ABA Area Introduced Species
One of the questions the RSEC receives most frequently is about which populations of introduced species may be counted in the ABA Area.
Version 2020 of the ABA Recording Rules and Interpretations has updated Rule 2.B(v) to help clarify the answer to this question. Previously, the rule said that a bird is countable if from a population that met the ABA Checklist Committee’s Criteria for Determining Establishment of Exotics. However, the RSEC recognizes that criterion #8—which states that a publication must document the first seven criteria—would rarely be met for established populations that were not the basis for the initial addition of an introduced species to the Checklist. Therefore, Rule 2.B(v) now says that only the first seven criteria are required for a population to be countable.
Perhaps the best indicator of a countable population is whether it meets criterion #6, which reads:
To help birders decide where and when they may count introduced species, we have compiled a list of populations of introduced species on the ABA Checklist that have been present for at least 15 years (as of 2020) and appear to meet the other criteria for being considered established. Your life list is your own, of course, but the current RSEC position is that birds from any of the populations listed below may be counted by birders wishing to do so if seen during or after the year provided. And to be clear, these dates of countability are applicable to Life Lists, not Big Year Lists. The Big Year Rules state “Each species counted by the participant must have been encountered in accordance with the ABA Recording Rules current at the time the species was encountered.” Thus, introduced birds counted during Big Years prior to 2020 must have belonged to populations that met all eight Criteria for Determining Establishment of Exotics.
Please note that some of the species on this list also may occur as countable vagrants from native populations (e.g., Eurasian Skylark).
Please note that this list of countable populations may not be exhaustive and is subject to deletions and additions based on any updated understanding. The RSEC welcomes feedback on this list as well: rsec@aba.org.
The ABA and RSEC would like to thank Nick Block, RSEC Secretary from 2015–2020, for creating and maintaining this list.
| Introduced Species (year added to Checklist) | Current Countable Populations | Countable Since At Least | Sources for Countability Dates |
| Mute Swan | QC to NC to MN | Pre-1980 | |
| Southwestern BC | Pre-1980 | ||
| Austin region (TX) | 2018 | eBird, breeding at Town Lake, 2003 | |
| Egyptian Goose (2014) | Los Angeles region (CA) | 1995 | |
| Florida† | 2008 | ||
| Central Texas | 2019 | eBird, Canyon Lake, 2004 | |
| Muscovy Duck | Florida | 1992 |
Date of Robertson and Wolfenden’s FL checklist
|
| Laysan Duck (2017*) | Midway Atoll (HI) | 2019 | |
| Mallard | Hawaii (all major islands) | Pre-1980 | |
| Plain Chachalaca | Sapelo Island (GA) | Pre-1980 | |
| Mountain Quail | Mason & Kitsap counties (WA) | Pre-1980 | |
| California Quail | OR to BC to UT | Pre-1980 | |
| Springerville region (AZ) | Pre-1980 | ||
| Hawaii (all major islands but Kaua’i) | Pre-1980 | ||
| Gambel’s Quail | San Clemente Island (CA) | Pre-1980 | |
| Lemhi County (ID) | Pre-1980 | ||
| Hawai’i Island (HI) | Pre-1980 | ||
| Wild Turkey | Hawaii (Hawai’i Island, Maui, Lāna’i, Moloka’i) | Pre-1980 | |
| Many areas of southern Canada, northern & western U.S. | Pre-1980 | ||
| White-tailed Ptarmigan | Southern Sierra Nevada (CA) | 1987 | |
| Uinta Mountains (UT) | 1991 | ||
| Gray Partridge | WI to OR to Alberta | Pre-1980 | |
| Prince Edward Island | Pre-1980 | ||
| Far east Ontario & southern Quebec | Pre-1980 | ||
| Ring-necked Pheasant | Southern Canada and most of U.S. (except Southeast) | Pre-1980 | |
| Kenai Peninsula (AK) | Pre-1980 | ||
| Hawaii (all major islands) | Pre-1980 | ||
| Kalij Pheasant (2017*) | Hawai’i (HI) | Pre-1980 | |
| O’ahu (HI) | 2018 | ||
| Indian Peafowl (2018*) | Hawaii (Hawai’i Island, Maui, O’ahu, Kaua’i)† | Pre-1980 | |
| Los Angeles County (CA) | 1988 | ||
| Florida | 2007 |
Robertson & Woolfenden (1992) mentioned in https://www.aba.org/birding_archive_files/v43n5p46.pdf
|
|
| Gray Francolin (2017*) | Hawaii (all major islands but O’ahu) | Pre-1980 | |
| O’ahu (HI) | 1995 | ||
| Black Francolin (2017*) | Hawaii (all major islands but O’ahu) | Pre-1980 | |
| O’ahu (HI) | 2009 | ||
| Red Junglefowl (2017*) | Hawaii (all major islands)† | Pre-1980 | |
| Key West (FL) | Pre-1980 | ||
| Fitzgerald (GA) | 1985 | ||
| Himalayan Snowcock | Ruby Mountains (NV) | Pre-1980 | |
| Chukar | CO to CA to BC | Pre-1980 | |
| Hawaii (all major islands but O’ahu) | Pre-1980 | ||
| Erckel’s Francolin (2017*) | Hawaii (Hawai’i Island, O’ahu, Kaua’i, Lāna’i) | Pre-1980 | |
| Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse (2017*) | Hawai’i Island (HI) | Pre-1980 | |
| Rock Pigeon | ABA Area | Pre-1980 | |
| Eurasian Collared-Dove | ABA Area | 1997 | |
| Spotted Dove | Los Angeles region (CA) | Pre-1980 | |
| Bakersfield region (CA) | Pre-1980 | ||
| Fresno region (CA) | Pre-1980 | ||
| Hawaii (all major islands) | Pre-1980 | ||
| Mourning Dove | Hawaii (Hawai’i Island, Maui, O’ahu) | Pre-1980 | |
| Zebra Dove (2017*) | Hawaii (all major islands) | Pre-1980 | |
| Purple Swamphen (2013) | Florida | 2011 | |
| Cattle Egret | Hawaii (all major islands) | Pre-1980 | |
| Barn Owl | Hawaii (all major islands) | Pre-1980 | |
| Monk Parakeet | Florida | 1984 | |
| New York City and southwest CT region | 1985 | ||
| New Orleans region (LA) | 1987 | ||
| Dallas-Fort Worth region (TX) | 1990 | eBird | |
| Chicago region (IL & IN) | 1994 | https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/4163574.pdf | |
| Austin region (TX) | 1996 | eBird | |
| Houston region (TX) | 2000 | eBird | |
| San Antonio region (TX) | 2013 | eBird | |
| Phoenix region (AZ) | 2019 | eBird | |
| Nanday Parakeet (2012) | Los Angeles region (CA) | 1991 | |
| Florida† | 1998 | ||
| Green Parakeet | Lower Rio Grande Valley region (TX) | Pre-1980 | Brush (2005) |
| Mitred Parakeet (2021) | Los Angeles region (CA) | 1995 | |
| Miami region (FL)† | 2002 | ||
| Sunnyvale region (CA) | 2011 | eBird | |
| Red-masked Parakeet (2022) | O’ahu (HI) | 2003 | |
| San Francisco region (CA)† | 2004 | ||
| Los Angeles region (CA)† | 2004 | ||
| Miami region (FL) | 2004 | ||
| San Diego region (CA) | 2007 | ||
| Fort Lauderdale region (FL) | 2014 | ||
| Hawai’i Island (HI) | 2014 | ||
| White-winged Parakeet | Miami region (FL) | Pre-1980 | |
| Yellow-chevroned Parakeet (2019) | Los Angeles region (CA)† | 1997 | |
| Miami region (FL) | 1995 | eBird | |
| Red-crowned Parrot | Lower Rio Grande Valley region (TX)† | Pre-1980 | |
| O’ahu (HI) | 1984 | ||
| Los Angeles region (CA) | 1988 | ||
| Fort Lauderdale to West Palm Beach region (FL) | 1989 | ||
| San Diego region (CA) | 2001 | eBird | |
| Lilac-crowned Parrot (2022) | Los Angeles region (CA)† | 1992 | |
| San Diego region (CA) | 2020 | eBird | |
| Rose-ringed Parakeet (2017*) | Kaua’i (HI)† | Pre-1980 | |
| O’ahu (HI)† | 1988 | ||
| Bakersfield region (CA) | 1992 | ||
| Naples region (FL) | 2005 | ||
| Rosy-faced Lovebird (2012) | Phoenix region (AZ) | 2002 | |
| Eurasian Skylark | SE Vancouver Island† | Pre-1980 | |
| Hawaii (all major islands) | Pre-1980 | ||
| Red-vented Bulbul (2017*) | Houston region (TX) | Pre-1980 | |
| O’ahu (HI)† | 1981 | ||
| Red-whiskered Bulbul | Kendall region (FL)† | Pre-1980 | |
| O’ahu (HI) | 1980 | ||
| Los Angeles region (CA) | 1986 |
CBC data, https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/wilson/v085n04/p0506-p0512.pdf
|
|
| Japanese Bush-Warbler (2017*) | Hawaii (all major islands) | Pre-1980 | |
| Warbling White-eye (2017*) | Hawaii (all major islands) | Pre-1980 | |
| Greater Necklaced Laughingthrush (2017*) | Kaua’i (HI) | Pre-1980 | |
| Hwamei (2017*) | Hawaii (Hawai’i Island, Maui, O’ahu, Kaua’i) | Pre-1980 | |
| Red-billed Leiothrix (2017*) | Hawaii (Hawai’i Island, Maui, Moloka’i, O’ahu) | Pre-1980 | |
| White-rumped Shama (2017*) | O’ahu & Kaua’i (HI) | Pre-1980 | |
| Moloka’i (HI) | 2012 | ||
| Northern Mockingbird | Hawaii (all major islands) | Pre-1980 | |
| European Starling | ABA Area | Pre-1980 | |
| Common Myna (2008) | Hawaii (all major islands) | Pre-1980 | |
| South FL† | 1997 | ||
| Common Waxbill (2017*) | Hawaii (Hawai’i Island, Maui, O’ahu, Kaua’i) | 1988 | |
| Red Avadavat (2017*) | Hawaii (Hawai’i Island, O’ahu, Kaua’i) | Pre-1980 | |
| African Silverbill (2017*) | Hawaii (all major islands) | 1987 | |
| Java Sparrow (2017*) | Hawaii (all major islands) | 1979 | |
| Scaly-breasted Munia (2013) | Hawaii (all major islands) | Pre-1980 | |
| CA coast region† | 2003 | ||
| Pensacola region (FL) | 2014 | ||
| Kendall region (FL) | 2016 | ||
| Houston region (TX) | 2019 | ||
| Tricolored Munia (2020) | Cuba (vagrants in FL) | 2003 | |
| Chestnut Munia (2017*) | O’ahu & Kaua’i (HI) | Pre-1980 | |
| Maui (HI) | 2012 | ||
| House Sparrow | ABA Area | Pre-1980 | |
| Eurasian Tree Sparrow | Western IL & eastern IA/MO region | Pre-1980 | |
| House Finch | Hawaii (all major islands) | Pre-1980 | |
| Yellow-fronted Canary (2017*) | O’ahu (HI) | 1979 | |
| Hawai’i Island (HI) | 1981 | ||
| Island Canary (2017*) | Midway Atoll (HI) | Pre-1980 | |
| Western Meadowlark | Kaua’i (HI) | Pre-1980 | |
| Spot-breasted Oriole | Miami region (FL) | Pre-1980 | |
| Northern Cardinal | Los Angeles region (CA) | Pre-1980 | |
| Hawaii (all major islands) | Pre-1980 | ||
| Red-crested Cardinal (2017*) | Hawaii (all major islands but Hawai’i) | Pre-1980 | |
| Yellow-billed Cardinal (2017*) | Hawai’i Island (HI) | 1987 | |
| Saffron Finch (2017*) | Hawai’i Island & O’ahu (HI) | 1980 | |
| Kaua’i (HI) | 2019 | ||
| Yellow-faced Grassquit | O’ahu (HI) | 1989 |
| * = Added to the Checklist with addition of Hawaii to the ABA Area, so date does not reflect when population was accepted as established. | |||
| † = Population that was the basis of acceptance to the ABA Checklist | |||
| Hawaii Species Information: | |||
| General Background Sources: | |||
Updated September 30, 2022
Why is the Red Junglefowl not countable is Fitzgerald, GA?
https://www.audubon.org/magazine/november-december-2014/stalking-wild-ur-chicken
Monk Parakeet is currently not countable anywhere in AZ.
If my memory serves me correctly, some birds were considered established and then died off (e.g., African Collared-Dove in St. Petersburg, FL, Budgerigar in FL, and Crested Myna in Vancouver), and the ABA considered them countable for the period they were extant. I don’t see any mention of that in the table above. Has that changed?
At the bottom of the checklist page:
https://www.aba.org/aba-checklist/
The Florida records committe just accepted Mitred Parakeet as established for the state, how long before ABA adds it the countable exotics list?
Hmm. I had a few Western Meadowlarks along Saddle Road on the Big Island in 1999. I gather the population didn’t last there?
Also, no mention of the Red-masked Parakeets in San Francisco. I know they’ve been here for at least 20 years, as my personal first record was from 2000.
Just added to California’s official list in June.
Egyptian Goose is established in northwest Arkansas (since the 1980s): https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/23/#:~:text=The%20Egyptian%20Goose%20(Alopochen%20aegyptiacus)%20is%20an%20exotic%20member%20of,the%20consequences%20of%20population%20increase.
There are several Indian Peafowl populations throughout Texas including in Austin area (since the 1930s), Houston (possibly since the 1908s), and Midland (since the 1970s): https://www.landmarkwildlife.com/beauty-gone-wild-feral-peacocks-in-texas/
The above checklist is somewhat confusing in regards to as an eg. under species, Yellow-chevroned Parakeet (2019)–what does this date refer to? It indicates that the species is countable in the L.A. area after 1997. So again, what does the date 2019 reference?
What happened to Red-crowned Parrot?
that was a data transfer error that has been corrected.
This list seems very updated and accurate.
I was wondering if you could make a complete list of every bird indigenous to the ABA region sometime soon?
Can you also add native subspecies as well?
Time to add Red-masked Parakeet and Lilac-crowned Parrot. Any others since December 2020?
The RSEC secretary is still working out the details, but when they are finished, the info will be here.
…and note that your list is your own, and we offer this as guidance.
Red-masked Parakeet and Lilac-crowned Parrot have just been accepted by the ABA