the winter edition of the BAS newsletter that it was arguably the best bird sighting he has had on the island.

“It remained in the area for about five to six minutes, before flying straight east, and all was quiet again,” he said.

“Hairy woodpeckers are a non-migratory species that breed throughout Canada, the United States, Mexico, and the Bahamas. Their preferred habitat is deciduous and/or coniferous forests, where they hammer away at tree bark to feed on wood-burrowing insects.

“Strong weather systems in North America can sometimes push these otherwise sedentary species off the continent, where they must fly to faraway lands, like Bermuda.”