August 2026 Photo Quiz
A low-slung swimming bird with a fairly long neck and bill. Is it a duck of some sort? Let's work this one out together, progressing from the family group (duck, etc.) right down to the species. Hint: How old is this bird?
May 2026 Celebrations
Celebrate your birding experiences with the ABA community! If you celebrated birds and birding, we at Birding magazine want to hear about it—and so does the rest of the ABA membership.
Meet the White-eyes!
Their ranges do not overlap here, but white-eyes are successful invaders, and range expansions and even new introductions may be in store.
Ontario: Fall 2025
Fall 2025: 1 Aug–30 Nov Adam Capparelli adam.capparelli@alumni.utoronto.ca Recommended citation: Capparelli, A. 2026. Fall 2025: Ontario. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-lDN> North American Birds. As August drew to a close, the extreme heat that plagued the summer gave way to a period of cooler than normal temperatures that persisted until mid September. This switch was short-lived however, as above seasonal temperatures returned from mid September through to about mid November. This atypical warmth kept leaves on trees about a week longer than normal and allowed the Great Lakes to remain warm, a major factor in the significant snowfall that closed out[...]
Ontario: Spring 2025
Spring 2025: 1 Mar–31 May Adam Capparelli adam.capparelli@alumni.utoronto.ca Recommended citation: Capparelli, A. 2026. Spring 2025: Ontario. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-lDu> North American Birds. In an unusual reversal of weather, April 2025 was more wintry than March. Although the first month of the spring reporting period saw above-seasonal temperatures across most of the province, the cold and snowy weather of winter 2024–2025 made a resurgence the next month. Toronto’s Pearson Airport recorded 6.4cm of snow in the first two weeks of April, more than doubling the 3cm recorded for the entire month of March (although this was a far cry from[...]
Ontario: Fall 2024
Fall 2024: 1 Aug–30 Nov Adam Capparelli adam.capparelli@alumni.utoronto.ca Aaron Rusak afrusak@gmail.com Recommended citation: Capparelli, A., and A. Rusak. 2026. Fall 2024: Ontario. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-lD8> North American Birds. Fall 2024 was a mild one across the province. Although there were some colder-than-normal spells in August and early September, the rest of the fall saw warmer-than-normal temperatures into mid to late November. The fall ended with a return to colder temperatures throughout Ontario. The season was a dry one with below-average precipitation throughout the entire fall period. However, the cold weather at the end of November brought snow to much[...]
Traill’s and the Truth
The age-old problem of Alder vs. Willow roars back to life in the era of eBird and digital photography. In addition to new field marks, maybe we have a new mindset on this long-standing ID conundrum.
Hudson-Delaware Region: Winter 2025–2026
Winter 2025–2026: 1 Dec–28 Feb Robert O. Paxton rop1@columbia.edu Milton Collins mec537@comcast.net Recommended citation: Paxton, R. O., and M. Collins. 2026. Winter 2025–2026: Hudson-Delaware. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-lAy> North American Birds. The winter of 2025–2026 was the harshest in recent years in the Hudson-Delaware Region, though less severe than many of earlier times. Around New York City, deep snow covered the ground from 25 Jan until after the end of the season. There were five days of snow in December and major blizzards on 25–26 Jan, 15–16 Feb, and 22 Feb. The temperature descended to 9˚F, its lowest point of[...]
Arkansas: Spring 2026
Spring 2026: 1 Mar–31 May Chris Kellner ckellner@atu.edu Recommended citation: Kellner, C. J. 2026. Spring 2026: Arkansas Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-lAp> North American Birds. An intense drought has continued in Arkansas since last summer and that drought undoubtedly influenced the number of rare birds observed in Arkansas. Nevertheless, several unusual migrants were observed this spring including a Black-throated Blue Warbler, Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak and a possible hybrid Lazuli x Indigo Bunting. Also, since 2020 Vermilion Flycatchers have been observed during every Winter or Spring and one observed this spring continued that trend. Abbreviations WMA = Wildlife Management Area;[...]
Tennessee & Kentucky: Winter 2024–2025
Winter 2024–2025: 1 Dec–28 Feb Graham Gerdeman grahamgerdeman@gmail.com Recommended citation: Gerdeman, G. 2026. Winter 2024–2025: Tennessee & Kentucky. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-lAg> North American Birds. Tennessee and Kentucky saw mixed climatic conditions this winter. Temperatures were generally well above average in December. In January, however, a polar vortex dropped temps across the entire east and midwest into well below average range for almost the entire month. Average temperatures were up and down in February. Heavy rain in parts of Tennessee brought flash flooding in December, while other parts of the state remained in drought condition at the end of the[...]
Tennessee & Kentucky: Spring 2025
Spring 2025: 1 Mar–31 May Graham Gerdeman grahamgerdeman@gmail.com Recommended citation: Gerdeman, G. 2026. Spring 2025: Tennessee & Kentucky. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-lA3> North American Birds. Weather this season was dramatic, especially in Tennessee, where lingering dry conditions in the east led to forest fires early in the season, and late season storms brought extreme rain, tornados, and flooding to the west. Overall conditions were significantly warmer and wetter than average—the year-to-date statewide precipitation average in Kentucky made it the wettest January-to-May ever recorded. Long-lasting floodwaters in northwest Tennessee provided stopover habitat for huge numbers of shorebirds in early to mid[...]
Tennessee & Kentucky: Fall 2024
Fall 2024: 1 Aug–30 Nov Graham Gerdeman grahamgerdeman@gmail.com Recommended citation: Gerdeman, G. 2026. Fall 2024: Tennessee & Kentucky. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-lzw> North American Birds. Tennessee and Kentucky were generally hot and dry this season, with temperatures well above average across the region and much of the region in a state of moderate to severe drought. The exceptional weather event was Hurricane Helene, which made landfall in Florida on 26 Sep as a category 4 hurricane and stalled over Tennessee as a post-tropical cyclone before dissipating. It brought significant rain to both states, as well as significant rarities, including multiple[...]
July 2026 Photo Quiz
On quick glance, there’s not much to go on in this month’s quiz. But this is actually a somewhat typical view of the species. And if you piece together the parts of the bird you can see, the ID comes together nicely.
Changes to the Endangered Species Act: What Birders Need to Know
The U.S. government has changed how the Endangered Species Act defines “harm.” Learn what the new rule means for habitat protection, birds, and birders.
Western Great Lakes: Winter 2025–2026
Winter 2025–2026: 1 Dec–28 Feb William Marengo wcmarengo@gmail.com Recommended citation: Marengo, W.C. 2026. Winter 2025–2026: Western Great Lakes. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-lu4> North American Birds. A mostly quiet winter season featured a handful of rarities across the region. Note that many of the casual and accidental species have yet to be reviewed by their respective records committees. This report will be updated accordingly as the committees review the records. Sub-regional Compilers Matthew Bennink (Michigan), Thomas Klubertanz (Wisconsin), Andrew Simon (Michigan), Josiah Stryd (Michigan). Abbreviations Abbreviations: C.P. ( County Park), H.R.B.O. (Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory, Duluth, MN), L.P. (Lower Peninsula, MI),[...]
Oregon and Washington: Summer 2023
Summer 2023: 1 Jun–31 Jul Eric Heisey heiseyew@gmail.com Adrian Hinkle adrian.hinkle@gmail.com Christopher Hinkle christopher.hinkle2@gmail.com Recommended citation: Heisey, E., A. Hinkle, and C. Hinkle. 2025. Summer 2023: Oregon and Washington. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-ltW> North American Birds. This summer was warm and dry across much of the region, as is typical at this time of year. Early June was mostly dry and mild, without any late spring precipitation that can sometimes hold up late migrants. There were numerous wildfires in the region as is now expected, but generally the smoke didn’t blow into heavily populated areas. No shockers were found; it[...]
June 2026 Photo Quiz
Another flying bird for aficionados of such. However, the bird’s shape probably immediately suggests a family to most quiz-takers. Did it for you?
Under the Radar: Field ID of the Solitary Sandpiper
Pay attention to the upperwing, study bill color and structure, watch the bird in flight—and beware similarities with the Spotted Sandpiper.
Southern California Winter 2025–2026
Winter 2025–2026: 1 Dec 2025–28 Feb 2026 Guy McCaskie guymcc@pacbell.net Kimball L. Garrett cyanolyca818@gmail.com Recommended citation: McCaskie, G., and K. L. Garrett. 2026. Winter 2025–2026: Southern California <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-loD> North American Birds. Significant rains in December and January over much of the region offered a contrast to most recent winters in which precipitation was below normal. Strong storms over the late December/early January holiday season caused local flooding from the lowlands to the mountains, with some damaged mountain and foothill roads likely to be closed well into 2026. A smaller than average snowpack resulted from relatively warm winter[...]
West Indies & Bermuda: Winter 2025–2026
Winter 2025–2026: 1 Dec–28 Feb Andrew Dobson (Greater Antilles, Bahamas, Bermuda) andrewdobs@gmail.com Anthony Levesque (Lesser Antilles) Anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr Recommended citation: Dobson, A., and A. Levesque. 2026. Winter 2025–2026: West Indies & Bermuda. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-lon> North American Birds. Many islands reported some unexpected sightings, including the region’s first Egyptian Goose, identified after being shot by hunters in Cuba. The West Indies’ first Razorbill was captured on video in the Bahamas. A Common Gull was a great discovery in Bermuda, with only one previous regional record. A Grey Trembler was finally tracked down and photographed for a first record in Barbados.[...]
Arkansas: Winter 2025–2026
Winter 2025–2026: 1 Dec–28 Feb Chris Kellner ckellner@atu.edu Recommended citation: Kellner, C. J. 2026. Winter 2026: Arkansas. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-lo6> North American Birds. Arkansas had very unusual weather patterns this winter that influenced the birds observed: the season flipped from very dry to very warm, and finally cold accompanied by an unusually heavy snowstorm that left the state with a persistent snowpack lasting longer than any in recent memory. The most unusual sightings were two separate reports of Scott’s Orioles and a Western Tanager. Many of the songbirds found this time of year are recorded at bird feeders and[...]
New England: Winter 2025–2026
Winter 2025–2026: 1 Dec–28 Feb Greg Hanisek ctgregh@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hanisek, G. 2026. Winter 2025–2026: New England. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-lnU> North American Birds. January heating bills told the story in black and white. New England's run of mild winters took a brutal change of course. Even Connecticut, known to snarky Bay Staters as Baja Massachusetts, endured sub-zero temperatures and mounds of snow that wouldn't melt. Any long-term impact on half-hardy species remains to be seen, but it was not a winter marked by major boreal irruptions. Sub-regional CompilersL. Bevier (Maine), J. Trimble (Massachusetts), S. Mirick (New Hampshire), R. Farrell (Rhode[...]
Tennessee & Kentucky: Summer 2024
Summer 2024: 1 Jun–31 Jul Graham Gerdeman grahamgerdeman@gmail.com Recommended citation: Gerdeman, G. 2026. Summer 2024: Tennessee & Kentucky. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-lnJ> North American Bird Temperatures were mixed in Tennessee this season; normal to slightly below average in the west, trending to warmer in the east. Chattanooga recorded a few record highs. Temperatures averaged 1–2 degrees above normal in Kentucky. June was a very dry one, with below average precipitation in most of the region. The remnants of Hurricane Beryl swept through Tennessee in the second week of July, bringing widespread rain and localized flooding. Conditions remained dry in central[...]
Oregon and Washington: Spring 2023
Spring 2023: 1 Mar–31 May Eric Heisey heiseyew@gmail.com Adrian Hinkle adrian.hinkle@gmail.com Christopher Hinkle christopher.hinkle2@gmail.com Recommended citation: Heisey, E., A. Hinkle, and C. Hinkle. 2025. Spring 2023: Oregon and Washington. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-lny> North American Birds. March and April were cold and wet throughout the region. Cool, rainy conditions on the west side led to unprecedented numbers of Mountain Bluebirds. The east side and mountains had heavy snowfall. Snowpack was above normal region-wide, especially in the southeast. May was extremely warm and dry in much of the region. The period’s highlight was a stunning Smith’s Longspur in western Washington, in[...]
Oregon and Washington: Summer 2022
Summer 2022: 1 Jun–31 Jul Eric Heisey heiseyew@gmail.com Adrian Hinkle adrian.hinkle@gmail.com Christopher Hinkle christopher.hinkle2@gmail.com Recommended citation: Heisey, E., A. Hinkle, and C. Hinkle. 2024. Summer 2022: Oregon and Washington. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-lno> North American Birds. Westside rains continued into June, while July was dry throughout. Early season was characterized by eastern U.S. vagrants as expected, including White-eyed and Yellow-throated Vireos in Oregon. The season held other surprises too, including overshoots such as Least Tern and Blue Grosbeak in Washington. An adult Siberian Sand-Plover in coastal Oregon was July’s highlight. Sub-regional Compilers Tim Rodenkirk (Coos and Curry Cos, Oregon). [...]
Oregon and Washington: Winter 2025–2026
Winter 2025–2026: 1 Dec–28 Feb Eric Heisey heiseyew@gmail.com Adrian Hinkle adrian.hinkle@gmail.com Christopher Hinkle christopher.hinkle2@gmail.com Liam Hutcheson liamhutcheson2020@gmail.com Recommended citation: Heisey, E., A. Hinkle, C. Hinkle, and L. Hutcheson. 2026. Winter 2025–2026: Oregon and Washington. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-ln2> North American Birds. Winter was relatively warm throughout the region with limited snowfall. December brought multiple atmospheric rivers to the westside, while January and February ushered in warmer and drier conditions. Bird highlights were somewhat typical of recent winters, with a few interesting waterfowl, a decent showing of rare wintering warblers on the coast, and scattered rarities elsewhere. Washington again had a[...]
ABA Community Weekend in Albuquerque, NM, Aug. 22–23, 2026
Join the American Birding Association for a full weekend of birding, community, and celebration in and around Albuquerque, New Mexico, Aug. 22–23, 2026!
Western Great Lakes: Fall 2025
Fall 2025: 1 Aug–30 Nov William Marengo wcmarengo@gmail.com Recommended citation: Marengo, W.C. 2026. Fall 2025: Western Great Lakes. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-lmI> North American Birds. A regional first record appeared in Minnesota along with a host of other fall rarities. Note that many of the casual and accidental species have yet to be reviewed by the state’s records committees. This report will be updated accordingly as the records are reviewed. Sub-regional Compilers Lynn Barber (Wisconsin), Matthew Bennink (Michigan), Andrew Simon (Michigan), Josiah Stryd (Michigan). Abbreviations: C.P. ( County Park), H.R.B.O. (Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory, Duluth, MN), L.P. (Lower Peninsula, MI),[...]
Lesser Frigatebirds in Ohio and California in May 2026, plus a Compilation of Prior Records in the Continental U.S.
On 23 May 2026, a Lesser Frigatebird was photographed circling over Sippo Lake in Stark Co, Ohio. Pending acceptance by the Ohio Bird Records Committee, this sighting will represent a first record for Ohio and a seventh record for the ABA Continental region.
Jeff Bouton Joins the ABA Board
The ABA welcomes optics industry veteran and longtime birder Jeff Bouton, who brings decades of experience in birding, optics, and community engagement, to its Board of Directors.
May 2026 Photo Quiz
A flying bird heading away? Lovely. Indeed, and, as a bonus, the head and breast are heavily shaded, making it difficult or impossible to determine whether the appearance of no pattern on the head truly means that there is no pattern on the head.
Black Voices in Birding Literature: An Annotated Bibliography
This evolving bibliography highlights Black birders’ contributions to birding literature through memoirs, essays, poetry, field guides, and educational works exploring conservation, identity, access, and belonging.
The American Birding Association Welcomes Kelly Ball as Advertising Sales Director
The American Birding Association announces longtime birding media professional and respected birder Kelly Ball as its incoming Advertising Sales Director.
Tennessee & Kentucky: Spring 2024
Spring 2024: 1 Mar–31 May Graham Gerdeman grahamgerdeman@gmail.com Recommended citation: Gerdeman, G. 2025. Spring 2024: Tennessee & Kentucky. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-lfP> North American Birds. Temperatures across both states were notably warmer than average throughout the season, with mean values 2–5 °F above normal. Conditions were generally dry through March and April, giving way to a significant shift in May when precipitation totals rose sharply. Several severe weather events occurred during this period, particularly in Tennessee, where some eastern counties recorded more than eight inches of rain in the final week of the month. A Broad-billed Hummingbird highlighted the season[...]
The Women of Colombia’s Montezuma Rainforest Reserve and Ecolodge
In the Colombian Andes, Michelle Tapasco built a family-run ecolodge, empowering women, supporting education, and protecting biodiversity through birding tourism despite conflict.
A Birding Interview with Cin-Ty Lee
Cin-Ty Lee is a renowned field ID expert, prolific author, and ornithological illustrator and photographer. In this wide-ranging interview, Lee talks about flycatcher identification, nocturnal flight calls, general fieldcraft, the Asian American experience in birding, and more.
Interview: Bonner Black and the New Birding Culture
As new generations of birders take up birding, they are taking it up in a way that looks and feels a little different. At the center of that shift is interviewee Bonner Black.
April 2026 Photo Quiz
An out-of-focus bird in a shrub? What kind of quiz is that? A realistic one, as our bins are not always focused at the right distance when we put ‘em up to our eyes. The bird could fly off before you get a sharp focus, so take in what you can when you can.
Atlantic Region: Winter 2025–2026
Winter 2025–2026: 1 Dec–28 Feb David Seeler dseeler@eastlink.ca Alvan Buckley alvanbuckley@gmail.com Recommended citation: Seeler, D., A. Buckley. 2025. Winter 2025–2026: Atlantic Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-l8l> North American Birds. A more normal winter returned to the region and subsequently, the southern portion of the region were recipients of significant snowfall, particularly along coastal regions throughout the season. Colder temperatures resulted in the return of sea ice around Prince Edward Island much earlier than expected. In the northerly portions of the region, the winter season started with a pronounced cold front in early December resulting in the disappearance of several lingering[...]
Arkansas: Fall 2025
Fall 2025: 1 Aug–30 Nov Chris Kellner ckellner@atu.edu Recommended citation: Kellner, C. J. 2025. Fall 2025: Arkansas. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-l8a> North American Birds. Arkansas was relatively warm and very dry during the fall which may have reduced the number of unusual birds sighted. However, we did have a very exciting 4th recorded Long-tailed Jaeger along with Sabines, Laughing and Short-billed Gulls. Abbreviations BKWR Bald Knob National Wildlife Refuge, LDNP Lake Dardanelle Nichols Property (restricted access), WMA Wildlife Management Area Not annual in the state, Arkansas’s thirty-seventh Cinnamon Teal was sighted at Grand Lake in Chicot[...]
Atlantic Region Fall 2025
Fall 2025: 1 Aug–30 Nov Robert J. Blackmore rblackmore@mun.ca Alvan Buckley alvanbuckley@gmail.com Recommended citation: Blackmore, R. J., and A. Buckley. 2026. Fall 2025: Atlantic Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-l70> North American Birds. Following a dry summer in Eastern Canada, fall continued to be exceptionally dry and warm throughout the Atlantic region, especially in parts of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland that experienced droughts in late August. The season eventually settled into a more normal, albeit warm and rainy fall, with less impacts from tropical cyclone activity than in past years. An arrival of Glossy Ibises of presumed European origin in Eastern[...]
Color Me Cobalt
Saraiya Kanning is a triple threat: naturalist, nature writer, and visual artist. In this retrospective, Kanning shares a bit about her background—including extensive involvement as a teen with the ABA’s Young Birder programs—and then walks us through the process of creating the remarkable art that she has produced for the Mar. 2026 issue of Birding.
The Blue Crow
Seeing and hearing a troupe of mirthful Pinyon Jays is an unforgettable experience. Sadly, their numbers are in sharp decline. In this richly illustrated and deeply informative article, five wildlife biologists share the results of their research on “the blue crow”—and offer hope for reversing recent population losses.
The Devil Wears Parula
In a five-part Special Section in the Mar. 2026 Birding, the ABA presents diverse commentaries on the state of the birding community in the second half of 2020s. In this commentary, birding veteran Peter Pyle takes a playful but thoughtful look at the use of "electronic pishing" in an age of changing birder demographics and evolving ethical dimensions.
Camp Surfbird: Building Community for Young Birders Through Partnership
Through partnership and shared experience, Camp Surfbird creates meaningful opportunities for young birders to connect, grow, and discover what’s possible in birding and beyond.
Southern California Fall 2025
Fall 2025: 1 Aug–30 Nov Guy McCaskie guymcc@pacbell.net Kimball L. Garrett cyanolyca818@gmail.com Recommended citation: McCaskie, G., and K. L. Garrett. 2026. Fall 2025: Southern California. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-l3a> North American Birds. Weather in southern California during the fall period was a mixed bag, with moderate temperatures and dry weather early, some subtropical moisture in September, and (unlike many recent years) some significant precipitation in October and November. Many coastal areas experienced a persistent marine layer during the fall. It was a rarity-filled autumn, thanks in part to ever-growing numbers of birders scouring migrant traps and bird-rich habitats from urban[...]
Oregon and Washington: Fall 2025
Fall 2025: 1 Aug–30 Nov Eric Heisey heiseyew@gmail.com Adrian Hinkle adrian.hinkle@gmail.com Christopher Hinkle christopher.hinkle2@gmail.com Liam Hutcheson liamhutcheson2020@gmail.com Recommended citation: Heisey, E., Hinkle, A., Hinkle, C., Hutcheson, L. 2025. Fall 2025: Oregon-Washington. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-l30> North American Birds. Oregon and Washington experienced a warm, dry summer that lasted into September. A weak La Niña weather pattern developed later in the fall, contributing to normal precipitation in October and November, but warm temperatures led to well-below-average mountain snowpack by the start of December. Oregon and Washington each scored their state-first Yellow-green Vireo in October. It was a productive fall for high[...]
Western Great Lakes: Summer 2025
Summer 2025: 1 Jun–31 Jul William Marengo wcmarengo@gmail.com Recommended citation: Marengo, W.C. 2026 Summer 2025: Western Great Lakes. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-l2B> North American Birds. A regional first nesting record for Kelp Gull was the highlight in an otherwise quiet season. Not all casual and accidental species have been reviewed by the state’s records committees. This report will be updated accordingly as the committees review the records. Sub-regional Compilers Matt Bennink (Michigan), Andrew Simon (Michigan), Josiah Stryd (Michigan), Dar Tiede (Wisconsin). Abbreviations C.P. (County Park), L.P. (Lower Peninsula, MI), N.L. (National Lakeshore), N.W.R. (National Wildlife Refuge), P.R. (Park Reserve), R.A.[...]
Hudson-Delaware: Fall 2025
Fall 2025: 1 Aug–30 Nov Timothy Healy tphealy97@gmail.com Robert O. Paxton rop1@columbia.edu Shaibal Mitra shaibal.mitra@csi.cuny.edu Recommended citation: Healy, T., R.O. Paxton and S. Mitra. Fall 2025: Hudson-Delaware Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-l2p> North American Birds. Fall 2025 was a season highlighted by surprising discoveries, including the documentation of several new species for the Hudson–Delaware region. New York produced a pair of far-flung firsts—Arctic Warbler and Common Cuckoo—while Delaware hosted a Yellow-headed Caracara. The weather for this period was fairly warm and dry on average. No tropical storms tracked into the region during this period, and a significant nor’easter that lasted[...]
Prairie Provinces: Fall 2025
Fall 2025: 1 Aug–30 Nov Rudolf Koes rkoes@mymts.net James Fox fox.james.ed@gmail.com Recommended citation: Koes, R. and J. Fox. 2025. Fall 2025: Prairie Provinces. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-l1e> North American Birds. Most of the region experienced mild conditions until just before the end of the period. After a dry spring and summer there was ample rain in the eastern portion of the Prairie Provinces, especially in October, while Alberta continued with reduced precipitation. This brought an end to the extensive forest fires that had plagued the eastern part of the region since spring. Migrant passerines were generally in low numbers, perhaps[...]
Celebrations: March 2026
Celebrate your birding experiences with the ABA community! If you celebrated birds and birding, we at Birding magazine want to hear about it—and so does the rest of the ABA membership.
Alabama & Mississippi: Spring 2024
Spring 2024: 1 Mar–31 May Lawrence Gardella lfgardella@gmail.com Recommended citation: Gardella, L. 2025. Spring 2024: Alabama & Mississippi. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-kYB>North American Birds. March began warmer than usual; however, by mid-month it had switched to be unusually cold. There were record low temperatures on 19 Mar in Birmingham, Jefferson Co, AL; Jackson, Hinds Co, MS; and Mobile, Mobile Co, AL. Along with the very low temperatures, a cold front on 17 and 18 Mar brought winds of approximately 20–25 miles per hour from the north at the Gulf of Mexico one day. The next day, it brought approximately 15–20[...]
Prairie Provinces: Summer 2025
Summer 2025: 1 Jun–30 Jul Rudolf Koes rkoes@mymts.net James Fox fox.james.ed@gmail.com Recommended citation: Koes, R.F., and J. Fox. 2025. Summer 2025: Prairie Provinces. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-kXL> North American Birds. Fires continued to rage through forested areas in the north and east of the region, restricting access to much of the Boreal Forest for most of the season. By the fall 2025 had been the second-worst year ever for fires, after 2023. While it is difficult to know the full extent of its effects on the bird populations, the apparent scarcity of empids, thrushes and warblers during the fall migration[...]
New England: Fall 2025
Fall 2025: 1 Aug–30 Nov Greg Hanisek ctgregh@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hanisek, Greg. 2025. Fall 2025: New England. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-kTD> North American Birds. Sub-regional Compiler L. Bevier (Maine), J. Trimble (Massachusetts), S. Mirick (New Hampshire), R. Farrell (Rhode Island), K. McFarland (Vermont). Abbreviations Lake Champlain (Vermont side of L. Champlain); Hammonasset (Hammonassett Beach SP, Madison, New Haven Co, CT); Manomet (Manomet Center for Conservation Studies, Plymouth, Plymouth Co, MA); Monhegan (Monhegan I., Lincoln Co, ME); Nantucket (Nantucket I., MA); Plum I. (Newburyport, Newbury, Rowley, Ipswich, including Parker River NWR, Essex Co, MA). Waterfowl through Limpkin[...]
West Indies & Bermuda: Fall 2025
Fall 2025: 1 Aug–30 Nov Andrew Dobson (Greater Antilles, Bahamas, Bermuda) andrewdobs@gmail.com Anthony Levesque (Lesser Antilles) anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr Recommended citation: Dobson, A. & A. Levesque. 2026. Fall 2025: West Indies & Bermuda. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-kT3> North American Birds. Every year, the fears of human-driven climate change are being borne out. With rising ocean temperatures, the intensity of hurricanes with their destructive winds and rainfall are becoming more impactful. One major event dominated the 2025 Fall season—Hurricane Melissa was the third-most intense Atlantic hurricane on record, as well as the most intense at landfall in the Atlantic basin. The Category 5 hurricane was the strongest tropical cyclone worldwide[...]
March 2026 Photo Quiz
It’s a dark bird, a rather small one, seen from directly behind. Ugh. But take heart! We can do this. Check out the bird’s rather unusual coloration. And look at those striking white wing-bars. Or are those wing-bars at all? Let’s dig in…
Tennessee & Kentucky: Winter 2023–2024
Winter 2023–2024: 1 Dec–29 Feb Graham Gerdeman grahamgerdeman@gmail.com Recommended citation: Gerdeman, G. 2025. Winter 2023–2024: Tennessee & Kentucky. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-kP0> North American Birds. Winter started out warm and dry, and overall temperatures remained above average. The exception was an arctic blast in January, which saw temperatures plummet and multiple daily cold records broken. Still, by the end of February, temperatures ranged from one to eight degrees higher than average, and much of the region remained in drought conditions. Notable rarities included continuing Allen’s Hummingbird, Limpkin, and a Say’s Phoebe in KY. TN had its second state record of[...]
Hudson–Delaware: Summer 2025
Summer 2025: 1 Jun–31 Jul Robert O. Paxton rop1@columbia.edu Shaibal Mitra Shaibal.Mitra@csi.cuny.edu Bruce G. Peterjohn (Delaware) b.peterjohn@verison.net Recommended citation: Dion, P., S. Jones, and J. Smith. 2025. Winter 2024–2025: Illinois & Indiana. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-kOM> North American Birds. Heat and drought afflicted the Hudson–Delaware Region again in summer 2025. JFK Airport, in New York City, had the hottest temperature on record for 24th and 25th June: 102˚F. It was one degree hotter than that in Newark, NJ on those dates. Even Rochester, NY had readings of 91–93˚F on 23rd and 24th June. July was not much better, with five[...]
Hawaii: Spring 2025
Spring 2025: 1 Mar–31 May Jennifer Rothe jennifer.a.rothe@gmail.com Recommended citation: Rothe, J. 2025. Spring 2025: Hawaii. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-kOp> North American Birds. While the Hawaii Region does not experience as drastic of seasonal swings as other ABA areas, island birders nonetheless look forward to spring as a welcome break from the frequent winter rains. However, the majority of the region began this spring already in drought conditions following an abnormally dry winter. High daily average temperature records were set on Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, and Hawaiʻi Island in early April (NOAA). While relief came for Kauaʻi in the form of above-average[...]
February 2026 Photo Quiz
Everyone knows what a duck looks like. And birders quickly learn the “drakes”—the males in breeding plumage. But what about the “hens,” or adult females, often much more subtly patterned than the drakes? Fear not! Quizmaster Tony Leukering walks us through the ID process and gets us to the correct species.
ABA Checklist Committee Update, Jan. 2026
Three new species added to the ABA Checklist! Two splits (Whimbrel, Yellow Warbler) and a recent distributional record (Waved Albatross) raise the ABA Area list to 1,161 species.
January 2026 Photo Quiz
By popular demand, this month’s quiz bird is a member of that widely loved family Laridae! And to make the quiz even more fun, the subject is not a full adult! Wow! Have you ever received a more wonderful Northern Hemisphere–Winter Solstice gift?
Arkansas: Summer 2025
Summer 2025: 1 Jun–31 Jul Chris Kellner ckellner@atu.edu Recommended citation: Kellner, C. J. 2025. Summer 2025: Arkansas Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-kov> North American Birds. As was the case last year, the summer season in Arkansas for 2025 was very dry which may have accounted for a small number of unusual bird sightings. Abbreviations BKWR Bald Knob National Wildlife Refuge; LDNP Lake Dardanelle Nichols Property (restricted access) Fulvous Whistling ducks are fairly rare in Arkansas. Two were observed at Camp Nine (restricted access) in Desha Co on 22 Jun (Dalton Robinson). Four Mottled Ducks were observed[...]
Western Great Lakes: Spring 2025
Spring 2025: 1 Mar–31 May William Marengo wcmarengo@gmail.com Recommended citation: Marengo, W.C. 2025 Spring 2025: Western Great Lakes. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-koi> North American Birds. Migration for the region was typical with the usual handful of rarities. Note that many of the review species have yet to be evaluated by the state’s respective records committees. This report will be updated accordingly as their work completes. Sub-regional Compilers: Matt Bennick (Michigan), Sunil Gopalan (Wisconsin), Andrew Simon (Michigan), Josiah Stryd (Michigan). Abbreviations CP (County Park), IWR (International Wildlife Refuge), LP (Lower Peninsula, MI), NL (National Lakeshore), NWR (National Wildlife Refuge), RA (Recreation[...]
Kimberly Ann Check Appointed Director of ABA Young Birder Programs
The American Birding Association has appointed nonprofit leader and lifelong birder Kimberly Ann Check to the role of Director of Young Birder Programs.
Neotropical Flycatchers in Florida in Fall 2025
Over the last few months, Florida has hosted a remarkable suite of southern-breeding flycatchers, including two Small-billed Elaenias, one Variegated Flycatcher, and three Sulphur-bellied Flycatchers, making fall of 2025 one of the state’s most memorable seasons for vagrant tyrant flycatchers.
Atlantic: Winter 2023–2024
Winter 2023–2024: 1 Dec–28 Feb David Seeler dseeler@eastlink.ca.ca Recommended citation: Seeler, D. 2024. Winter 2023–2024: Atlantic. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-kjo> North American Birds. Fall blended into winter seamlessly. In general, temperatures remained above normal through early February, at which time temperatures were cooler, and more winter storms were recorded within the Region. Overall, this season was the warmest on record for Canada, and record temperatures were established within the Region. Similarly, the Atlantic Ocean’s surface temperatures were above record levels throughout the season. Overall precipitation levels were below normal for the season. However, interaction between an El Niño and a[...]
New England: Summer 2025
Summer 2025: 1 Jun–31 Jul Greg Hanisek ctgregh@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hanisek, G. 2025. Summer 2025: New England. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-kj9> North American Birds. Sub-regional Compilers L. Bevier (Maine), S. Williams (Massachusetts), S. Mirick (New Hampshire), R. Farrell (Rhode Island), K. McFarland (Vermont). Abbreviations Lake Champlain (Vermont side of L. Champlain); Hammonasset (Hammonassett Beach SP, Madison, New Haven Co, CT); Manomet (Manomet Center for Conservation Studies, Plymouth, Plymouth Co, MA); Monhegan (Monhegan I., Lincoln Co, ME); Nantucket (Nantucket I., MA); Plum I. (Newburyport, Newbury, Rowley, Ipswich, including Parker River NWR., Essex Co, MA). Waterfowl through Shorebirds[...]
Oregon and Washington: Summer 2025
Summer 2025: 1 Jun–31 Jul Eric Heisey heiseyew@gmail.com Adrian Hinkle adrian.hinkle@gmail.com Christopher Hinkle christopher.hinkle2@gmail.com Liam Hutcheson liamhutcheson2020@gmail.com Recommended citation: Heisey, E., Hinkle, A., Hinkle, C., Hutcheson, L. 2025. Summer 2025: Oregon and Washington. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-kiY> North American Birds. It was a warm and dry summer across the region aside from a bit of westside moisture in June. Some parts of the eastside saw no precipitation at all through the period. Oregon and Washington each produced an exceptional seabird: Washington’s second Crested Auklet showed up in King County, while an Oregon and region-first White-tailed Tropicbird flew past a headland[...]
November 2025 Photo Quiz
A streaky bird in the grass. Well, part of a bird. The back part. Where to even start? See if you can judge the bird’s size. And the streaks: They’re not random. What colors and patterns do you note?
Atlantic Region: Summer 2025
Summer 2025: 1 Jun-31 Jul David Seeler dseeler@eastlink.ca Alvan Buckley alvanbuckley@gmail.com Recommended citation: Seeler, D., and A. Buckley. 2025. Summer 2025: Atlantic Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-kcn> North American Birds. Weather patterns for the Region quickly resolved into a substantial period of exceptional temperatures and humidity. A significant reduction in rainfall for most of the region led to drought or near drought-like conditions. It was not long before wildfires and smoke became an issue for at least three Provinces within the Region during the month of July. The impact on those who would normally venture outdoors is hard to measure[...]
Prairie Provinces: Spring 2025
Spring 2025: 1 Mar–31 May Rudolf Koes rkoes@mymts.net James Fox fox.james.ed@gmail.com Recommended citation: Koes, R. and J. Fox. 2025. Spring 2025: Prairie Provinces. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-kbP> North American Birds. The spring of 2025 saw the start of the second-worst fire season on record in Canada, after 2023. Manitoba and Saskatchewan were most heavily affected, but Alberta and the rest of the country did not escape. Some of the fires raged out-of-control into the fall. Boreal forest breeders were no doubt hard hit, as seems to be borne out by low numbers of fall migrants reported later in the year.[...]
Prairie Provinces: Winter 2024–2025
Winter 2024–2025: 1 Dec–28 Feb Rudolf Koes rkoes@mymts.net James Fox fox.james.ed@gmail.com Recommended citation: Koes, R. and J. Fox. 2025. Winter 2024–2025: Prairie Provinces. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-kbv> North American Birds. The winter of 2024–2025 was one of the most uneventful in memory, as far as birds were concerned. Winter finch numbers—with the exception of White-winged Crossbill—were poor, and there were few outstanding rarities. The only highlights were provided by some owl species, including Great Gray, Boreal and Northern Saw-whet, plus an ultra-rare wintering Sage Thrasher in Saskatchewan. There was very little snow across the south of the region and temperatures[...]
Southern California Summer 2025
Summer 2025: 1 Jun–31 Jul Guy McCaskie guymcc@pacbell.net Kimball L. Garrett kgarrett@nhm.org Recommended citation: McCaskie, G., and K. L. Garrett Summer 2025 Southern California <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-kbb> North American Birds. In a sense this is also a spring migration report, as the passage of some regular migrants (e.g., Western Wood-Pewees and Willow Flycatchers) routinely continues well into June, and in a year when many migrants were late to arrive in significant numbers, many of those same species were recorded this June well past their normal migration window. Adding to that, the spring “vagrant season” is normally split fairly evenly[...]
Arkansas: Spring 2025
Spring 2025: 1 Mar–31 May Chris Kellner ckellner@atu.edu Recommended citation: Kellner, C. J. 2025. Winter 2025: Arkansas Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-k8S> North American Birds. This was an exciting spring season in Arkansas with exceptionally wet and cooler temperatures through mid-June which may have increased birding participation. Highlights were the state’s first confirmed record of a Clark’s Grebe, and a Yellow Grosbeak that showed up in February continued through early spring. Abbreviations BKNWR=Bald Knob National Wildlife Refuge, WMA=Wildlife Management Area, NWR= National Wildlife Refuge, LM= Lake Maumelle Ducks through Limpkin Fulvous Whistling Ducks are rare in[...]
West Indies & Bermuda: Summer 2025
Summer 2025: 1 Jun–31 Jul Andrew Dobson (Greater Antilles and Bermuda) andrewdobs@gmail.com Anthony Levesque (Lesser Antilles) anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr Recommended citation: Dobson, A. & A. Levesque. 2025. Summer 2025: West Indies & Bermuda. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-k8A> North American Birds. Now being labelled ‘harrier heaven’, two sensational sightings have been confirmed in Barbados as FIRST RECORDS FOR THE AMERICAS. The first Pallid Harrier for the Americas has been identified from photos taken in Barbados 11 years ago. The harrier was photographed by John Webster at Searles Private Impoundment and Irrigation Ponds, Christ Church. Understandably, Webster had identified the bird as the more expected Northern Harrier and[...]
Vagrant Gray Kingbird Season Heats Up
Five Gray Kingbirds have been discovered from Virginia north to southern Canada since Sept. 14, 2025, and three were within a 24-hour period Oct. 23–24. These hefty kingbirds are rare but regular fall vagrants well north of Florida, but this sudden surge of sightings is noteworthy if not unprecedented.
El Encanto
Acompañen a Cristina Devin Vojta en una visita a una encantadora reserva natural familiar en el corazón de Colombia. ¡Seguro que quedarán encantados!
Painting the North: A Landmark Year for the ABA’s 2025 Bird of the Year Artist
ABA Bird of the Year artist Sam Zimmerman celebrates a landmark year of public art, books, and bird-inspired works honoring Ojibwe culture, conservation, and the beauty of Lake Superior.
New Jersey Birder Monitors American Kestrel Chicks in Conservation Effort
An enthusiastic birder volunteers for a kestrel nest-box project, boosting awareness through hands-on volunteering and creative social media, embodying how local connections power conservation efforts.
Warbler Review: Identifying Fall Prairie Warblers
Warbler wizard Gene Koziara goes over some of the challenges of identifying one tricky fall warbler migrant which may receive less attention than it deserves, the Prairie Warbler.
October 2025 Photo Quiz
What IS that? Is that a tail and wingtips? What?! Yup, and that’s how it’s gonna be. There’s not all that much to go on, but more than enough to get to the right species...
New England: Spring 2025
Spring 2025: 1 Mar–31 May Greg Hanisek ctgregh@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hanisek, G. 2025. Spring 2025: New England. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-jTW> North American Birds. Sub-regional Compilers L. Bevier (Maine), J. Trimble (Massachusetts), S. Mirick (New Hampshire), R. Farrell (Rhode Island), K. McFarland (Vermont). Abbreviations Lake Champlain (Vermont side of L. Champlain); Hammonasset (Hammonassett Beach S.P., Madison, New Haven Co, CT); Manomet (Manomet Center for Conservation Studies, Plymouth, Plymouth Co, MA.); Monhegan (Monhegan I., Lincoln Co, ME); Nantucket (Nantucket I., MA); Plum I. (Newburyport, Newbury, Rowley, Ipswich, including Parker River N.W.R., Essex Co, MA). Waterfowl Six Black-bellied[...]
Birding the Tides
Get tips from saltmarsh expert Alex Troutman on birding this special habitat responsibly, including what gear to bring, how best to access, ways to minimize disturbance, and of course strategies for seeing more birds.
Baja California Peninsula: Year 2024, with Annual Updates of State and Municipality Lists
Year 2024: 1 Jan–31 Dec Richard A. Erickson richard.erickson@lsa.net Gerardo Marrón atakamara@gmail.com Enrique D. Zamora-Hernández zugunruhe@gmail.com Isabel Raymundo-González miyazahua@gmail.com Logan Q. Kahle logan@archive.org Recommended citation: Erickson, R. A., G. Marrón, E. D. Zamora-Hernández, I. Raymundo-González, and L. Q. Kahle. 2025. Year 2024: Baja California Peninsula, with Annual Updates of State and Municipality Lists. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-jSi> North American Birds. Observer coverage in 2024 increased in all municipios except Loreto and those along the California border (based on eBird data). As expected, the number of species recorded generally matched observer effort. State and peninsular species totals were all up compared[...]
Southeast Arizona: Sparrows of the Grasslands and Sky Islands
November 1 – 7, 2027
Join the ABA for a week devoted to one of the most rewarding and most underestimated groups of birds in North America. This is a workshop as much as a tour: seven days spent learning how to identify sparrows, towhees, and longspurs by structure, plumage, and voice, how to read the habitats that hold them, and what those habitats need in order to keep holding them in the future.
Double-striped Thick-knee in Texas
On Sept. 14, 2025, a juvenile Double-striped Thick-knee was photographed in Wilson County, Texas. Providing a likely second record for the U.S., the bird probably originates from an expanding population in Mexico.
Into the Swamp
Get tips from swamp-birding expert Heather Hill on how to comfortably, safely, and responsibly explore swamps, including off-trail adventures while minimizing disturbance.
Birding and Wellness
After Lyme disease forced him into retirement, geologist Bob Bell found healing in birding, improving wellness, sharing knowledge, and inspiring people to connect with birds.
ABA Checklist Committee Report, Sept. 2025
Five species have recently been added to the ABA Checklist: European Herring Gull, Eastern Cattle-Egret, Little White-Tern, Hen Harrier, and Oriental Honey-buzzard. The Checklist now stands at 1,158 species.
ABA on a Mission
The ABA’s Executive Director and Chair of the Board reveal and reflect on the ABA’s new mission statement: to make birding better by providing knowledge, sharing experiences, and building community.
Lost on the Frontier
Conjectures—and some evidence—regarding why the Gray-headed Chickadee may have been extirpated from the ABA Area.
September 2025 Photo Quiz
Unless this is just a surprisingly bird-like piece of trash, this month’s photo quiz subject must be a species with white wing patches. At least that’s how I see it.
Yellow Grosbeak Sightings in Colorado in Summer 2025
Yellow Grosbeak is on par with Nutting’s Flycatcher, Plain-capped Starthroat, and Northern Jaçana as a rare and prized visitor to Southeast Arizona. But in 2025, four different counties in Colorado logged records of this species. What’s behind this, and how many individuals were truly involved?
A Practical Subspecies Taxonomy for North American Birds
Believe it or not, subspecies-level taxonomy of North American birds hasn’t been updated since the 1950s. In this article, Peter Pyle takes a deep dive into the subject and offers suggested revisions.
August 2025 Photo Quiz
What a weird, gangly bird. That bird’s long neck and large, bicolored wing brings one common species immediately to mind, but is that the correct species?
Oregon & Washington: Spring 2024
Spring 2024: 1 Mar–31 May Eric Heisey heiseyew@gmail.com Adrian Hinkle adrian.hinkle@gmail.com Christopher Hinkle christopher.hinkle2@gmail.com Recommended citation: Heisey, E., Hinkle, A., Hinkle, C. 2024. Spring 2024: Oregon & Washington. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-jhQ> North American Birds. It was a wet March with above-average snowpack in southern Oregon, but warmer and drier through northern Oregon and most of Washington, especially east of the Cascades. April proved warm and dry throughout the region, while May returned to approximately average conditions. The period was accentuated by a couple of stunning mega-rarities including the United States’ first Blue Rock-Thrush, found by a photographer on a[...]
Oregon and Washington: Winter 2023–2024
Winter 2023–2024: 1 Dec–29 Feb Eric Heisey heiseyew@gmail.com Adrian Hinkle adrian.hinkle@gmail.com Christopher Hinkle christopher.hinkle2@gmail.com Recommended citation: Heisey, E., Hinkle, A., Hinkle, C. 2023. Winter 2023–2024: Oregon & Washington. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-jhF> North American Birds. December was abnormally warm and dry. Mid-January experienced an extended arctic blast with record low temperatures and heavy snow, ice, and high winds, including on the westside, where temperatures are usually more temperate. February bounced back to slightly warmer than average temperatures. Mountain snowpack started below average but eventually caught up to close to average. Notable bird sightings were few and far between, characterized by[...]
New England: Winter 2024–2025
Winter 2024–2025: 1 Dec–28 Feb Greg Hanisek ctgregh@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hanisek, G. 2025. Winter 2024–2025: New England. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-jhu> North American Birds. Sub-regional Compilers L. Bevier (Maine), J. Trimble (Massachusetts), S. Mirick (New Hampshire), R. Farrell (Rhode Island), K. McFarland (Vermont). Abbreviations Lake Champlain (Vermont side of L. Champlain); Hammonasset (Hammonassett Beach S.P., Madison, New Haven Co, CT); Manomet (Manomet Center for Conservation Studies, Plymouth, Plymouth Co, MA.); Monhegan (Monhegan I., Lincoln Co, ME); Nantucket (Nantucket I., MA); Plum I. (Newburyport, Newbury, Rowley, Ipswich, including Parker River N.W.R., Essex Co, MA) Waterfowl A holdover[...]
Arkansas: Summer 2024
Summer 2024: 1 Jun–31 Jul Chris Kellner ckellner@atu.edu Recommended citation: Kellner, C. J. 2025. Summer 2024: Arkansas Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-jhm> North American Birds. It was a slow summer for birds in Arkansas. Although temperatures were normal, we had very little rain after mid-June which may have influenced bird encounters in Arkansas. Abbreviations BKWR Bald Knob National Wildlife Refuge; LDNP Lake Dardanelle Nichols Property (restricted access) Ducks to Siskins Black-bellied Whistling Ducks continue to expand into Arkansas. Two were photographed in Etna, Franklin Co 24 Jun (Rebecca Howell). The only report of a White-winged Dove[...]
Southern California Spring 2025
Spring 2025: 1 Mar–31 May Guy McCaskie guymcc@pacbell.net Kimball L. Garrett kgarrett@nhm.org Recommended citation: McCaskie, G., and K. L. Garrett. 2025. Spring 2025: Southern California. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-jh5> North American Birds. After a winter in which most of the region received only about half the normal amount of precipitation, the spring saw a few light rain events, a lingering marine layer over the coastal slope, and typical dry conditions in the interior. Observers agreed that the passerine migration was very slow from March to mid-April, with many species arriving late and in below-average numbers. Migration ramped up after about[...]
Western Great Lakes: Winter 2024–2025
Winter 2024–2025: 1 Dec–28 Feb William Marengo wcmarengo@gmail.com Recommended citation: Marengo, W.C. 2025. Winter 2024–2025: Western Great Lakes. https://wp.me/p8iY2g-jgq> North American Birds. The past winter was the second straight that had milder temperatures and well below average snowfall, although temperatures eventually approached those of a more traditional winter. These conditions likely helped facilitate several out-of-season/late reports. Noteworthy was a Wisconsin first state record White Wagtail. Note that many of the casual and accidental species have yet to be reviewed by their respective records committees. This report will be updated accordingly as the committees review the records. Sub-regional[...]
Hudson–Delaware: Winter 2024–2025
Winter 2024–2025: 1 Dec–28 Feb Robert O. Paxton rop1@columbia.edu Amy Davis adavis@aba.org Shaibal Mitra mitra@mail.csi.cuny.edu Recommended citation: Paxton, R., Davis, A., Mitra, S., and Peterjohn, B. 2025. Winter 2024–2025: Hudson–Delaware. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-jgf> North American Birds The winter of 2024–2025 in the Hudson–Delaware Region featured periods of old-time rigor along with some mild days suggestive of climate change. While the maximum temperature at Trenton, NJ, approached 60F at the end of December 2024, the minimum fell to -2F at Rochester, NY on 22 January and to 1F on 2 February 2025. Syracuse, NY had 109.7" of snow during the[...]
A Force for Good
ABA Executive Director Wayne Klockner shares his thoughts on how, in this time of global upheaval and uncertainty, birding has a bigger role to play than ever before.
Olympia: shorebirds and seabirds of the Pacific Northwest – FULL (waitlist)
Aug 31 – Sep 6, 2026
Join the ABA's birding tour to the Pacific Northwest, and learn to confidently identify all those difficult shorebirds, gulls, and pelagic species.
West Indies & Bermuda: Spring 2025
Spring 2025: 1 Mar–31 May Andrew Dobson (Greater Antilles and Bermuda) andrewdobs@gmail.com Anthony Levesque (Lesser Antilles) anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr Recommended citation: Dobson, A. & A. Levesque. 2025. Spring 2025: West Indies & Bermuda. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-jeB> North American Birds. Sea watching is an obsession for some birders, and it can be very fruitful, especially during the spring movement of pelagic birds. Observers in Bermuda and Guadeloupe recorded the expected species of skuas, jaegers, terns, storm-petrels and shearwaters, but the hope is always for something unusual. In Bermuda, a passing Sabine’s Gull was the reward for many sea watching hours. These pelagic[...]
Arkansas: Winter 2024–2025
Winter 2024–2025: 1 Dec–28 Feb Chris Kellner ckellner@atu.edu Recommended citation: Kellner, C. J. 2025. Winter 2025: Arkansas Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-je8> North American Birds. Temperatures varied from warm in December to more normal in January, then very cold for much of February. We had an unusually heavy snowfall in January. The cold February delayed our spring bud-break by several weeks. We had an exciting winter season with several unusual sightings. The first state record Yellow Grosbeak thrilled the Arkansas birding community in February and March. It was easily seen at a feeder south of Berryville in Carroll County. Other[...]
Atlantic Region: Spring 2025
Spring 2025: 1 Mar–31 May David Seeler DSeeler@eastlink.ca Alvan Buckley alvanbuckley@gmail.com Recommended citation: Seeler, D., A. Buckley. 2025. Spring 2025: Atlantic Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-jcZ> North American Birds. Overall, weather patterns for the southern portions of the Region were near normal. However, for Newfoundland and Labrador, weather patterns were erratic during the season with blizzard- like conditions occurring intermittently through mid-May. This did not deter the presence of a significant number of seasonal rarities to the region including Ross’s Geese, Barnacle Goose, Tufted Duck, Black-necked Stilt, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Stilt Sandpiper, Gull-billed Tern, Snowy Egret, Steller’s Sea-Eagle, Harris’s Sparrow,[...]
Oregon and Washington: Fall 2023
Fall 2023: 1 Aug–30 Nov Eric Heisey heiseyew@gmail.com Adrian Hinkle adrian.hinkle@gmail.com Christopher Hinkle christopher.hinkle2@gmail.com Recommended citation: Heisey, E., Hinkle, A., Hinkle, C. 2023. Fall 2023: Oregon-Washington. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-jcF> North American Birds. In August temperatures were 3-6 degrees F above normal west of the Cascades. Western Oregon and Washington experienced widespread drought in August into September. October and November continued to be dry, including below-average mountain snowpack. The only abnormal storm was a bomb cyclone in late September that brought significant precipitation. Washington contributed most of the fall’s highlights, including a first state record Cassin’s Sparrow at Neah Bay,[...]
Oregon and Washington: Spring 2025
Spring 2025: 1 Mar – 31 May Eric Heisey heiseyew@gmail.com Adrian Hinkle adrian.hinkle@gmail.com Christopher Hinkle christopher.hinkle2@gmail.com Recommended citation: Heisey, E., Hinkle, A., Hinkle, C. 2025. Spring 2025: Oregon & Washington. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-jcw> North American Birds. A late winter bled into March, with locally heavy mountain snowpack and historic flooding in Harney County. Most lowlands experienced typical weather for much of the spring, although May was somewhat rainy. The entire region experienced a very late migration for neotropical migrants. Birding communities almost unanimously agreed that many species came through in the lowest numbers in recent memory, though there wasn’t[...]
July 2025 Photo Quiz
This month, we have what I like to call a “swimmy bird,” typically when glassing a large body of water with a binocular, as in, “There’s an odd swimmy bird way out there.”
Birding Planet Earth
Peter Kaestner, who became the first person in the world to see 10,000 species of birds in 2024, meditates on how global birding and our understanding of which species are in or out of reach has changed in the last 50 years.
Hawaii: Winter 2024–2025
Winter 2024–2025: 1 Dec–28 Feb Jennifer Rothe jennifer.a.rothe@gmail.com Recommended citation: Rothe, J. 2025. Winter 2024–2025: Hawaii. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-j7S> North American Birds. Despite having a reputation for pleasantly stable year-round weather, the Hawaiian Islands do indeed experience seasonal changes, primarily in the amount of rainfall. Winter occurs amidst the height of the rainy season; the leeward side of the islands may receive half their average annual rainfall over the course of a day or even a few hours during this time (National Weather Service). The rains typically replenish reservoirs as well as wetlands used by overwintering migrants. This winter,[...]
West Indies & Bermuda: Winter 2024–2025
Winter 2024–2025: 1 Dec–28 Feb Andrew Dobson (Greater Antilles, Bahamas, Bermuda) andrewdobs@gmail.com Anthony Levesque (Lesser Antilles) Anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr Recommended citation: Dobson, A., & A. Levesque. 2025. Winter 2024–2025: West Indies & Bermuda. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-j7z> North American Birds. There was a winter full of surprises in the West Indies and Bermuda. There were first records for Antigua (Western Reef-Heron and Yellow-throated Warbler), the Bahamas (Western Tanager), the Dominican Republic (Sabine’s Gull and Dickcissel) and Puerto Rico (American Black Duck), Turks & Caicos (Trindade Petrel), USVI (White Ibis); and three very exciting goose species appeared in Bermuda where an Eared Grebe[...]
Southern California Winter 2024–2025
Winter 2024–2025: 1 Dec–28 Feb Guy McCaskie guymcc@pacbell.net Kimball L. Garrett kgarrett@nhm.org Recommended citation: McCaskie, G., and K. L. Garrett, Winter 2024-2025 Southern California <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-j77> North American Birds. It was an exceptionally dry winter throughout the region, with precipitation totals ranging from about 20% to 50% of normal; what rain there was mostly came late in the season, especially in February. As we have noted before, much winter birding effort takes place in irrigated urban landscapes which can offer more resources to many species of birds than often parched or dormant native habitats. Nearly all of our[...]
A New Community Science Project Tracks Gull Diets
A new community science project called Gulls Eating Stuff invites public submissions of gulls eating anything to help researchers study urbanization’s effects on gull diets and behavior.
Oregon and Washington: Winter 2024–2025
Winter 2024–2025: 1 Dec–28 Feb Eric Heisey heiseyew@gmail.com Adrian Hinkle adrian.hinkle@gmail.com Christopher Hinkle christopher.hinkle2@gmail.com Recommended citation: Heisey, E., Hinkle, A., Hinkle, C. 2025. Winter 2024-2025: Oregon & Washington. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-j4M> North American Birds. The region experienced typical weather and a fantastic assortment of rarities. December was a bit warm and rather rainy. It dried out substantially into January, with lots of sunshine and fairly average temperatures. February brought a mixture of rain and low-elevation snow. Oregon stole the show with an ongoing Tundra Bean-Goose, two different Baikal Teal (the state’s first chaseable records!), Arctic Loon, White Wagtail, Red-flanked[...]
June 2025 Photo Quiz
While the photo does an excellent job of not giving a clear view of the head or wings – both features that typically play a significant role in identification in this family, what the photo does show provides enough for certain identification, so have at it.
Prairie Provinces: Fall 2024
Fall 2024: 1 Aug–30 Nov Rudolf Koes rkoes@mymts.net James Fox fox.james.ed@gmail.com Recommended citation: Koes, R.F., and J. Fox. Fall 2024: Prairie Provinces. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-j03> North American Birds. While fall migration was considered unremarkable in general across the Prairie Provinces, the season was enlivened by a stellar array of ultra-rarities. Each province added species to its all-time list, with Prairie Warbler in Alberta, Short-tailed Shearwater in Saskatchewan and Manitoba and a Mexican Violetear in Manitoba. Several other rarities cooperated by lingering, allowing many birders to add these species to their lists. Northern owls, Bohemian Waxwings and winter finches were[...]
Streaked Shearwater in Delaware Bay: a First for New Jersey and the North Atlantic Ocean!
Three birders on the Cape May–Lewes Ferry crossed paths with a truly shocking seabird at the mouth of the Delaware Bay: the north Atlantic Ocean’s first record of Streaked Shearwater!
Red-legged Thrush and other Bahamian Vagrants in Florida, Spring 2025
An ABA code 5 Red-legged Thrush briefly graced Sebastian Inlet State Park, Florida on 5 May 2025. This dramatic one-day wonder has been the climax of an exciting wave of Bahamian vagrants reaching southern Florida this spring, fueled by drought-stricken habitat and persistent east winds – and raising the possibility that more vagrants are waiting to be discovered!
Research on Ice
It will be spring when this book review is published, but no matter what time of year it is when you sit down to read Naira de Gracia’s The Last Cold Place, you’ll soon find yourself transported to a land of ice, snow, wind—and penguins...
May 2025 Photo Quiz
The quiz bird here is the brown duck facing left, but what is that species? The photo was not taken somewhere in the mid-Pacific Ocean, and the quiz birds are obviously not Wood Ducks.
Military Macaws in Texas’s Big Bend National Park
On April 22, 2025, a pair of Military Macaws was photographed in Big Bend National Park, Texas. This could represent the first confirmed record of the species within the ABA Area; however, this is not the first record. On August 23, 1992, a group of seven Military Macaws was found in Santa Cruz Co, Arizona in the wake of passing hurricane remnants.
Atlantic Region: Winter 2024–2025
Winter 2024–2025: 1 Dec–28 Feb David Seeler DSeeler@eastlink.ca Alvan Buckley alvanbuckley@gmail.com Recommended citation: Seeler, D., and A. Buckley. 2025. Winter 2024–2025: Atlantic Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-iJm> North American Birds. Milder weather with fewer cold spells was the norm for the region, particularly through early January. As winter progressed, the mild spells were intermingled with cold spells and winter storms that were a mix of snow, freezing rain and rain. Snow cover was inconsistent for much of the southern portions of the region as a result. Newfoundland and Labrador overall had a relatively mild winter, but didn’t escape the brunt[...]
April 2025 Photo Quiz
Some birders do not get all that much practice at flying passerines. Rather, some birders do not avail themselves of studying passerines in flight, other than those typically seen in flight, such as swallows. This month, our quiz bird is heading away from us (granted, at nearly a glacial pace), so let us burn into our brains the obvious features that are highlighted by that interesting black-and-white color pattern at the wrist.
Hawaii: Fall 2024
Fall 2024: 1 Aug–30 Nov Jennifer Rothe jennifer.a.rothe@gmail.com Alex Wang axwang12@gmail.com Recommended citation: Rothe, J. and A. Wang. 2025. Fall 2024: Hawaii. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-iAs> North American Birds. Autumn in the Hawaii Region begins with what are typically the hottest months of the year followed by a transition to cooler, wetter weather and the potential for late-season hurricanes. This year, Hurricane Hone passed just south of the Big Island on Aug 25, dropping 18 inches of rain on some parts of the island and pummeling it with sustained winds of up to 85mph. Large storm[...]
Oregon and Washington: Winter 2022–2023
Winter 2022–2023: 1 Dec–28 Feb Eric Heisey heiseyew@gmail.com Adrian Hinkle adrian.hinkle@gmail.com Christopher Hinkle christopher.hinkle2@gmail.com Recommended citation: Heisey, E., Hinkle, A., Hinkle, C. 2023. Winter 2022–23: Oregon-Washington. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-izV> North American Birds. After a typical start to the winter, January was rather warm and dry. February remained drier than normal, but it got cold late in the month. Rare vagrants garnered the bulk of birder excitement this season, with firsts in both states. Washington hosted Whooper Swan, Common Crane, an eastside state-first Eastern Bluebird, and a remarkable seven westside Bramblings. Oregon enjoyed Common Eider, a[...]
Hudson-Delaware Region: Summer 2024
Summer 2024: 1 Jun–31 Jul Robert O. Paxton rop1@columbia.edu Amy Davis adavis@aba.org Shaibal Mitra mitra@mail.csi.cuny.edu Recommended citation: Paxton, R., A. Davis and S. Mitra. 2025. Summer 2024: Hudson-Delaware. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-izL> North American Birds Weather conditions were generally moderate in summer 2024, without excessive heat or drought. The remnants of Hurricane Beryl spawned ten localized tornados in the Lake Ontario plain on 10 Jul, without known effect on bird life. Notable reports during this season included American Flamingo, Sooty Tern (not storm-related), Pacific Loon, Fea’s Petrel, Neotropic Cormorant, Roseate Spoonbill, and White-tailed Kite. [...]
New England: Fall 2024
Fall 2024: 1 Aug–30 Nov Greg Hanisek ctgregh@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hanisek, G. Fall 2024: New England. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-izv> North American Birds. Sub-regional Compilers L. Bevier (Maine), J. Trimble (Massachusetts), S. Mirick (New Hampshire), R. Farrell (Rhode Island), K. McFarland (Vermont). Abbreviations Lake Champlain (Vermont side of L. Champlain); Hammonasset (Hammonassett Beach S.P., Madison, New Haven Co, CT); Manomet (Manomet Center for Conservation Studies, Plymouth, Plymouth Co, MA.); Monhegan (Monhegan I., Lincoln Co, ME); Nantucket (Nantucket I., MA); Plum I. (Newburyport, Newbury, Rowley, Ipswich, including Parker River N.W.R., Essex Co, MA). [...]
Western Great Lakes: Fall 2024
Fall 2024: 1 Aug–30 Nov William Marengo wcmarengo@gmail.com Recommended citation: Marengo, W. 2025. Fall 2024: Western Great Lakes. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-iyB> North American Birds. Read on for the usual assortment of rarities in an otherwise typical fall season. Note that many of the casual and accidental species have yet to be reviewed by the state’s records committees. This report will be updated accordingly as the records are reviewed. Sub-regional Compilers Lynn Barber (Wisconsin), Matthew Bennink (Michigan), Andrew Simon (Michigan), Josiah Stryd (Michigan) Abbreviations: Abbreviations: C.P. (Co Park), H.R.B.O. (Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory), L.P. (Lower Peninsula,[...]
Hawaii: Summer 2024
Spring 2024: 1 Jun–31 July Jennifer Rothe jennifer.a.rothe@gmail.com Alex Wang axwang12@gmail.com Recommended citation: Rothe, J. and A. Wang. 2024. Summer 2024: Hawaii. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-ixQ> North American Birds. Summer tends to be a more subdued time for the Hawaiian Islands in terms of birding, but this season nonetheless revealed a few surprises. The Gray-tailed Tattler on Oʻahu was a seasonal first for the Main Hawaiian Islands, and Maui’s Bonaparte’s Gull was the first summer occurrence of the species anywhere in the entire region. Remarkably, the Bonaparte’s was only one of three gull species present in[...]
Southern California Fall 2024
Fall 2024: 1 Aug–30 Nov Guy McCaskie guymcc@pacbell.net Kimball L. Garrett kgarrett@nhm.org Recommended citation: McCaskie, G., and K. L. Garrett. 2025. Fall 2024: Southern California. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-ixt> North American Birds. It was an uneventful and typically dry fall weatherwise, with no strong monsoon storms and no significant weather fronts. It was also a bit lackluster for migrants, vagrants, and seabirds. There was no evidence of any significant movements into the region of irruptive wintering birds. Nevertheless, no fall goes by without at least a few noteworthy vagrants, highlighted this year by the region’s (and[...]
Southern California: Summer 2024
Summer 2024: 1 Jun–31 Jul Guy McCaskie guymcc@pacbell.net Kimball L. Garrett kgarrett@nhm.org Recommended citation: McCaskie, G., and K. L. Garrett. 2024. Summer 2024 Southern California <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-iw7> North American Birds. There is little ongoing systematic work on the success of breeding birds in the Region, apart from project-related environmental monitoring by an army of biological consultants, a handful of MAPS stations, and some monitoring of seabird colonies. Thus the “Summer” report reads largely as a continuation of spring migration/vagrancy through June and even into July, along with offshore coverage for pelagics and attention to[...]
Tennessee & Kentucky: Fall 2023
Fall 2023: 1 Aug–30 Nov Graham Gerdeman grahamgerdeman@gmail.com Recommended citation: Gerdeman, G. 2024. Fall 2023: Tennessee & Kentucky. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-iuT> North American Birds. Temperatures in the region began below average in Kentucky to roughly average in Tennessee in August—though that was an average of significant highs and lows. The season as a whole saw general warming, with both states averaging several degrees above average overall. November was especially warm. Precipitation was dynamic in August, with high rainfall and flash flooding in a number of western counties. Things dried out significantly the rest of the[...]
Victor Emanuel: A Tribute—not a Eulogy
As I write, the sun is rising on a nearly perfect spring morning, replete with caroling robins and ravens already on the wing. The day is marred only by the absence of my good friend Victor Emanuel, whose too brief tenure on this planet ended 11 March 2025. But in a very real sense, the spirit of this architect of ecotourism lives on.
Atlantic: Fall 2024
Fall 2024: 1 Aug–30 Nov Alvan Buckley alvanbuckley@gmail.com Robert J. Blackmore rblackmore@mun.ca Recommended citation: Buckley, A., and R. Blackmore. 2025. Fall 2024: Atlantic. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-iue> North American Birds. The autumn 2024 season was an average one in terms of weather and rarities found. Fortunately, there were no damaging hurricanes or tropical storms in our region; however, that means there weren’t any thrilling storm events to report on. Remarkable migrations of hummingbirds and raptors were documented during September in Southwestern Nova Scotia this season. A record invasion of Cory’s Shearwater to the coast of the[...]
Arkansas: Fall 2024
Fall 2024: 1 Aug–30 Nov Chris Kellner ckellner@atu.edu Recommended citation: Kellner, C. J. 2025. Fall 2024: Arkansas. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-iu3> North American Birds. Seasonal highlights include the third record of Ash-throated Flycatcher, the largest group of Black Scoters ever recorded in Arkansas, two Vermillion Flycatchers, and a Lesser Goldfinch. Limpkins and Black-bellied Whistling ducks continue to be observed regularly in Arkansas. Geese through Limpkins Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks continue to expand within Arkansas. Two were photographed at Williams Lake in Vilonia, Faulkner Co 31 Aug (Theresa Wright). One was also observed at Lake[...]
Ontario: Spring 2018
Spring 2018: 1 Mar–31 May Adam Capparelli adam.capparelli@alumni.utoronto.ca Aaron Rusak afrusak@gmail.com Recommended citation: Capparelli, A., and A. Rusak. 2024. Spring 2018: Ontario. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-isO> North American Birds. Spring 2018 got off to a slow start with the temperature in March feeling more like a typical February. The cold weather continued throughout April and it wasn’t until May that temperatures switched to near- to above-normal. Despite the overall colder-than-normal temperatures, there were several periods of warmer-than-normal temperatures interspersed throughout, resulting in a tumultuous spring from a temperature perspective. Precipitation throughout the spring was mostly above-normal,[...]
Western Great Lakes: Spring 2024
Spring 2024: 1 Mar–31 May William Marengo wcmarengo@gmail.com Recommended citation: Marengo, W. 2024. Western Great Lakes: Spring 2024 <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-isq> North American Birds. Despite a lackluster migration there were notable rarities including a regional first Varied Bunting and two first state records: Bar-tailed Godwit and Fish Crow. Note that many of the casual and accidental species have yet to be reviewed by their respective records committees. This report will be updated accordingly as the committees review the records. Sub-regional Compilers Matt Bennink (Michigan), Sunil Gopalan (Wisconsin), Andrew Simon (Michigan), Josiah Stryd (Michigan). Abbreviations: CP (County[...]
ABA Statement Regarding U.S. Agency Staffing and Funding
The American Birding Association (ABA) is deeply concerned by recent, sudden staff reductions in U.S. federal agencies tasked with the stewardship of American’s lands, waters, and wildlife, including wild birds. These actions have real world implications for the health and wellbeing of wild birds, particularly those on the brink of extinction.
Southern Atlantic: Fall 2024
Fall 2024: 1 Aug–31 Oct Josh Jackson decaturjosh@gmail.com Recommended citation: Jackson, J. 2024. Fall 2024: Southern Atlantic. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-in8> North American Birds. South Carolina added two birds to its state list thanks to the work of the Kiawah Island Banding Station. Both species, Bicknell’s Thrush and Dusky Flycatcher, can be notoriously difficult to ID in the field, illustrating the importance of bird banding to ornithological research. In September, Hurricane Helene swept up from the Gulf of Mexico, and with it came a number of pelagic birds. The storm swung east of Atlanta and Georgia[...]
Western Great Lakes: Summer 2024
Summer 2024: 1 Jun–31 Jul William Marengo wcmarengo@gmail.com Marengo, W. 2024. Winter 2023–2034: Western Great Lakes. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-imZ> North American Birds. This summer was quiet as there were few rarities of note. Many of the casual and accidental species have yet to be reviewed by the state’s records committees. This report will be updated accordingly as the committees review the records. Sub-regional Compilers Matt Bennink (Michigan), Andrew Simon (Michigan), Josiah Stryd (Michigan), Dar Tiede (Wisconsin) Abbreviations: C.P. (County Park), L.P. (Lower Peninsula, MI), N.L. (National Lakeshore), N.W.R. (National Wildlife Refuge), R.A. (Recreation Area), S.G.A. (State[...]
West Indies & Bermuda: Fall 2024
Fall 2024: 1 Aug–30 Nov Andrew Dobson (Bermuda) andrewdobs@gmail.com Anthony Levesque (Lesser Antilles) anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr Recommended citation: Dobson, A. and A. Levesque. 2025. Fall 2024: West Indies & Bermuda. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-imb> North American Birds. The 2024 Fall season was much influenced by hurricanes. Eight Atlantic hurricanes made landfall in 2024. Only two years on record—2005 and 2020—saw as many or more powerful storms make landfall. After the unprecedented Cat 5 Hurricane Beryl in July (see West Indies and Bermuda Summer 2024 report), further major storms affected the region. In August, Hurricane Ernesto made landfall in[...]
West Indies & Bermuda: Summer 2024
Summer 2024: 1 Jun–31 Jul Andrew Dobson (Greater Antilles and Bermuda) andrewdobs@gmail.com Anthony Levesque (Lesser Antilles) anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr Recommended citation: Dobson, A. and A. Levesque. 2024. Summer 2024: West Indies & Bermuda. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-ilQ> North American Birds. The summer season is usually a quiet one in terms of weather and unusual birds—but not this year. On 29 June, TS Beryl became the first major hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season and the earliest Category 4 and Category 5 hurricane to form in recorded history. Beryl broke many meteorological records for the months of June[...]
February 2025 Photo Quiz
Ah, another obviously small bird, and one with yellow and streaks and at least one thin wing bar. That combo doesn’t leave many options outside of the Parulidae (Wood Warblers) and particularly excludes the largest bird family in the world, the Tyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers, >400 species).
New England: Spring 2024
Spring 2024: 1 Mar–30 May Greg Hanisek ctgregh@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hanisek, G. 2025. Spring 2024: New England. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-ic2> North American Birds. With its central location, Massachusetts provides a general feel for the season's weather. The first significant migratory wave of May occurred on 7 May, with another surge on 13-14 May. A cool period slowed things down until another push on 21 May. Rain for the month in Boston was 4.82 inches, bettering the average of 3.25. Sub-regional Compilers L. Bevier (Maine), S. Williams (Massachusetts), S. Mirick (New Hampshire), R. Farrell (Rhode Island),[...]
Prairie Provinces: Summer 2024
Summer 2024: 1 June–31 July Rudolf Koes rkoes@mymts.net James Fox Fox.james.ed@gmail.com Recommended citation: Koes, R.F., and J. Fox. 2024. Summer 2024: Prairie Provinces. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-i2f> North American Birds. Very rainy conditions characterized June and the first half of July in southeastern Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba. In contrast, the northern regions and Alberta were generally dry, leading to another summer of widespread forest fires there. A third of the resort town of Jasper was destroyed by fire, the costliest natural disaster ever in a national park in Canada. Manitoba experienced no prolonged heatwaves, but in[...]
Common Loon Secrets
Common Loons look like they have nothing to hide as they float around, seemingly without a care in the world. Or, at least, so I thought. I’ve come to realize there is much, much more to Common Loons than meets the birder’s eye...
January 2025 Photo Quiz
The seemingly small size of the bird is important, but more important here are the streaking on the underparts and the tail pattern, the combination of which should help greatly restrict the number of generic options for this month’s quiz bird.
2025 ABA Bird of the Year: Common Loon
The Common Loon is our 2025 Bird of the Year! Imagine a clear summer evening in the north woods. Above you, the bands of the Milky Way framed by the dark spindly boughs of spruce and fir. And cutting though the stillness comes an otherworldly laughter. An eerie yodel...
2024 ABA Awards
The ABA Board of Directors is delighted to share its 2024 recipients of the ABA Awards. The ABA Awards Committee encourages all ABA members to familiarize themselves with the many accomplishments of its awardees.
December 2024 Photo Quiz
Wow! Missed the appropriate camera settings big time! However, this photo, whether truly taken like this or not, gives me a chance to discuss a feature notable here, one that I’ve wanted to broach in this venue for a very long time:
Sometimes, it’s the little things that we don’t think about that make the ID. The quiz bird is not a Slaty-backed Gull, nor is it remotely similar to that species, but I still want to discuss its string of pearls.
American Birding Association Checklist Committee Report, November 2024
Since our update in September 2024, the CLC has accepted two species to the ABA Checklist: Eastern Cattle-Egret (Ardea coromanda), and Vega Gull (Larus vegae). The CLC also opted not to add Great White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus), and voted to remove two species from the Provisional List of exotic species that could potentially become established in the ABA Area, White (Cacatua alba) and Salmon-crested (C. moluccensis) cockatoos.
The Colombia Birdfair Celebrates Ten Years
The Colombia Birdfair is held in the verdant, tropical city of Cali, located in the department of Valle de Cauca. Home to no fewer than 1,000 species of birds, Valle de Cauca provides attendees with a dizzying array of potential field trip options that include sites on the eastern slope of the central Andes, both slopes of the western Andes, and throughout the Cauca River valley.
November 2024 Photo Quiz
This month’s quiz birds are all of the same species and are readily determined to be ducks. Beyond that, many might have difficulty, although many will not.
New England: Winter 2023-2024
Winter 2023-2024: 1 Dec–28 Feb Greg Hanisek ctgregh@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hanisek, G. 2022. Winter 2023–2024: New England. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-hGU> North American Birds. Warblers offer a good window on late-lingering trends. Here are the number of species per state for Dec and Jan: CT (14 Dec, 15 Jan); ME (11, 10); MA (19, 13); NH (13, 8); RI (7, 6); and VT (3, 2). Sub-regional Compilers L. Bevier (Maine), S. Williams (Massachusetts), S. Mirick (New Hampshire), R. Farrell (Rhode Island), K. MacFarland (Vermont). Abbreviations Lake Champlain (Vermont side of L. Champlain); Hammonasset (Hammonassett Beach S.P.,[...]
Illinois & Indiana: Summer 2022
Summer 2022: 1 Jun–31 Jul James D. Hengeveld jhengeve@indiana.edu Keith A. McMullen warbler7@sbcglobal.net Geoffrey A. Williamson geoffrey.williamson.21@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hengeveld, J.D., K.A. McMullen, and G.A. Williamson. 2024. Summer 2022: Illinois & Indiana. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-hGH> North American Birds. Regional temperatures in June were slightly above average, and those in July were close to normal. Rainfall was very limited during June, with total precipitation ranking in the bottom tenth of all years on record. July, however, saw rainfall amounts well above average. Rarities included a Whooper Swan lingering from the spring season, Indiana’s first Limpkin, Snowy[...]
Western Great Lakes: Fall 2023
Fall 2023: 1 Aug–30 Nov William Marengo wcmarengo@gmail.com Marengo, W. 2023. Fall 2023: Western Great Lakes. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-hGo> North American Birds. There was one regional first and another first state record amongst the usual mix of fall rarities in the region. Note that many of the casual and accidental species have yet to be reviewed by the state’s records committees. This report will be updated accordingly as the records are reviewed. Sub-regional Compilers Lynn Barber (Wisconsin), Andrew Simon (Michigan) Abbreviations: Abbreviations: C.P. (Co Park), L.P. (Lower Peninsula, MI), N.L. (National Lakeshore), N.W.R. (National Wildlife[...]
Western Great Lakes: Winter 2023–2024
Winter 2023–2024: 1 Dec–28 Feb William Marengo wcmarengo@gmail.com Marengo, W. 2024. Winter 2023–2034: Western Great Lakes. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-hG9> North American Birds. The past winter was remarkable for not really being winter in the traditional sense. There were many late and out-of-season records due to the mild conditions. Note that many of the casual and accidental species have yet to be reviewed by their respective records committees. This report will be updated accordingly as the committees review the records. Sub-regional Compilers Matt Bennink (Michigan), Andrew Simon (Michigan), Josiah Stryd (Michigan), Dar Tiede (Wisconsin). Abbreviations: CP[...]
Birding Online: October 2024
In this Travel issue of Birding, you’ll find information on birding Florida’s St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, suggestions on how to bird coastal Canada by boat, a explanation of why boreal fall is a great time to bird Costa Rica, a list of the 20 Best Birds of the Iberian Peninsula, and exciting news about the opening of Mexico’s Tres Marías Islands.
October 2024 Photo Quiz
Individuals of this month’s quiz species are rarely mistaken in spring, although if they are, males (particularly) are mistaken for a member of the family Icteridae. In fall, birders outside the species’ core migration range frequently flail at applying an identification...
Prairie Provinces: Spring2024
Spring 2024: 1 Mar–31 May Rudolf Koes rkoes@mymts.net James Fox Fox.james.ed@gmail.com Recommended citation: Koes, R. and J. Fox. 2024. Spring 2024: Prairie Provinces. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-hvA> North American Birds. Dry weather continued from winter though much of the spring in the south of the prairie provinces. Then in May the floodgates opened in southeastern Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba, more than making up for the lack of soil moisture. Temperatures were generally below normal. Lack of snow-cover early in the season led to the drying up of many ephemeral water bodies, resulting in limited habitat for[...]
New England: Fall 2023
Fall 2023: 1 Aug–30 Nov Greg Hanisek ctgregh@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hanisek, G. 2022 Fall 2023: New England. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-hvm> North American Birds. This season produced four first state records, two for Massachusetts and one each for Maine and Rhode Island. Sub-regional Compilers L. Bevier (Maine), S. Williams (Massachusetts), S. Mirick (New Hampshire), R. Farrell (Rhode Island), K. MacFarland (Vermont). Abbreviations Lake Champlain (Vermont side of L. Champlain); Hammonasset (Hammonassett Beach S.P., Madison, New Haven Co, CT); Manomet (Manomet Center for Conservation Studies, Plymouth, Plymouth Co, MA.); Monhegan (Monhegan I., Lincoln Co, ME); Nantucket (Nantucket[...]
West Indies & Bermuda: Spring 2024
Spring 2024: 1 Mar–31 May Andrew Dobson (Greater Antilles and Bermuda) andrewdobs@gmail.com Anthony Levesque (Lesser Antilles) anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr Recommended citation: Dobson, A. & A. Levesque. 2024. Spring 2024: West Indies & Bermuda. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-hv2> North American Birds. Remarkably, there were two new records for the West Indies—a White-tailed Hawk in Barbados and a Southern Rough-winged Swallow on Grenada. Island ‘firsts’ included Greater Scaup in Guadeloupe, Common Merganser in Cuba, Common Pochard in Saint Martin, and Bay-breasted Warbler in Barbados; while a Short-tailed Hawk in Cuba, Scarlet Tanager in Anguilla, and Western Tanager in the Cayman[...]
Atlantic: Summer 2024
Summer 2024: 1 Jun–31 July David Seeler dseeler@eastlink.ca Recommended citation: Seeler, D. 2024. Summer 2024: Atlantic. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-huI> North American Birds. The season was predicted to be—and was—exceptionally warm and humid. The temperature was well above normal through much of the season while precipitation tended to be below normal. Post Tropical Storm Beryl did have an impact upon the Region, with New Brunswick suffering significant amounts of rainfall 10 July 2024. Drought conditions existed for much of the Region, particularly within the Maritimes. Surrounding waters for the Maritimes were above normal for the season.[...]
Hawaii: Spring 2024
Spring 2024: 1 Mar–31 May Jennifer Rothe jennifer.a.rothe@gmail.com Alex Wang axwang12@gmail.com Recommended citation: Rothe, J. and A. Wang. 2024. Spring 2024: Hawaii. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-hty> North American Birds. Spring in the Hawaii Region may lack the dramatic seasonal cues of other ABA regions, but there are discernible shifts nonetheless. Overwintering ducks and shorebirds depart the islands for their breeding grounds. Long-distance migrants like terns and seabirds transit through Hawaiian waters and native procellariids return to their island homes after months spent at sea. Spring also marks the transition from the rainy winter months to drier,[...]
Ontario: Fall 2017
Fall 2017: 1 Aug–30 Nov Adam Capparelli adam.capparelli@alumni.utoronto.ca Aaron Rusak afrusak@gmail.com Recommended citation: Capparelli, A., and A. Rusak. 2024. Fall 2017: Ontario. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-htn> North American Birds. Fall 2017 was fairly typical for temperature and precipitation across the province. August saw southern Ontario dealing with near-normal temperature while northern Ontario was a little below normal. While precipitation was a little above normal for the month, there were no risks of flooding like in the spring. The rest of the fall was pleasant, with several warm, dry days and overall near-normal temperatures and precipitation. Extreme[...]
Ontario: Winter 2017–2018
Winter 2017–2018: 1 Dec–28 Feb Adam Capparelli adam.capparelli@alumni.utoronto.ca Aaron Rusak afrusak@gmail.com Recommended citation: Capparelli, A., and A. Rusak. 2024. Winter 2017–2018: Ontario. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-htc> North American Birds. Ontario’s weather during the winter of 2017/18 was one of extremes due to the influence of a weak La Niña. Most of Ontario saw near-normal temperatures, with the exception of Northwestern Ontario recording below-norm. On the flip side, while Northern Ontario saw average precipitation, an active winter for storms in Southern Ontario produced above norm. During the tail end of February, the temperature was well above average,[...]
Illinois & Indiana: Fall 2020
Fall 2020: 1 Aug–30 Nov James D. Hengeveld jhengeve@indiana.edu Keith A. McMullen warbler7@sbcglobal.net Geoffrey A. Williamson geoffrey.williamson.21@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hengeveld, J.D., K.A. McMullen, and G.A. Williamson. 2024. Fall 2020: Illinois & Indiana. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-hsY> North American Birds. The fall 2020 season began with La Niña conditions across much of the region, with overall temperatures close to normal, but due to slightly lower than average temperatures from August through October and a 3.1∞ C higher than average temperature in November. In Chicago, a seven day stretch in early November with 70+ degrees broke the previous[...]
Illinois & Indiana: Summer 2019
Summer 2019: 1 Jun–31 July James D. Hengeveld jhengeve@indiana.edu Keith A. McMullen warbler7@sbcglobal.net Geoffrey A. Williamson geoffrey.williamson.21@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hengeveld, J.D., K.A. McMullen, and G.A. Williamson. 2023. Summer 2019: Illinois & Indiana. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-hsR> North American Birds. June had cooler temperatures and well above average precipitation across the region; summer heat appeared in July as well as subsiding rains that resulted in below average precipitation levels. Highlights included early fall shorebird migrants, Black Rail, Little Gull, two Swallow-tailed Kites, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, a Say’s Phoebe that paired with an Eastern Phoebe, an “Audubon’s” Yellow-rumped Warbler,[...]
Namibia
December 5–15, 2026
Join the ABA in Namibia and enjoy specialty birds like Dune Lark, Herero Chat, and Rockrunner while exploring Etosha, the Namib Desert, Walvisbay, and Waterberg.
Arkansas Region: Summer 2023
Summer 2023: 1 Jun–31 Jul Lyndal York lrbluejay@gmail.com Recommended citation: York, L. 2023. Summer 2023: Arkansas Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-hqo> North American Birds. Seasonal highlights include: Ross’s Goose, Northern Shoveler, Limpkin, Upland Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper, Franklin’s Gull, Roseate Spoonbill. Geese through Limpkins Very surprising was an uninjured Ross’s Goose at the Degray Lake Resort State Park Golf Course, Hot Spring Co 22 Jul (Hunter Collins). The lone Ross’s Goose was flying around the golf course with Canada Geese. Other waterfowl included a Northern Shoveler in breeding plumage at the Charlie Craig[...]
Arkansas Region: Winter 2023–2024
Winter 2023–2024: 1 Dec–28 Feb Lyndal York lrbluejay@gmail.com Recommended citation: York, L. 2024. Winter 2023–2024: Arkansas. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-hqb> North American Birds. Seasonal highlights include: Ferruginous Hawk, Glaucous Gull, Lesser Goldfinch, Merlin, Rock Wren, Townsend’s Solitaire, Tundra Swan. Geese through Limpkins There appears to be a surge of Tundra Swans into Arkansas this winter based on reports from six different counties. Eight Tundra Swans were seen in the Atkin’s Bottoms, Pope Co 3 Jan (Kenny & LaDonna Nichols). Two adults and four cygnets were reported in Clark Co, a first for[...]
Alabama & Mississippi: Spring 2023
Spring 2023: 1 Mar–31 May Greg D. Jackson g_d_jackson@bellsouth.net Recommended citation: Jackson, G. D. 2024. Spring 2023: Alabama & Mississippi. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-hpF> North American Birds. Rainfall was slightly above average across the region in March, and it was well above average in April and early May except in the north, where it was dramatically lower. March started considerably warmer than usual (including a record high of 86 for Jackson, MS 1 Mar), became quite low in mid-March (including on 20 Mar record lows of 29 in Mobile, AL and 25 in Jackson), then hot[...]
Tennessee & Kentucky: Summer 2023
Summer 2023: 1 Jun–31 July Graham Gerdeman grahamgerdeman@gmail.com Recommended citation: Gerdeman, G. 2024. Summer 2023: Tennessee & Kentucky. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-hpu> North American Birds. It was a cool summer across the region, with temperatures averaging a degree or two below average across both states. Some areas in the eastern mountains averaged as much as 4 degrees cooler than normal. June continued a dry spell from the last half of the spring season, with several counties in Tennessee at “moderate drought” conditions. July brought some significant rain to most of the region, however, and we ended[...]
Arkansas Region: Spring 2024
Spring 2024: 1 Mar–31 May Lyndal York lrbluejay@gmail.com Recommended citation: York, L. 2024. Spring 2024: Arkansas Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-hph> North American Birds. Seasonal highlights include Red-necked Grebe, Upland Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone, Ferruginous Hawk, Least Flycatcher, Red Crossbill and Lesser Goldfinch. Swans through Herons Two Tundra Swans were reported at Lake Sequoyah, last seen here in 2009, Washington Co 26 Jan (Todd Ballinger). A single Tundra Swan was found near Clay Rd, White Co 7 Feb (Tamalyn Wortham). Tundra Swans are very uncommon in Arkansas. A lingering Red-necked Grebe was photographed[...]
Atlantic Region: Spring 2023
Spring 2023: 1 Mar–31 May David Seeler dseeler@eastlink.ca Recommended citation: Seeler, D. 2023. Spring 2023: Atlantic. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-hoe> North American Birds. Spring temperatures tended to be lower than normal, while precipitation was slightly above normal. Of interest is that intermittent snowfall continued sporadically through the season and beyond for more northerly regions of Newfoundland and Labrador. While scientific data is not readily available to assess the impacts as of yet, Avian Flu continues to be noticed by birders within the Region. Early observations from Cape St. Mary’s Newfoundland for instance, indicate that the population[...]
ABA Checklist Committee Report: September 2024
This update of the ABA Checklist included three species added updates to rarity codes, taxonomic changes, and discussion of two species not accepted by the ABA Checklist Committee (CLC).
Identification of Chihuahuan Raven and its Status North of Mexico
The separation of Chihuahuan and Common Raven has long been recognized as a significant identification challenge. Both species are entirely black, with very similar structure and voice. Known field marks all involve subtle and subjective differences, and in every one of these, there is overlap between the two species.
Baja California Peninsula: Year 2023
Year 2023: 1 Jan–31 Dec Richard A. Erickson richard.erickson@lsa.net Gerardo Marrón atakamara@gmail.com Enrique D. Zamora-Hernández zugunruhe@gmail.com Isabel Raymundo-González miyazahua@gmail.com Logan Q. Kahle logan@archive.org Jonathan Vargas sanblasbird@gmail.com Recommended citation: Erickson, R. A., G. Marrón, E. D. Zamora-Hernández, I. Raymundo-González, L. Q. Kahle, and J. Vargas. 2024. Year 2023: Baja California Peninsula. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-hko> North American Birds. Observer coverage of the region increased in 2023 (based on eBird data), fueled primarily by greater coverage in Baja California Sur, and in particular the Los Cabos area. Nevertheless, spottiness of coverage produced odd distribution patterns across the region[...]
Atlantic: Spring 2024
Spring 2024: 1 Mar–31 May David Seeler dseeler@eastlink.ca Recommended citation: Seeler, D. 2024. Spring 2024: Atlantic. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-hjF> North American Birds. Springlike conditions were quickly established for most of the region—except for Newfoundland and Labrador, where winterlike conditions lingered well into the season. Perhaps the most significant weather event for the region was the development of consistent strong winds emanating from the Norway Sea through to the northern parts of the region, due to a persistent Negative North Atlantic Oscillation. The negative NAO started 24 Mar 2024 and continued through 12 Apr. This event[...]
August 2024 Photo Quiz
It is a pleasant February day in the Great Plains, and an odd song catches our attention, so we cast around looking for the singer. Ouch. Not the best views, but at least we know this month’s quiz bird is a passerine with that foot structure.
Ontario: Winter 2023–2024
Winter 2023-2024: 1 Dec–29 Feb Adam Capparelli adam.capparelli@mail.utoronto.ca Aaron Rusak afrusak@gmail.com Recommended citation: Capparelli, A., and A. Rusak. 2024. Winter 2023-2024: Ontario. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-hhv> North American Birds. We would like to extend our gratitude to Blake A. Mann, and Brian Ratcliff for regional reporting and Andrew Keaveney for assistance in data logistics. The winter of 2023/2024 was notably mild with several record-setting warm days in February, typically one of the coldest months of the year. Although there were some periods of colder weather in January and February, these were short-lived. As a result of[...]
New England: Spring 2023
Spring 2023: 1 Mar–31 May Greg Hanisek ctgregh@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hanisek, G. 2023. Spring 2023: New England. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-hhj> North American Birds. This season produced two unusual fallouts: phalaropes (primarily Red Phalaropes) during a 30 Apr storm on the Massachusetts coast, and Black-legged Kittiwakes inland in Litchfield Co, CT on 5–8 May. Sub-regional Compilers L. Bevier (Maine), S. Williams (Massachusetts), S. Mirick (New Hampshire), R. Farrell (Rhode Island), K. MacFarland (Vermont). Abbreviations Lake Champlain (Vermont side of L. Champlain); Hammonasset (Hammonassett Beach S.P., Madison, New Haven Co, CT); Manomet (Manomet Center for Conservation Studies,[...]
Hawaii: Winter 2023-2024
Winter 2023-2024: 1 Dec– 29 Feb Jennifer Rothe jennifer.a.rothe@gmail.com Alex Wang axwang12@gmail.com Recommended citation: Rothe, J. and A. Wang. 2024. Winter 2024-2023: Hawaii. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-hh5> North American Birds. While the Hawaii Region experiences less dramatic seasonal cues than may be found in the continental regions of the ABA area, the tropical winter nonetheless offers up a welcome change of pace for Hawaii birders. Fall arrivals like waterfowl and shorebirds often extend their stay into winter. Multiple species of albatross return to the islands to kick off their breeding seasons. Winter storms which usher in[...]
Southern California: Spring 2024
Spring 2024: 1 Mar–31 May Guy McCaskie guymcc@pacbell.net Kimball L. Garrett kgarrett@nhm.org Recommended citation: McCaskie, G., and K. L. Garrett. Spring 2024 Southern California <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-hgI> North American Birds. The region experienced slightly warmer than average temperatures and variable (normal to below normal) precipitation during the spring period. By late in the period a persistent marine layer settled in on the coast, but there were few significant weather fronts. A moderate mountain snowpack had largely melted by the end of May. Avian rarity highlights this spring included California’s second Xantus’s Hummingbird in Inyo County[...]
Southern California: Winter 2023-2024
Winter 2023-2024: 1 Dec–29 Feb Guy McCaskie guymcc@pacbell.net Kimball L. Garrett kgarrett@nhm.org Recommended citation: McCaskie, G., and K. L. Garrett. Winter 2023–2024 Southern California <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-hgo> North American Birds. Much of the Winter period was warmer and drier than average until a series of “atmospheric river” storms soaked the Region through much of February. Between the late winter storms and the heavy rains from Tropical Storm Hilary the previous August most areas were well saturated by the end of the period, creeks were flowing, and a moderate snowpack remained on the higher mountains. There[...]
Southern California: Fall 2023
Fall 2023: 1 Aug–30 Nov Guy McCaskie guymcc@pacbell.net Kimball L. Garrett kgarrett@nhm.org Recommended citation: McCaskie, G., and K. L. Garrett. 2023. Fall 2023: Southern California. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-hfi> North American Birds. The outstanding avian event of Fall 2023 was the passage of the remnants of Hurricane Hilary through the region on 20–21 August; a detailed account of the birds displaced by this storm is presented below. Additional rain fell in September but the remainder of the fall was typically dry and warm, with significant winter storms holding off until after November. With the exceptional rains[...]
North American Birds: Vol. 75, No. 1
⬅ ABA Members! Log in here before using the links below. view/download magazine From the Editor Michael L. P. Retter About the Authors First State and Provincial Records from 2023 compiled by Nate Swick The Name of the Pochard Rick Wright American Flamingos in the United States Before and After Hurricane Idalia Amy Davis José Garofalo-Ramírez Identification of Chihuahuan Raven and its Status North of Mexico David Sibley The ABA Checklist Committee in an Evolving World Peter Pyle[...]
West Indies & Bermuda: Winter 2023–2024
Winter 2023–2024: 1 Dec–29 Feb Andrew Dobson (Greater Antilles, Bahamas, Bermuda) andrewdobs@gmail.com Anthony Levesque (Lesser Antilles) Anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr Recommended citation: Dobson, A., & A. Levesque. 2024. Winter 2023–2024: West Indies & Bermuda. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-hew> North American Birds. There were first records for Grenada (Northern Pintail), Cayman Islands (Eastern Whip-poor-will), and Grey-breasted Crake (Barbados)—although the latter was certainly ship-assisted. Winter wildfowl included flocks of Snow Geese to Cuba (8 birds) and the Bahamas (4 birds). Any swan sighting is extremely rare, but a sighting in Bermuda could not be confirmed to species. The most unusual shorebird[...]
West Indies & Bermuda: Fall 2023
Fall 2023: 1 Aug–30 Nov Andrew Dobson (Bermuda) andrewdobs@gmail.com Anthony Levesque (Lesser Antilles) anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr Recommended citation: Dobson, A. & A. Levesque. 2024. Fall 2023: West Indies & Bermuda. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-hdX> North American Birds. The 2023 Fall season was much influenced by hurricanes. Record warm Atlantic sea-surface temperatures and a strong El Niño produced the fourth-most active Atlantic hurricane season on record. There were twenty named storms of which seven became hurricanes, with three reaching major hurricane strength. Fortunately, none of the islands had direct hits but the passage of these storms caused a fallout[...]
ABA Checklist Committee (CLC) Report: July 2024
The ABA Checklist includes species found in the ABA Area which are breeding species, regular visitors, casual and accidental species from other regions that are believed to have strayed here unrestrained by humans, and well-established introduced species that are now part of our avifauna. This update adds three species. Species Total: 1141
Ontario: Fall 2023
Fall 2023: 1 Aug–30 Nov Adam Capparelli adam.capparelli@mail.utoronto.ca Aaron Rusak afrusak@gmail.com Recommended citation: Capparelli, A., and A. Rusak. 2024. Fall 2023: Ontario. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-h9M> North American Birds. We would like to extend our gratitude to Blake A. Mann, and Brian Ratcliff for regional reporting and Andrew Keaveney for assistance in data logistics. From a temperature perspective, fall 2023 was a tumultuous one with alternating periods of warmer and colder than normal temperatures, especially towards the end of the season. Early September saw the warmest day of the year for many locations in Southern Ontario[...]
Ontario: Summer 2023
Summer 2023: 1 Jun–31 July Adam Capparelli adam.capparelli@mail.utoronto.ca Aaron Rusak afrusak@gmail.com Recommended citation: Capparelli, A., and A. Rusak. 2023. Summer 2023: Ontario. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-h7Z> North American Birds. We would like to extend our gratitude to Blake A. Mann, Brian Ratcliff, and Jeremy L. Hatt for regional reporting and Andrew Keaveney for assistance in data logistics. The lack of precipitation from May continued throughout the month of June creating drought conditions throughout the province. As a result, a number of forest fires broke out across northern Ontario, resulting in one of the worst summers for[...]
Hawaii: Fall 2023
Fall 2023: 1 Aug–30 Nov Alex Wang axwang12@gmail.com Jennifer Rothe jennifer.a.rothe@gmail.com Recommended citation: Wang, A. and J. Rothe. 2023. Fall 2023: Hawaii. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-h7J> North American Birds. While the Hawaii Region lacks some of the more obvious seasonal cues found elsewhere in the ABA area, the shift into fall is nonetheless perceptible and excitedly awaited by local birders. In addition to the return of the expected overwintering birds like Pacific Golden-Plover, Bristle-thighed Curlew, and other migrants, autumn ushers in a time where almost anything is possible. In contrast to 2022’s gull-depauperate fall, this autumn[...]
Prairie Provinces: Winter 2023–2024
Winter 2023–2024: 1 Dec–29 Feb Rudolf Koes rkoes@mymts.net James Fox fox.james.ed@gmail.com Recommended citation: Koes, R.F., and J. Fox. 2024. Winter 2023–2024: Prairie Provinces. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-h7v> North American Birds. The winter of 2023–2024 was one of extremes in the prairie provinces. Mostly abnormally mild temperatures were broken by two severe cold snaps. Alberta was particularly hard hit around the second week of January, when the temperatures ranged from -35° C to -40° C, bottoming out at -46.4° C at High Level on 15 January. To the east it was slightly less brutal. January finished unseasonably[...]
Prairie Provinces: Fall 2023
Fall 2023: 1 Aug–30Nov Rudolf Koes rkoes@mymts.net James Fox fox.james.ed@gmail.com Recommended citation: Koes, R.F., and J. Fox. 2024. Fall 2023: Prairie Provinces. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-h5J> North American Birds. Fall across the Prairie Provinces was characterized by mild and generally dry weather. Alberta had its warmest September ever, with temperatures into the mid- to high-30s early in the month. Several cities across the region tied or nearly tied their longest-ever stretches of frost-free days (around 155). In the east of the region there was one cold, snowy spell from late October to early November, but by[...]
Prairie Provinces: Summer 2023
Summer 2023: 1 Jun–31 Jul Rudolf Koes rkoes@mymts.net James Fox fox.james.ed@gmail.com Recommended citation: Koes, R., and Fox, J. 2024. Prairie Provinces: Summer 2023. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-h5k> North American Birds. Drought conditions persisted through much of the western and central parts of the region; in Saskatchewan, ranchers have been forced to cull their herds due to a lack of fodder or resorted to cutting withering cereal crops to feed their cattle. The forest fires that had ravaged much of the forested areas during spring continued through the summer and by the end of the period the[...]
Alabama & Mississippi: Fall 2022
Fall 2022: 1 Aug–30 Nov Greg D. Jackson g_d_jackson@bellsouth.net Recommended citation: Jackson, G. D. 2024. Fall 2022: Alabama & Mississippi.<https://wp.me/p8iY2g-h3S> North American Birds. The fall season of 2022 was kind to birders in our region, with moderate numbers and variety of regular migrants and a nice assembly of rarities to add a little fire to the mix (including a first regional record). Particularly noteworthy categories included the continued explosion of Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks and Limpkins, numerous shorebirds, plentiful and varied flycatchers, and an odd juxtaposition of western/southwestern vagrants with significant numbers of some easterly[...]
Tennessee & Kentucky: Spring 2023
Spring 2023: 1 Mar–31 May Graham Gerdeman grahamgerdeman@gmail.com Recommended citation: Gerdeman, G. 2023. Spring 2023: Tennessee & Kentucky. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-h3E> North American Birds. Temperatures throughout the region were about average overall, yet it was an average of highs and lows. The season began and ended several degrees warmer than normal, but was punctuated with snaps of unseasonably cold weather which drove down averages. There were 26 broken and 12 tied daily high temperature records for Tennessee in early April, yet most parts of the state ended the month under frost and freeze warnings. Precipitation-wise,[...]
Arkansas Region: Fall 2023
Fall 2023: 1 Aug–30 Nov Lyndal York lrbluejay@gmail.com Recommended citation: York, L. 2023. Fall 2023: Arkansas Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-h3m> North American Birds. Seasonal highlights include: American Avocet, Inca Dove, Piping Plover, Dunlin, Red-necked Phalarope, Little Gull, Swallow-tailed Kite, Say’s Phoebe. Geese through Limpkins Early in the season a high number of 400 Ross’s Geese were reported in the Atkins Bottoms, Pope Co 29 Oct (Kenny & LaDonna Nichols). A summering population of ten Snow Geese was reported at a Highway 226 pond east of Cash, Craighead Co 23 Sep (Colin[...]
Western Great Lakes: Summer 2023
Summer 2023: 1 Jun–31 Jul William Marengo wcmarengo@gmail.com Recommended citation: Marengo, W. 2024. Summer 2023: Western Great Lakes <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-h1U> North American Birds. In a repeat from the previous year dry conditions, heat and drought prevailed throughout the season. Note that many of the casual and accidental species have yet to be reviewed by the state’s records committees. This report will be updated accordingly as the committees review the records. Sub-regional Compilers Andrew Simon (Michigan), Ethan Urban (Michigan) Abbreviations: Abbreviations: C.P. (County Park), L.P. (Lower Peninsula, MI), N.L. (National Lakeshore), N.W.R. (National Wildlife Refuge),[...]
Atlantic: Fall 2023
Fall 2023: 1 Aug–30 Nov David Seeler dseeler@eastlink.ca Recommended citation: Seeler, D. 2024. Fall 2023: Atlantic. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-h14> North American Birds. Overall, temperatures eventually moderated to near normal for most of the Region, while precipitation was near normal for the season. By mid-season, the Jet Stream pattern that was in effect approached the Region from the south eastern United States. This pattern moderated to a westerly flow across Canada later within the season. Hurricane Lee downgraded to a tropical storm as it entered the Bay of Fundy on 16 September. It quickly downgraded to[...]
May 2024 Photo Quiz
Ah, another long-billed shorebird and the bill is in view this time. Review time. Perhaps the bill will tell us the answer. Who knows?
What species is represented here?
New England: Winter 2022-2023
Winter 2022-2023: 1 Dec–28 Feb Greg Hanisek ctgregh@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hanisek, G. 2022. Winter 2022-2023: New England. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-gZH> North American Birds. It was another mild winter without any remarkable incursions from the north. Not surprisingly, birds that lingered beyond their expected limits were widespread, exemplified by six species of warblers that wintered along an esplanade bordering a sewage treatment plant in Norwalk, CT. Microclimates of this sort are increasingly establishing late records. Sub-regional Compilers L. Bevier (Maine), S. Williams (Massachusetts), S. Mirick (New Hampshire), R. Farrell (Rhode Island), K. MacFarland (Vermont). Abbreviations L.[...]
Pre-Peterson Field Guides
Imagine, if you will, that you’re a birder in the United States and Canada, and the time period you’re in is before the publication of the first edition of Roger Tory Peterson’s A Field Guide to the Birds on April 27, 1934. What book would you be using as a field guide?
April 2024 Photo Quiz
Another raptory-hawky thing is this month’s quiz subject, and I know that everyone is excited about that! The wings are certainly obviously long, so ruling out vultures, eagles, long-winged buteos (such as Swainson’s and Ferruginous), and probably even harriers. Unfortunately, the quiz bird is streaked below ...
Ontario: Spring 2023
Spring 2023: 1 Mar–31 May Adam Capparelli adam.capparelli@mail.utoronto.ca Aaron Rusak afrusak@gmail.com Recommended citation: Capparelli, A., and A. Rusak. 2023. Spring 2023: Ontario. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-gU8> North American Birds. March felt more like winter than January and February with cold temperatures for most of the month, and several winter storms. In northern Ontario the cold temperatures continued into April resulting in an overall colder than normal month for that region. Even in southern Ontario, April continued March’s trend of cold weather (with some areas even seeing snow in mid-April) except for a brief period of extremely[...]
Oregon and Washington: Fall 2022
Fall 2022: 1 Aug–30 Nov Eric Heisey heiseyew@gmail.com Adrian Hinkle adrian.hinkle@gmail.com Christopher Hinkle christopher.hinkle2@gmail.com Recommended citation: Heisey, E., A. Hinkle and C. Hinkle. 2022. Fall 2022: Oregon & Washington. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-gTX> North American Birds. It was dry and cool for peak migration during September and early October. A series of storms in late October resulted in good seawatching conditions. By November it was again cool and dry. Cloudy and fairly calm conditions along the coast during peak migration resulted in a good showing of “eastern” warblers. Neah Bay was open this fall for the[...]
March 2024 Photo Quiz
Ugh! I know. Shorebirds. Ugh. Right? Nah! Shorebirds are fun! Spring is an easier time of year to deal with shorebirds because most shorebirds are in alternate plumage (aka breeding plumage) and are more distinctive then. Of course, many or most one-year-olds never quite get to high plumage, but these birds seem to be in fine fettle, what, with one sporting spanky new scapulars; it is May in the photo.
Arkansas Region: Spring 2023
Spring 2023: 1 Mar–31 May Lyndal York lrbluejay@gmail.com Recommended citation: York, L. 2023. Spring 2023: Arkansas Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-gOw> North American Birds. Seasonal highlights include: Whimbrel, Glossy Ibis, Ferruginous Hawk, Crested Caracara, Western Kingbird X Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Evening Grosbeak, Lesser Goldfinch, Lark Bunting, Scott’s Oriole. Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks continue to expand their range in northeast AR with the observation of six birds in the 1800 block of AR 304, Pocahontas, Randolph Co 22 Apr (Kent Freeman). A very rare Fulvous Whistling-Duck was in the company of 44 Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks in the[...]
Arkansas Region: Winter 2022–2023
Winter 2022–2023: 1 Dec–28 Feb Lyndal York lrbluejay@gmail.com Recommended citation: York, L. 2023. Winter 2022–2023: Arkansas Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-gOg> North American Birds. Seasonal highlights include: Dark Ross’s Geese, Limpkin, Short-billed Gull, American Tree Sparrow, Spotted Towhee. Geese through Limpkins Six dark morph Ross's Geese were counted among a group of 23,000 Ross's Geese during the Pine Bluff CBC, Jefferson Co 28 Dec (Kenny & LaDonna Nichols). Perhaps this is the largest number of Ross's Geese observed at one location in the U.S. The report of two immature Trumpeter Swans at[...]
American Birding Association Checklist Committee (CLC) Report, March 2024
The ABA Checklist Committee (CLC) adds four new species to the ABA Checklist. Committee Chair Peter Pyle discusses the new species added, updated rarity codes, records not accepted, and possible future additions.
Arkansas Region: Winter 2021–2022
Winter 2021–2022: 1 Dec–28 Feb Lyndal York lrbluejay@gmail.com Recommended citation: York, L. 2023. Winter 2021–2022: Arkansas Region.<https://wp.me/p8iY2g-gLg> North American Birds. Seasonal highlights include: Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Anna’s Hummingbird, Snowy Owl, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Grasshopper Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow, Palm Warbler, Summer Tanager. Geese through Hummingbirds A very high count of 6,038 Ross's Geese were found on HWY 79 just north of the Arkansas River and north of Pine Bluff, Jefferson Co 28 Dec (Kenny & LaDonna Nichols). The report of 14 Trumpeter Swans at a pond on Clay[...]
Hawaii: Summer 2023
Alex Wang axwang12@gmail.com Jennifer Rothe jennifer.a.rothe@gmail.com Recommended citation: Wang, A. and J. Rothe. 2023. Summer 2023: Hawaii. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-gKU> North American Birds. Summer in the Hawaii Region tends to be a relatively quiet time for local birders. Overwintering ducks and shorebirds have typically long since departed the islands for their breeding grounds. By the beginning of June, the stream of spring migrants has more or less dried up, and autumn migration tends not to begin in earnest until August. The remoteness of the Hawaiian Archipelago—thousands of miles removed from the nearest continental land mass—lessens[...]
Illinois & Indiana: Winter 2021–2022
Winter 2021–2022: 1 Dec–28 Feb James D. Hengeveld jhengeve@indiana.edu Keith A. McMullen warbler7@sbcglobal.net Geoffrey A. Williamson geoffrey.williamson.21@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hengeveld, J.D., K.A. McMullen, and G.A. Williamson. 2022. Winter 2021–2022: Illinois & Indiana. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-gKF> North American Birds. The region’s second warmest December on record—5.6∞C warmer than average—was undoubtedly at least partially responsible for the amazing presence of 13 warbler species during the period and first winter records for several other species. January was slightly cooler and drier than normal, while February was very wet (80% greater precipitation above the average) with near normal temperatures.[...]
Illinois & Indiana: Fall 2021
Fall 2021: 1 Aug–30 Nov James D. Hengeveld jhengeve@indiana.edu Keith A. McMullen warbler7@sbcglobal.net Geoffrey A. Williamson geoffrey.williamson.21@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hengeveld, J.D., K.A. McMullen, and G.A. Williamson. 2022. Fall 2021: Illinois & Indiana. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-gKs> North American Birds. It was the twelfth warmest fall period on record for the region, 1.2∞ C warmer than average, with October averaging 3.0∞ C warmer than average (the region’s fifth warmest on record). There was some indication that warmer temperatures through October might have slowed or delayed southbound movement. Precipitation was also higher than normal, driven by October’s rain[...]
Southern California: Summer 2023
Summer 2023: 1 Jun–31 Jul Guy McCaskie guymcc@pacbell.net Kimball L. Garrett kgarrett@nhm.org Recommended citation: McCaskie, G., and K. L. Garrett. 2023. Summer 2023: Southern California. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-gIi> North American Birds. After a relatively wet winter in most of the region, the spring and summer brought apparently high breeding success for many land birds, though quantification is lacking in most cases. The months of June and July in the region encompass the tail end of spring migration, a significant portion of the late spring “vagrant season,” the first few weeks of “fall” migration for many[...]
February 2024 Photo Quiz
Those birding in wooded and forested areas encounter views like this far too often: A bird overhead straining one’s balance ability and with the bird extensively hidden by vegetation. This is a situation in which experience and knowledge help tremendously, as they can help slap a correct name on many a bird of which the typical, well-known field marks are hidden.
Peter Kaestner Breaks the 10,000 Bird Barrier!
On February 9, 2024, longtime ABA member and frequent Birding magazine contributor Peter Kaestner reached 10,000 birds on his life list. The ABA heartily congratulates Peter on this momentous achievement.
Western Great Lakes: Spring 2023
Spring 2023: 1 Mar–31 May William Marengo wcmarengo@gmail.com Recommended citation: Marengo, W. 2023. Spring 2023: Western Great Lakes. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-gFg> North American Birds. Spring produced two new regional records, one first state record plus the usual bevy of rarities. Otherwise the migration was typical. Note that many of the casual and accidental species have yet to be reviewed by the state’s records committees. This report will be updated accordingly as the committees review the records. Sub-regional Compilers Sunil Gopalan (Wisconsin), Andrew Simon (Michigan), Ethan Urban (Michigan) Abbreviations: C.P. (County Park), L.P. (Lower Peninsula, MI),[...]
Oregon and Washington: Spring 2022
Spring 2022: 1 Mar–31 May Eric Heisey heiseyew@gmail.com Adrian Hinkle adrian.hinkle@gmail.com Christopher Hinkle christopher.hinkle2@gmail.com Recommended citation: Heisey, E., Hinkle, A., Hinkle, C. 2022. Spring 2022: Oregon-Washington. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-gEV> North American Birds. Many migrants arrived a bit earlier than normal, despite a rainy and at times cool spring. The biggest highlights were state-firsts of Common Crane and Cave Swallow in Oregon. Unusual numbers of coastal shorebirds found inland provided mid-spring excitement in the Willamette Valley. By the end of the season, an expected handful of vagrants showed up on the Eastside. Sub-Regional Compilers Tim Rodenkirk[...]
Tennessee & Kentucky: Winter 2022–2023
Winter 2022–2023: 1 Dec–28 Feb Graham Gerdeman grahamgerdeman@gmail.com Recommended citation: Gerdeman, G. 2023. Winter 2022–2023: Tennessee & Kentucky. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-gEI> North American Birds. Weather conditions throughout the region fluctuated widely. Average monthly December temperatures were in the normal range for Kentucky and above average throughout most of Tennessee, despite the region being rocked by a winter storm that sent temperatures plummeting into negative digits. Some locations in middle Tennessee briefly saw temperatures below 0˚F for the first time in more than two decades. January and February temperatures were much above average for the season.[...]
Illinois & Indiana: Spring 2022
Spring 2022: 1 Mar–31 May James D. Hengeveld jhengeve@indiana.edu Keith A. McMullen warbler7@sbcglobal.net Geoffrey A. Williamson geoffrey.williamson.21@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hengeveld, J.D., K.A. McMullen, and G.A. Williamson. 2023. Spring 2022: Illinois & Indiana. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-gDQ> North American Birds. Across the region, a warm March was likely at least partially responsible for many early April arrivals. Like March, May was also warmer and slightly wetter than average, while April was cooler and slightly drier than average. Rarities were plentiful. First state records for Illinois included Brown Booby and Lesser Goldfinch. Unusual waterfowl included Fulvous Whistling-Ducks, Whooper[...]
January 2024 Photo Quiz
Various aspects of the month’s quiz bird’s plumage and some structure features rule out grebes, loons, cormorants, and all other “swimmy things” other than ducks. Once among ducks, distinguishing between dabbling ducks and diving ducks is mostly easy and straightforward.
Québec: Winter 2022–2023
Winter 2022–2023: 1 Dec–28 Feb Pierre Bannon pierre.bannon@icloud.com Olivier Barden iridosornis@gmail.com Normand David normanddavid@videotron.ca Samuel Denault samueldenault@hotmail.com Recommended citation: Bannon, P., O. Barden, N. David and S. Denault. 2023. Winter 2022–2023: Québec. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-gC3> North American Birds. Overall, the winter was very mild. Positive anomalies between 1.5 and 3.5 degrees Celcius were recorded between December and February. Sherbrooke observed the greatest deviation from normal during this period. Ice cover formed very late on the main streams, prompting several waterfowl to attempt to overwinter. Some species even wintered successfully for the first time and others[...]
West Indies & Bermuda: Summer 2023
Summer 2023: 1 Jun–31 Jul Andrew Dobson (Greater Antilles and Bermuda) andrewdobs@gmail.com Anthony Levesque (Lesser Antilles) Anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr Recommended citation: Dobson, A. & A. Levesque. 2023. Summer 2023: West Indies & Bermuda. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-gBv> North American Birds. The brief summer period rarely produces surprises, but 2023 provided some spectacular sightings. The spotlight was on Barbados where two Little Swifts were new for both Barbados and the Americas. The island recorded its first Mississippi Kite—also new for the Lesser Antilles, and its first Cayenne Tern. A Pied Water-Tyrant was a great find in Grenada, another regional[...]
Hudson-Delaware Region: Fall 2022
Fall 2022: 1 Aug–30 Nov Amy Davis adavis@aba.org Shaibal S. Mitra shaibal.mitra@csi.cuny.edu Robert O. Paxton rop1@columbia.edu Frank Rohrbacher rohrbaf@aol.com Recommended citation: Davis, Amy, Shaibal S. Mitra, Robert O. Paxton, and Frank Rohrbacher. 2023. Fall 2022: Hudson-Delaware. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-gB4> North American Birds. Fall 2022 was memorable for the number of state firsts discovered in the Hudson-Delaware region. Three new species were found in New York―Bermuda Petrel, Limpkin, and Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher―while New Jersey hosted an astounding seven firsts: Broad-billed Hummingbird, Bermuda Petrel, Eurasian (Western) Marsh-Harrier, Tropical Kingbird, Hammond’s Flycatcher, Brewer’s Sparrow, and Kirtland’s Warbler. Of these,[...]
Hudson-Delaware Region: Summer 2023
Summer 2023: 1 Jun–31 Jul Robert O. Paxton rop1@columbia.edu Amy Davis adavis@aba.org Shaibal S. Mitra shaibal.mitra@csi.cuny.edu Recommended citation: Paxton, R.O. A. Davis, S. Mitra. 2023. Summer 2023: Hudson-Delaware. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-gAF> North American Birds. The Hudson-Delaware region avoided the extreme heat of some other parts of the U.S. in summer 2023, and rainfall was locally variable. Record rain fell in the Hudson Valley of NY on 9–10 Jul, reaching nearly six inches in 24 hours in some localities, but nesting was largely finished by then. Wildfires in the western U.S. and Canada created a smoke[...]
Inauguration of the Oaxaca Bird Festival
Multitudes of birders convened from Nov. 27 through Dec. 3, to exchange experiences, train in different workshops, and find lifers in one of the most biodiverse states in Mexico.
The Final Stretch
Sometime in the second half of 2024, I hope to see a bird. But this one will be different than other birds, although the bird will not know that. This particular bird will belong to a species that I will not have seen before, and it will represent my 10,000th species.
Southern California: Spring 2023
The Spring 2023, Mar. 1–May 31 Guy McCaskie guymcc@pacbell.net Kimball L. Garrett kgarrett@nhm.org Recommended citation: McCaskie, G., and K. L. Garrett. Spring 2023 Southern California <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-gy6> North American Birds. Following the winter’s higher-than-average precipitation much of the region sported a lush mantle of vegetation – a mixed blessing of healthy scrub and woodland growth but also a profusion of invasive annuals destined to dry out and fuel wildfires later in the year. Near-record snowfalls in some of the mountains formed a snowpack that lasted through the spring at higher elevations, and rivers and[...]
The Trans-Canada Jay Highway
I saw the movie “The Big Year,” and by the time I left the theatre I knew I had finally found my true passion, the one thing that was missing from my life: birding. It was not just everyday birdwatching I craved, but chasing, listing, traveling to see the birds.
The Golden-winged Warbler Is the ABA’s 2024 Bird of the Year!
by Frank Izaguirre Bee Bzz Bzz Bzz. That’s a sound birders love to hear, and, in some places, one birders hear less often than they used to. Gorgeous, threatened, prone to producing interesting hybrid combinations with Blue-winged Warblers: the Golden-winged Warbler is a birder favorite, whether encountered as an expected breeder, an uncommon migrant, or an electrifying vagrant. Golden-winged Warbler is also the first warbler selected as the ABA Bird of the Year. The ABA is honored to have Natasza Fontaine depict the 2024 Bird of the Year in her painting, “The Journey.” The art is[...]
Québec: Spring 2023
Provincial mega rarities included Eared Grebe, Gull-billed Tern, Sandwich Tern, White-winged Tern, Swallow-tailed Kite and Fish Crow.
North American Birds: Vol. 74, No. 2
⬅ ABA Members! Log in here before using the links below. view/download magazine In this issue: From a Regional Report Editor Andrew Keaveney About the Authors 34th Report of the ABA Checklist Committee 2023 Plus a Comprehensive Overview of Their Status and Distribution Within North America Peter Pyle et al. Photo Documentation of Markham’s Storm-Petrel in Mexico Steve N. G. Howell Summary of Winter 2022–2023 North American Finch Irruption Matthew A. Young, Matthew J. Williams, Tyler Hoar,[...]
Atlantic: Summer 2023
Summer 2023: 1 Jun–31 Jul David Seeler dseeler@eastlink.ca.ca Recommended citation: Seeler, D. 2023. Summer 2023: Atlantic. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-guI> North American Birds. It was warmer than normal, with wildfires continuing to burn uncontained through to mid-June in Nova Scotia. Temperatures remained above normal, so much so, that for most of the southern parts of the Region July was the hottest on record. Precipitation was above normal by the latter part of the season, fueled by constant atmospheric rivers entering the Region. This cumulated in major portions of central Nova Scotia being flooded multiple times in[...]
December 2023 Photo Quiz
Why do birds sit there all nice and steady… until one raises one’s camera? At least I expect this sort of behavior out of species in this family of passerines. Some quiz takers will work hard over this one, while others will snap out an answer immediately…
Hawaii: Spring 2023
Spring 2023: 1 Mar–31 May Alex Wang axwang12@gmail.com Jennifer Rothe jennifer.a.rothe@gmail.com Recommended citation: Wang, A. and J. Rothe. 2023. Spring 2023: Hawaii. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-gsQ> North American Birds. The arrival of spring in the Hawaiian Islands ushers in the end of the rainy season, but this year the arrival of fair, more stable weather was notably delayed. A parade of large, unusually active low pressure systems marched their way across the region all the way through into May. As a result, many areas of the Main Hawaiian Islands experienced flooding and high winds, and thunderstorms[...]
Ontario: Winter 2022–2023
Winter 2022–2023: 1 Dec–28 Feb Adam Capparelli adam.capparelli@mail.utoronto.ca Aaron Rusak afrusak@gmail.com Recommended citation: Capparelli, A., and A. Rusak. 2023. Winter 2022–2023: Ontario. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-gsG> North American Birds. We would like to extend our gratitude to Blake A. Mann for regional reporting and Andrew Keaveney for assistance in data logistics. Winter got off to a strong start in early December with colder than normal weather dominating most of the province up until the end of month. After that, things switched with mild weather settling in for the rest of the winter period aside from a[...]
First Red-flanked Bluetail in the Eastern ABA Area
A Red-flanked Bluetail was a stunning find in Whiting, New Jersey in early December 2023. The bird’s discovery has attracted hundreds of birders from all over the East Coast and beyond. Patient observers were rewarded with quick views of the hyperactive little Old World flycatcher in bluebird drag as she flitted around low to the ground and bobbed her tail.
American Birding Association Checklist Committee (CLC) Report, Early December 2023
This report primarily addresses updates to the ABA Checklist based on taxonomic revisions in October by Clements et al. (2023), as reflected in eBird checklists and Birds of the World accounts.
November 2023 Photo Quiz
Don’t blame me! I didn’t do it! Blame the bird for running out of the frame! Besides, while the bill might have helped, it might not have. Second besides, there are only four reasonable options for the bird’s identification, so you’re just going to have to do it without the bill.
Five Keys to Seeing 800 Birds in the ABA Area
In 1968, at the age of 10, I set a goal to see 600 bird species in the U.S. by what then seemed the impossibly old age of 50. At that time, it seemed to me that spotting 600 bird species was akin to a Major League Baseball player hitting 500 career home runs, a goal which only a handful of players had reached. So, seeing 600 bird species was achievable, and certainly very special.
Clark’s Nutcracker, Pinyon Jay, and Pygmy Nuthatch Irruption 2023
Clark’s Nutcracker, Pinyon Jay, and Pygmy Nuthatch are on the move in fall 2023. All three species are occurring on the coast and in the desert at lower elevations than usual, as well as out of range. Clark’s Nutcrackers reached Minnesota and Wisconsin, Pinyon Jays pushed eastward, especially in Colorado, and a Pygmy Nuthatch turned up in Saskatchewan.
Bird Names for the 21st Century
What about the problem of the proliferation of honorific, or patronymic, names on the ABA Checklist? Should all those names–some of them referring to widespread and familiar species commemorating significant historical figures–be scrapped? This commentary addresses that question, and proposes a way forward.
What Exactly is a Field Notebook?
Your notes are your notes. Write what you want, but in later years you’ll only have yourself to blame if your old notes don’t contain the information you find you want. If you have time, write it all down. If you don’t, pick and choose. But whatever you do, or don’t do, the main thing is to enjoy birding.
October 2023 Photo Quiz
Given the excellent size comparison with the leaves and stems, this month’s quiz bird must be rather small. There seems to be an eye ring; obvious white wing bars; white leading edges to the tertials; long-ish primary projection; a short-ish tail; and olive back, nape, and crown. Some birders will immediately recognize the bird from two characters...
The Chicago Megaflight of 5 October 2023
Ever witnessed thousands upon thousands of warblers streaming overhead nonstop? In early October, birders in Chicago experienced a migration spectacle that they won’t soon forget. Nathan Goldberg, Marky Mutchler, and Jacob Drucker report on this megaflight, what caused it, and how birders made sense of the chaos, as well as the sad reality of the window-strikes that resulted and what you can do to help.
Hawaii: Winter 2022–2023
While the Hawaii Region lacks the drastic seasonal cues experienced elsewhere in much of the ABA area, winter here nonetheless tends to be an eventful time from a birding standpoint. This winter was, in some ways, more eventful than average.
September 2023 Photo Quiz
Individual birds clinging to a tree in this bird’s manner are frequently woodpeckers but could be any of a number of species, some of which do not habitually perch in this fashion. The seemingly large patch of white on what might be the wings rules out Brown Creeper and various nuthatch species among the relatively few inveterate bark-clinging ABA-Area bird species. That white patch also rules out various species that I have seen irregularly or rarely engaging in bark-clinging behavior such as flycatchers, vireos, jays, warblers, and even sparrows.
Hurricane Idalia Report 2023
There is no gaudier or more glorious storm bird than American Flamingo, and perhaps no more absurd place for a pair of them to show up than Ohio. After Hurricane Idalia hurtled into the Florida panhandle, gawky hot pink waders began appearing as if in a nationwide yard flocking prank―in Florida, North Carolina, Texas, Ohio, and elsewhere.
Québec: Summer 2023
Summer 2023 was marked by the most severe wildfires that the province has ever seen, almost three times larger than any historic events. Temperatures were slightly higher than normal, especially in July, while precipitation was at a record-breaking high in many regions of southern Quebec.
West Indies & Bermuda: Spring 2023
Island ‘firsts’ included Upland Sandpiper and Yellow-headed Caracara for Jamaica; Curlew Sandpiper in the Dominican Republic; Little Ringed Plover and Short-eared Owl in Guadeloupe; and Common Pochard for Saint Martin (French part). Also, an Osprey photographed in Barbados was found to have arrived from Scotland.
Prairie Provinces: Spring 2023
Fine rarities included a Tufted Duck, Williamson’s Sapsucker, Eastern Wood-Pewee and Pinyon Jay in Alberta, a Slaty-backed Gull in Saskatchewan, Northern Pygmy-Owl breeding in Saskatchewan, a Bullock’s Oriole in Manitoba and a Worm-eating Warbler also in Manitoba.
August 2023 Photo Quiz
A bit of an odd little bird this month and one that would be, perhaps, more readily identified if the quiz were a video rather than a static photo. There is not much choice but to comb through the various species of ABA-Area shorebirds, and August is certainly a good month for those in most or all of the ABA Area. Distinctive features include…. Hmm, maybe I’ll leave determining those to the quiz takers. I will say, however, that one of those distinctive features is frequently overlooked when misidentifying this species for another.
Québec: Fall 2022
Again this year, the fall season was the most profuse regarding its number of exceptional birds. Rarities included Tundra Bean-Goose, Common Scoter, Magnificent Frigatebird, White-faced Ibis, Swallow-tailed Kite, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Gray Kingbird, Fieldfare, Green-tailed Towhee, and Townsend’s Warbler.
Southern California: Winter 2022–2023
Rarity highlights included California’s first winter Wood Sandpiper at the San Jacinto Wildlife Area in Riverside Co, two itinerant King Eiders, and singles of Rufous-backed Robin, Smith’s Longspur, Cassin’s Sparrow, and Streak-backed Oriole.
Atlantic: Winter 2022–2023
Reports of significance included Graylag Goose, Barnacle Goose, Common Ringed Plover, Black-tailed Godwit, Common Snipe, Gray Heron, Barn Owl, Eurasian Blackbird, Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, and Green-tailed Towhee. Also significant was the number of species attempting to overwinter and the late date records created as a result.
West Indies & Bermuda: Winter 2022–2023
Winter 2022–2023: 1 Dec–28 Feb Andrew Dobson (Greater Antilles, Bahamas, Bermuda) andrewdobs@gmail.com Anthony Levesque (Lesser Antilles) Anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr Recommended citation: Dobson, A., & A. Levesque. 2023. Winter 2022–2023: West Indies & Bermuda. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-fDQ> North American Birds. Significant first records occurred in Antigua (Northern Lapwing), Cuba (White Wagtail), Dominican Republic (Ruff), Guadeloupe (Western Reef-Heron), Saint Kitts (Spotted Redshank), and Jamaica (Southern Lapwing), while Bermuda recorded its second record of Hairy Woodpecker. Ducks to Shorebirds One long-staying Fulvous Whistling-Duck was joined by two more at Fosters Private Wetland, Saint Lucy, Barbados 7[...]
Prairie Provinces: Winter 2022–2023
Winter 2022–2023: 1 Dec-28 Feb Rudolf Koes rkoes@mymts.net James Fox fox.james.ed@gmail.com Recommended citation: Koes, R.F, and J. Fox. 2023. Winter 2022-2023: Prairie Provinces. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-fDi> North American Birds. The winter of 2022–2023 was very quiet in the Prairie Provinces, bird-wise. Many of the species that are usually counted on to add spice to the season were scarce or absent. Northern owls were hard to come by, with mediocre numbers of Snowy Owls and an almost complete absence of Northern Hawk-Owls and Great Gray Owls. Similarly, winter finches were present in low numbers, with a[...]
Baja California Peninsula: Year 2022
Year 2022: 1 Jan–31 Dec Richard A. Erickson richard.erickson@lsa.net Gerardo Marrón atakamara@gmail.com Enrique D. Zamora-Hernández zugunruhe@gmail.com Recommended citation: Erickson, R. A., G. Marrón, and E. D. Zamora-Hernández. 2023. Year 2022: Baja California Peninsula. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-fCa> North American Birds. Observer coverage of the region continued to improve in 2022 based on eBird data, and the number of species recorded increased in kind. At 417, the total number for the region was more than in the previous two years (405, 402). The same was true for Baja California Sur (343 compared to 316 and 336), but[...]
American Birding Association Checklist Committee (CLC) Midterm Report, 2023
We present our 2023 "midterm" announcements based on species additions and ABA code changes since our annual report in December 2022. Additions and code changes will be incorporated into the next ABA Checklist, along with taxonomic and nomenclatural revisions from the 64th Supplement to the American Ornithological Society (AOS) Check-list.
2023’s El Niño Begins
Marine ecology is complicated, yet there is one pattern that is quite consistent: cold water has more food than warm water. So when waters warm in an El Niño, such as is occurring now, birds move to find food. Read on for details about what exciting birds are showing up, and where.
July 2023 Photo Quiz
There are not a lot of ABA-Area bird families that could claim a bird that looks like this, what with those long legs, strongly patterned tawny wings, and strongly black-barred tawny tail. In fact, most observers probably immediately narrowed the bird down to just a couple of species, neither of which is at all rare in the ABA Area...
New England: Fall 2022
New England’s fall 2022 highlight reel features a second North American record (Cape Verde Shearwater), the United States’ first documented Eurasian Marsh Harrier, and an overnight pelagic trip with an unprecedented—and prodigious—number of tubenoses.
ABA Welcomes New Executive Director Wayne Klockner
After an extensive search, ABA is excited to announce the appointment of Wayne Klockner as Executive Director. Wayne joins the ABA with an impressive history of nonprofit leadership experience in the conservation field, including a 38-year career with The Nature Conservancy.
North American Birds: Vol. 74, No. 1
⬅ ABA Members! Log in here before using the links below. view/download magazine In this issue: From the Editor Michael L. P. Retter About the Authors Red-legged Honeycreepers in the Unites States Plus a Comprehensive Overview of Their Status and Distribution Within North America Amy Davis Michael L. P. Retter First State and Provincial Records from 2022 Compiled by Nate Swick “European” Sandwich Tern in North America Notes on Occurrence and Identification David Sibley What’s So Kingly[...]
Western Great Lakes: Winter 2022–2023
Winter 2022–2023: 1 Dec–28 Feb Ethan Urban ethanurban9@gmail.com Recommended citation: Urban, E. 2023. Winter 2022–2023: Western Great Lakes. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-fwq> North American Birds. This mostly unremarkable winter season was warmer than average, and included a few notable rarities such as Ivory Gull, multiple Slaty-backed Gulls, Yellow-billed Loon, and Prairie Falcon. It was a poor winter for Snowy Owl and, with the exception of Evening Grosbeaks, winter finches. Note that many of the casual and accidental species have yet to be reviewed by their respective records committees. This report will be updated accordingly as the[...]
Lost in the Bermuda Triangle
Reverse Migration, Overshoots, and the Concentrating Effect of Oceanic Islands on Migrating Birds
Oceanic islands are well known for the occurrence of extralimital vagrants, and Bermuda may get more than most, as it is located between the two American continents.
“European” Sandwich Tern in North America
After combing through hundreds of photos of vagrant Sandwich Terns in North America, David Sibley discovered that many were of European origin. In this article, Sibley shares new artwork and discusses field marks to help us identify them.
Western Great Lakes: Fall 2022
Rarities abounded in a spectacular season. There were three regional first records with numerous accidentals and casuals for all three states. Whitefish Point Bird Observatory (WPBO) continued its reputation as the region’s premier rarity hotspot.
June 2023 Photo Quiz
Don’t you just love looking up at the nether regions of birds? I can imagine some quiz takers crying foul, but the bird is identifiable. In fact, it’s easily identifiable. One simply must be aware of the usefulness of certain characters, and that awareness takes study, both of field guides and of actual birds.
Arkansas Region: Spring 2021
Spring 2021: 1 Mar–31 May Lyndal York lrbluejay@gmail.com Recommended citation: York, L. 2023. Spring 2021: Arkansas Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-fpj> North American Birds. Seasonal highlights include: Black-necked Stilt, Dunlin, Dark-eyed Junco x White-throated Sparrow Hybrid, Evening Grosbeak, Lesser Goldfinch, Lazuli Bunting, Bobolink, Yellow-headed Blackbird. Swans through Doves Trumpeter Swans are rare outside of the Magness Lake, Cleburne Co area where they have been regular in significant numbers in winter. This season there are only two reports of Trumpeter Swans outside the afore mentioned area: three at a small pond near James[...]
Hawaii: Fall 2022
Fall 2022: 1 Aug–30 Nov Alex Wang axwang12@gmail.com Jennifer Rothe jennifer.a.rothe@gmail.com Recommended citation: Wang, A., and J. Rothe. 2023. Summer 2022: Hawaii. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-fnS> North American Birds. Autumn begins an exciting season for birders in the Hawaii Region. Long-distance migrants like Bristle-thighed Curlew and Pacific Golden-Plover begin returning from their nesting grounds on the North American continent, and handfuls of waterfowl settle in to overwinter in the islands. Invariably, these expected arrivals are accompanied by a mixed bag of wayward migrants, most often in the form of raptors, gulls, and especially shorebirds. The first-ever[...]
Arkansas Region: Summer 2021
Summer 2021: 1 Jun–31 Jul Lyndal York lrbluejay@gmail.com Recommended citation: York, L. 2023. Summer 2021: Arkansas Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-fnI> North American Birds. Seasonal highlights: Greater White-fronted Goose, Greater White-fronted Goose x Canada Goose hybrid, Inca Dove, White-winged Dove, and Sandhill Crane. Whistling-Ducks through Quails Nesting of Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks was established in Crawford Co with the appearance adults with at least 12 recently hatched chicks near Alma, King Ranch along Orrick Road, Crawford Co 18 Jun (Joe Neal). In addition, two Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks were observed along the Coal Hill BBS route[...]
Arkansas Region: Summer 2020
Summer 2020: 1 Jun–31 Jul Lyndal York lrbluejay@gmail.com Recommended citation: York, L. 2022. Summer 2020: Arkansas Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-fnw> North American Birds. Seasonal highlights: Red-breasted Merganser, Rufous Hummingbird, Laughing Gull, Royal Tern, nesting White-faced Ibis, and nesting Swallow-tailed Kites. Ducks through Terns Red-breasted Merganser photographed at Lake Balboa, Hot Springs Village, Garland Co 20 Jun (Vic Prislipsky) was just the second ever summer record. An Inca Dove at Stephens 26 Jun was just the second for Ouachita Co (Michael Linz, Patty McLean). A White-winged Dove was west of Garland City,[...]
Arkansas Region: Fall 2022
Fall 2022: 1 Aug–30 Nov Lyndal York lrbluejay@gmail.com Recommended citation: York, L. 2023. Fall 2022: Arkansas Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-fnc> North American Birds. Seasonal highlights include Tundra Swan, Eurasian Wigeon, Red-necked Grebe, Limpkin, Brown Booby, Swallow-tailed Kite, and a Say’s Phoebe. Continuing observation of Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks at the Arkadelphia Oxidation Ponds, Clark Co 13 Aug verifies suspected reproduction with four young seen. Up to 10 adults have been at this site since 23 May (Renn and Terry Tumlison). Two Tundra Swans were seen foraging in a field with 10 Trumpeter Swans[...]
West Indies & Bermuda: Fall 2022
Fall 2022: 1 Aug–30 Nov Andrew Dobson (Bermuda) andrewdobs@gmail.com Anthony Levesque (Lesser Antilles) Anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr Recommended citation: Dobson, A. & A. Levesque. 2023. Fall 2022: West Indies & Bermuda. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-fmO> North American Birds. The 2022 Fall season certainly did not disappoint with numerous first appearances for many islands. Pride of place to the first record of Elegant Tern in the West Indies reporting area—photographed on Grand Cayman. Other highlights included Grenada’s first Aplomado Falcon and Wattled Jacana; a Red-legged Honeycreeper in the Bahamas; a Gadwall in Antigua; and a Yellow-headed Blackbird in the Dominican[...]
May 2023 Photo Quiz
While driving through open country on a lovely May day, this brown bird pops up onto a fence and poses for a time. One might consider passing it by as it is obviously one of those brown sparrowy things.
CODEBREAKERS: How to Find the Elusive Black Rail
One of the great things about birding is that some birds are incredibly challenging to find, requiring skill, patience, and, maybe most of all, luck. The ABA and Birding magazine are dedicated to helping birders increase their chances of finding the ABA Area’s most difficult birds by providing tips and tricks by top birding experts. That’s the philosophy behind the new Codebreakers series, of which Heather Hill’s column on finding Black Rails is the first entry.
April 2023 Photo Quiz
With this quiz photo, April seems to be setting up as raptorial-thing month in the ABA Photo Quiz. If I remember, perhaps that will continue next year. The color pattern immediately rules out all ABA-Area vulture species and falcon species, including Crested Caracara, leaving us with ...
Arkansas Region: Winter 2020–2021
Winter 2020–2021: 1 Dec–28 Feb Lyndal York lrbluejay@gmail.com Recommended citation: York, L. 2022. Winter 2020–2021: Arkansas Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-f4x> North American Birds. Seasonal highlights include Common Merganser, Anna’s Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, Cattle Egret, White Ibis, Prairie Falcon, Tropical Kingbird, White-eyed Vireo, Townsend’s Solitaire, Evening Grosbeak, Common Redpoll, Yellow Warbler, Summer Tanager. Swans through Mergansers Five Trumpeter Swans near Walnut Ridge 2 Feb were a first for Lawrence Co (Kent Freeman). Tundra Swans are annual or nearly so in Cleburne Co; one was at SEECO Lake off Hiram Road 15 Dec (Michael Linz, Patty McLean);[...]
Arkansas Region: Fall 2021
Fall 2021: 1 Aug–30 Nov Lyndal York lrbluejay@gmail.com Recommended citation: York, L. 2023. Fall 2021: Arkansas Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-f4h> North American Birds. Seasonal highlights: Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Piping Plover, Black-legged Kittiwake, Neotropic Cormorant, Vermilion Flycatcher, Cave Swallow, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Bewick's Wren, and Clay-colored Sparrow. Waterfowl Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks are suspected to be breeding at the Arkadelphia Oxidation Ponds (restricted access), Clark Co since two adults and three fledged young were seen here 12 Sep (Renn & Terry Tumlison). Five adults had been seen at this location in March and April. A very high number of 175[...]
Southern Great Plains: Fall 2021
Fall 2021: 1 Aug–30 Nov W. Ross Silcock silcock@rosssilcock.com Chuck Otte cotte@twinvalley.net Joseph A. Grzybowski j_grzybowski@sbcglobal.net Recommended citation: Silcock W.R., C. Otte, J. Grzybowski. 2023. Fall 2021: Southern Great Plains. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-f2H> North American Birds. Recent years have seen increasing reports of birds lingering quite late, and this fall was no exception. Fall was fairly slow in arriving, resulting in numerous sightings of tardy birds that many years would be noteworthy, but were commonplace this year. Along the same lines, perhaps fewer than normal unusual waterfowl were noted in the southern region because of[...]
New Mexico: Fall 2021
Fall 2021: 1 Aug–30 Nov Matthew J. Baumann mbaumann22@gmail.com Raymond L. VanBuskirk newmexicobirder@gmail.com Jodhan Fine jodhanfine22@gmail.com Andrew T. Theus andrewtheus93@gmail.com Recommended citation: Baumann, M. J., R. L. VanBuskirk, J. Fine., and A. Theus. 2021. Fall 2021: New Mexico. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-f2f> North American Birds. Fall 2021 was yet another drought-ridden season in the state of New Mexico. While there was not enough precipitation to majorly combat the effects of the ongoing drought, the state fortunately experienced an above average monsoon season, particularly in the southwest region. Most notable this season were two unprecedented first state[...]
Atlantic Region: Fall 2022
Fall 2022: 1 Aug–30 Nov David Seeler dseeler@eastlink.ca Recommended citation: Seeler, D. 2022. Fall 2022: Atlantic. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-f0w> North American Birds. The Eurasian strain of the highly pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus (H5N1) continued to affect the region. In the words of IL Jones, St. John’s Newfoundland, on 20 August 2022: “A substantial proportion of NL’s seabird breeding population has died this summer (I can hardly believe I am writing this). Common Murres and Northern Gannets seem to have been worst hit, with Atlantic Puffins possibly not as badly affected. Other seabirds like Razorbills and[...]
Southern California: Fall 2022
Fall 2022: 1 August–30 November Guy McCaskie guymcc@pacbell.net Kimball L. Garrett cyanolyca818@gmail.com Recommended citation: McCaskie, G., and K. L. Garrett. Fall 2022: Southern California. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-f07> North American Birds. The Fall of 2022 in Southern California will be remembered for the quantity and quality of landbird vagrants along with some notable seabird rarities. The season began with another wave of near record heat through August and September, punctuated by some strong monsoonal rains on the deserts (including historic flooding in Death Valley). Remnants of Tropical Storm Kay, which had been a hurricane when off[...]
Alabama & Mississippi: Spring 2022
Spring 2022: 1 Mar–31 May Lawrence Gardella lfgardella@gmail.com Recommended citation: Gardella, Lawrence. 2023. Spring 2022: Alabama & Mississippi. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-eZN> North American Birds. . Birders this spring continued to find various birds expanding their ranges north, west, and south. Although overall migration was relatively slow, the season had its highlights, including several rarities, an influx of unusual numbers of eastern migrants to coastal Alabama and good numbers of American Golden-Plovers in several parts of the region. I once again thank Bob Duncan for much helpful information regarding the season’s weather. March started warm; dry[...]
Ontario: Summer 2022
Summer 2022: 1 Jun–31 Jul Adam Capparelli adam.capparelli@mail.utoronto.ca Aaron Rusak afrusak@gmail.com Recommended citation: Capparelli, A., and A. Rusak. 2022. Summer 2022: Ontario. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-eZC> North American Birds. Summer 2022 was as uneventful in birds as it was in weather. Temperatures started off cooler and below seasonal in the beginning of June and this persisted for almost the entire month. Towards the end of June a high pressure system originating south of the border resulted in extreme heat and record-breaking temperatures in some areas of southern Ontario. The hot temperatures continued throughout July and into[...]
Ontario: Fall 2022
Fall 2022: 1 Aug–30 Nov Adam Capparelli adam.capparelli@mail.utoronto.ca Aaron Rusak afrusak@gmail.com Recommended citation: Capparelli, A., and A. Rusak. 2023. Fall 2022: Ontario. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-eZr> North American Birds. Fall 2022 was unusually warm, not just in Ontario, but across all of Canada, with many provinces recording their warmest October ever. Starting from August, hot, summer-like weather continued well into September. The same was true with precipitation, with most of the province seeing near- or below-average precipitation. October and November continued the trend of warm weather in Ontario with southwest winds dominating the forecast. This unseasonably[...]
Prairie Provinces: Fall 2022
Fall 2022: 1 Aug–30 Nov Rudolf Koes rkoes@mymts.net James Fox fox.james.ed@gmail.com Recommended citation: Koes, R.F., and J. Fox. 2023. Fall 2022: Prairie Provinces. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-eYW> North American Birds. Relatively mild and placid weather during much of the period enticed many migrants to linger beyond normal departure dates and resulted in a drawn-out overall migration. This came to an abrupt end during the second week of November, with cold temperatures and substantial snow, especially in the east of the region. Northern owls and winter finches remained scarce, a trend that continued into winter. Rare alcids[...]
Alaska: Summer 2022
Summer 2022: 1 Jun–31 Jul Thede Tobish Tgtljo@gmail.com Recommended citation: Tobish, T. 2022. Summer 2022: Alaska. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-eXV> North American Birds. Summer 2022 was a tale of two dominant weather conditions. Continuing from May was strengthening continental high pressure, characterized by widespread stable, warm, and dry conditions across the region. Record high temperatures and drought-like weather featured from the North Slope down to the Southeast. This spell of fine weather no doubt enhanced June breeding conditions but also allowed for one of the region’s worst fire seasons. Over three million acres had burned by[...]
Prairie Provinces: Spring 2022
Spring 2022: 1 Mar–31 May Rudolf Koes rkoes@mymts.net James Fox fox.james.ed@gmail.com Recommended citation: Koes, R.F., and J. Fox. 2022. Spring 2022: Prairie Provinces. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-eWY> North American Birds. After an abnormally dry 2021 the spring of 2022 became one of the wettest on record, particularly in southern Manitoba and southeastern Saskatchewan. A series of Colorado Lows brought snow, followed by rain, resulting in the wettest April since 1896 in Winnipeg, while May saw three times the normal amount of rain. Temperatures were also below normal throughout the region. Not withstanding these conditions, or perhaps[...]
Québec: Summer 2022
Summer 2022: 1 Jun–31 JulPierre Bannonpierre.bannon@icloud.comOlivier Bardeniridosornis@gmail.comNormand Davidnormanddavid@videotron.caSamuel Denaultsamueldenault@hotmail.comRecommended citation: Bannon, P., O. Barden, N. David and S. Denault. 2022. Summer 2022: Québec. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-eW3> North American Birds. Highlights in the province of Québec this summer included two Black-necked Stilts, a Royal Tern, a Sandwich Tern and a Rock Wren. More info on these and on other interesting birds seen in summer 2022 are following. All records are tentative until official acceptance by the Québec Bird Records Committee. DUCKS THROUGH VULTURESA group of seven Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks was reported at Rivière-Trois-Pistoles 5 Jun (Jean-Claude Pelletier),[...]
Southern Atlantic: Winter 2020–2021
Winter 2020–2021: 1 Dec–28 Feb Josh Jackson decaturjosh@gmail.com Rich Jackson rjcos@me.com Recommended citation: Jackson, J., and R. Jackson. 2021. Winter 2020–2021: Southern Atlantic. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-eVV> North American Birds. The winter of 2020–2021 saw a “superflight” irruption of boreal finches all down the East Coast. While some backyard birders might have complained about the abundance of Pine Siskins eating them out of birdseed, others took the opportunity to go see Evening Grosbeaks, Red Crossbills and even a wayward Common Redpoll in their home state. South Carolina added to its state list with the arrival of a Townsend’s[...]
March 2023 Photo Quiz
Driving down the road, you spot what seems an odd-looking bird for one perched on a roadside wire. You stop and get only a one- or two-second view before your presence flushes the bird into the nearby woodlot on private property.
WEBINAR: Birding & Nature Study on the Southern Ocean
ABA Members can view the recording of this webinar here: https://www.aba.org/community/groups/programs-webinars/ The American Birding Association kicks off our Programs and Webinars, exclusively for members, with this outstanding travelogue by Ted Floyd. What: Join longtime Birding magazine Editor Ted Floyd for a virtual journey to the end of the Earth. Our expedition will take us from Tierra del Fuego to the Falklands to legendary South Georgia to the “Ice Continent” itself, Antarctica. Along the way, we will encounter staggering numbers of seabirds and marine mammals, along with otherworldly snowscapes and exhilarating seascapes. The presentation will be illustrated[...]
Hawaii: Summer 2022
Summer 2022: 1 Jun–31 Jul Alex Wang axwang12@gmail.com Jennifer Rothe jennifer.a.rothe@gmail.com Recommended citation: Wang, A. and J. Rothe. 2022. Summer 2022: Hawaii. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-eMo> North American Birds. Summer in the Hawaii Region tends to be a relatively uneventful season for birding. Overwintering ducks and shorebirds have typically long since departed the region for their breeding grounds, though the occasional individual opts to remain in the islands rather than brave the perils of another trans-Pacific journey. Outside of typical migration windows, large oceanic storm systems represent the best chance to deliver rarities to the islands;[...]
Oregon and Washington: Winter 2021-2022
Fall 2021: 1 Dec–28 Feb Eric Heisey heiseyew@gmail.com Adrian Hinkle adrian.hinkle@gmail.com Christopher Hinkle christopher.hinkle2@gmail.com Recommended citation: Heisey, E., Hinkle, A., Hinkle, C. 2022. Winter 2021–2022: Oregon-Washington. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-eM9> North American Birds. There were few Covid-19-related cancellations, with good turnout on most CBCs. A single early December pelagic trip out of Newport ran as scheduled. December was wet, cold, and windy, with unusually low-elevation westside snow and ice during CBC season. Snowy conditions close to sea level led to the cancellation of the Yaquina Bay CBC in late December. Some other coastal CBCs suffered from[...]
Coexistence to Conserve
Indigenous Birders, Cattle Ranchers, and Conservation in Latin America
Birding and bird photography have become popular pursuits in Latin America, and, for many, even a career. This development applies also to Indigenous communities, where some people have discovered that they can use birding as a way to protect the area they live in while deriving a livelihood.
February 2023 Photo Quiz
While some may be confounded by this photo quiz, others will nail it immediately. One of the benefits of really looking at birds, really studying them, is the little kernels of knowledge that such scrutiny can impart, items that might, down the road, enable certain ID of a bird seen poorly.
Southern Atlantic: Fall 2020
Fall 2020: 1 Aug–30 Nov Josh Jackson decaturjosh@gmail.com Rich Jackson rjcos@me.com Recommended citation: Jackson, J., and R. Jackson. 2021. Fall 2020: Southern Atlantic. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-eCv> North American Birds. It was a wetter and warmer than average fall across most of GA, SC, and NC, and a record 30 tropical storms were given names in the North Atlantic Basin. The continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic saw a number of new birders finding entertainment in their backyards or chasing notable rarities, such as the Brown Booby that remained on GA’s Lake Lanier for more than two[...]
An Overview of Early Fall 2022 Southern Rockies Irruptions and a Primer on Bird Irruptions
Some folks lament the transition into cold weather seasons, as days grow shorter and nights dip toward frigid temperatures, but for many birders, fall and winter provide an opportunity to observe a fascinating and sometimes unpredictable phenomenon: dispersal and migration following the breeding season.
Arkansas & Louisiana: Fall 2020
Fall 2020: 1 Aug–30 Nov Lyndal York lrbluejay@gmail.com Recommended citation: York, L. 2023. Fall 2020: Arkansas Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-eAP> North American Birds. Seasonal Highlights include Common Ground-Dove, Rufous Hummingbird, Yellow Rail, Black Rail, Long-billed Curlew, Laughing Gull, Swallow-tailed Kite, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, and Evening Grosbeak. WATERFOWL THROUGH GALLINULES An estimated 20,000 Greater White-fronted Geese were just east of Lodge’s Corner, Arkansas Co 15 Oct (Kenny & LaDonna Nichols). Sea ducks this season included a Surf Scoter at Big Lake WMA, Mississippi Co 2 Nov (Timothy P. Jones); a single Black Scoter at Alma Wastewater Plant,[...]
Snowy Owl Viewing Ethics
Closer to Owls, but in the Right Ways.
Snowy Owls are one of the most recognized and beloved birds in the world. To protect them, it’s essential that birders enjoy these birds ethically.
January 2023 Photo Quiz
There are at least two features that often distinguish between skilled, experienced birders and others when it comes to large flocks of birds. The first is the understanding that just because many or most of the individuals of a large flock of birds appear to be referable to the same species does not necessarily mean that such an assumption is true for the entire flock.
New England: Spring 2022
Spring 2022: 1 Mar–31 May Greg Hanisek ctgregh@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hanisek, G. 2022. Spring 2022: New England. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-eux> North American Birds. Shorebirds were noteworthy among a variety of early arrivals. In Massachusetts only two species, American Oystercatcher and Whimbrel, were later than the average arrival date for this century. An April 11–12 cold front produced what veteran observer Rick Heil considered one of the best April fallouts he's seen on Plum Island. Sub-regional Compilers Louis Bevier (Maine), Kent MacFarland (Vermont), Steve Mirick (New Hampshire), Bob Stymeist, Neil Heyward (Massachusetts), Rachel Farrell (Rhode Island),[...]
Crested Terns in Florida
While the tern complex does not contain as many species as the gull complex and therefore is not as confounding, the identification of Thalasseus terns nonetheless can be challenging. In addition to the normal variation in body size and coloration of bare parts such as bills and legs, identification can be hampered by continent-crossing vagrants that may breed with related species in both North America and in Europe, creating hybrids and back-crosses.
Field Identification of Subspecies
An important goal of almost every birder is to identify birds correctly. To that end, one of the joys of birding is that there is always more to learn. As we study and gain experience in the field, we become more attuned to look for the best marks that lead to proper identifications.
December 2022 Photo Quiz
While some might immediately recognize the species represented here, others may have to work out the ID. That difference is often the primary one between skilled, experienced birders and others. Research on how skilled practitioners of birding has shown that such use a different portion of their brains to identify individuals of species they know well than do birders that do not know the species well or at all.
Atlantic Region: Summer 2022
Summer 2022: 1 Jun–31 Jul David Seeler dseeler@eastlink.ca Recommended citation: Seeler, D. 2022. Summer 2022: Atlantic Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-elk> North American Birds. It was warm and humid this season with rainfall less than normal for most of the region. Avian Flu/H5N1 continued its devastating course through the region’s avian species this season There has been a significant impact on domestic species as well as those species that live in densely packed colonies throughout the region. Evidence of spread to marine and terrestrial mammals has been documented for the region. Species of note for the[...]
Arkansas & Louisiana: Spring 2020
Spring 2020: 1 Mar–31 May Lyndal York lrbluejay@gmail.com Recommended citation: York, L. 2022. Spring 2020: Arkansas Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-eld> North American Birds. Seasonal highlights include Cinnamon Teal, Red-necked Grebe, Long-billed Curlew, Brown Booby, breeding Roseate Spoonbills, Swallow-tailed Kite, Lesser Goldfinch, and Scott’s Oriole. Waterfowl through Shorebirds Very rare transient Cinnamon Teals were at Hiwasse, Benton 17 Apr (Patti Bertschy) and Dardanelle, Yell Co 25–26 Apr (Kenny & LaDonna Nichols. Notable lingering waterfowl included: a Greater Scaup at Bald Knob NWR, White Co 9 May (Glenn & Michelle Wyatt); a Common[...]
Prairie Provinces: Summer 2022
Summer 2022: 1 Jun–30 Jul Rudolf Koes rkoes@mymts.net James Fox fox.james.ed@gmail.com Recommended citation: Koes, R.F., and J. Fox. 2022. Summer 2022: Prairie Provinces. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-ekO> North American Birds. The summer of 2022 was hot across the Prairie Provinces and very wet, especially in southern Manitoba and southeastern Saskatchewan, continuing a trend started in the spring. Alberta experienced some very destructive storms. Although the shorebird migration at both ends of the season was lacklustre, the copious rains created areas with sheetwater on agricultural fields in southern Manitoba, which attracted a decent number and variety of[...]
West Indies & Bermuda: Summer 2022
Summer 2022: 1 Jun–31 Jul Andrew Dobson (Greater Antilles and Bermuda) andrewdobs@gmail.com Anthony Levesque (Lesser Antilles) Anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr Recommended citation: Dobson, A., and A. Levesque. 2022. Summer 2022: West Indies & Bermuda. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-ekE> North American Birds. Cuba recorded its first Great-tailed Grackle and the Turks and Caicos Islands, their first Black Tern. The first breeding of Antillean Euphonia was proven in Guadeloupe. Seawatching highlights included a Bulwer’s Petrel off Guadeloupe and two South Polar Skuas off Bermuda. Waterfowl through Terns Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks are rare in Bermuda with two first reported[...]
West Indies & Bermuda: Spring 2022
Spring 2022: 1 Mar–30 Apr Andrew Dobson (Greater Antilles and Bermuda) andrewdobs@gmail.com Anthony Levesque (Lesser Antilles) Anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr Recommended citation: Dobson, A. and A. Levesque. 2022. Spring 2022: West Indies & Bermuda. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-ekq> North American Birds. Cuba recorded its first Brant; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines documented its first Green Kingfisher; a Bald Eagle in Bermuda was the first for 34 years; and Guadeloupe recorded its second White-winged Tern. Waterfowl to Shorebirds Two Black-bellied Whistling Ducks were seen at Harrington Sound, Bermuda 31 May (Kieran Richardson). A Fulvous Whistling-Duck was[...]
Hudson-Delaware Region: Summer 2022
Summer 2022: 1 Jun–31 Jul Robert O. Paxton rop1@columbia.edu Amy Davis adavis@aba.org Shaibal S. Mitra shaibal.mitra@csi.cuny.edu Frank Rohrbacher rohrbaf@aol.com Recommended citation: Paxton, R. O., Amy Davis, Shaibal S. Mitra, and Frank Rohrbacher. 2022. Summer 2022: Hudson-Delaware. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-ekd> North American Birds. Summer 2022 was hot and, in the region’s north, dry. In New York City, the average temperature in June was 79°F compared with an average of 71.4°F, while total precipitation in June was only 2.92” as compared with an average of 3.56”. Rainfall in Rochester in June was only 2.04” as compared with[...]
North American Birds: Vol. 73, No. 2
This issue features the ABA Checklist Committee's annual report, the annual Check-list Redux, details on the US's first Bat Falcon, and an article on whether Western Flycatcher should be re-lumped.
Southern California: Summer 2022
Summer 2022: 1 Jun–31 Jul Guy McCaskie guymcc@pacbell.net Kimball L. Garrett cyanolyca818@gmail.com Recommended citation: McCaskie, G., and K. L. Garrett. 2022. Summer 2022: Southern California. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-eiY> North American Birds. Weather conditions through the summer period typified the 21st century pattern of reduced coastal marine layer influence, very dry terrestrial conditions, and lots of heat. Monsoon conditions (which proved to be well above average in August and September) had not arrived by the end of July. There were no major brush fires through the period, though a number of smaller fires burned in most[...]
Southern California: Spring 2022
Spring 2022: 1 Mar–31 May Guy McCaskie guymcc@pacbell.net Kimball L. Garrett cyanolyca818@gmail.com Recommended citation: McCaskie, G., and K. L. Garrett. 2022. Spring 2022: Southern California. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-eiG> North American Birds. It was something of a lackluster spring over most of the Region, punctuated by a predictable sprinkling of rarities. There was intensive monitoring of early morning visible migration of landbirds at various sites, most notably Bear Divide in the western San Gabriel Mts. of Los Angeles Co, the area around Gorman in the northwest corner of Los Angeles Co, Mt. Soledad in La Jolla,[...]
Ontario: Spring 2022
Spring 2022: 1 Mar–31 May Adam Capparelli adam.capparelli@mail.utoronto.ca Aaron Rusak afrusak@gmail.com Recommended citation: Capparelli, A., and A. Rusak. 2022. Spring 2022: Ontario. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-ehQ> North American Birds. We would like to extend our gratitude to Blake A. Mann, Maureen Riggs, Brian Ratcliff, Carter Dorscht, and Jeremy L. Hatt for regional reporting, Andrew Keaveney for assistance in data logistics, and Matt Parsons, Cesar Ponce, Markus Legzdins, and Jarmo Jalava for contributing the photo highlights for this report. March was a month of tumultuous weather with a mix of unusual warmth and winter weather but ended[...]
Québec: Spring 2022
Spring 2022: 1 Mar–31 May Pierre Bannon pierre.bannon@icloud.com Olivier Barden iridosornis@gmail.com Normand David normanddavid@videotron.ca Samuel Denault samueldenault@hotmail.com Recommended citation: Bannon, P., O. Barden, N. David and S. Denault. 2022. Spring 2022: Québec. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-ehA> North American Birds. Spring is a good season to see vagrant birds and this year was no exception. Among the waterfowl, Québec birders had the opportunity to see old world species like Tundra Bean-Goose, Pink-footed Goose, Barnacle Goose, Tufted Duck, and Common Pochard. Furthermore, the record-breaking numbers of Golden Eagles and Broad-winged Hawks southwest of Montréal astounded hawkwatchers. Finally, a[...]
Western Great Lakes: Summer 2022
Summer 2022: 1 Jun–31 Jul William Marengo wcmarengo@gmail.com Recommended citation: Marengo, W. 2022. Summer 2022: Western Great Lakes. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-ehf> North American Birds. Dry conditions prevailed throughout the season. There was good news for one regional breeding specialty but discouraging news for another. Unusual for summer, the region experienced a parade of impressive rarities. A total of at least six first state records were found, one being a first United States record, amongst the other accidentals. Note that many of the casual and accidental species have yet to be reviewed by the state’s records[...]
Celebrating the 2022 ABA Award Recipients: Peter Pyle, Holly Merker, Ted Floyd, and Nate Swick
On behalf of the ABA Board of Directors and staff, the ABA Awards Committee is delighted to announce the winners of the 2022 ABA Awards. This year, the ABA Awards Committee is happy to recognize one recipient of the ABA Lifetime Achievement Award, also called “The Tropicbird,” one recipient of the Award for Conservation and Education, and two recipients of the Award for Distinguished Service. ABA Awards are given to birders who have done exceptional work in promoting the cause of birding.
November 2022 Photo Quiz
Quiz photo taken late October.
Ahh, one of those pale, gull things. At least it’s not a member of Larus!
Or is it?
The Music of Stephanie Seymour
Listen to the songs mentioned in Stephanie Seymour's interview in the December 2022 issue of Birding magazine from her brilliant album, There Are Birds.
Western Great Lakes: Spring 2022
Spring 2022: 1 Mar–31 May William Marengo wcmarengo@gmail.com Recommended citation: Marengo, W. 2022. Spring 2022: Western Great Lakes. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-een> North American Birds. Numerous rarities were seen this spring, especially from Wisconsin. Highlights include Fulvous-whistling Duck, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and Ash-throated Flycatcher. Note that many of the casual and accidental species have yet to be reviewed by the state’s records committees. This report will be updated accordingly as the committees review the records. Sub-regional Compilers Sunil Gopalan (Wisconsin), Andrew Simon (Michigan), Ethan Urban (Michigan) Abbreviations LP (Lower Peninsula, MI), NWR (National Wildlife Refuge), SGA (State[...]
Hawaii: Spring 2022
Spring 2022: 1 Mar–31 May Alex Wang axwang12@gmail.com Jennifer Rothe jennifer.a.rothe@gmail.com Recommended citation: Wang, A and J. Rothe. 2022. Spring 2022: Hawaii. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-ebq> North American Birds. While spring in the Hawaii Region largely lacks the blatant climactic cues experienced elsewhere in much of the ABA area, there are nonetheless subtle indicators of seasonal shift present in the islands. The vernal season generally marks the transition from rainy winter weather to drier days; however, this spring was unusually dry, with drought conditions present on multiple islands. Still, shorebirds and seabirds transited through Hawaiian waters[...]
Southern Great Plains: Summer 2021
Summer 2021: 1 Jun–31 Jul Joseph A. Grzybowski j_grzybowski@sbcglobal.net W. Ross Silcock silcock@rosssilcock.com Recommended citation: Grzybowski, J.A., and W.R. Silcock. 2022. Summer 2021: Southern Great Plains. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-ebh> North American Birds. Overall, this was a fairly routine summer with an array of summer vagrants and some surprise and suspected extralimital breeding across taxonomic groups. A large colony of American White Pelicans in Nebraska were a pleasant discovery. More Osprey are now nesting in the region south to eastern Oklahoma. Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, an exceptional rarity 30 years ago, are now spreading across the region.[...]
October 2022 Photo Quiz
As any of the folks that have conducted migrating-waterbird counts – seawatches – can say, ducks in flight are relatively straightforward to identify. First, there’s flight style, which does a reasonably good job of allowing quick discernment as to whether one is looking at dabblers or divers...
Welcome to ABA Community!
Go To ABA Community >> We're delighted to welcome ABA members to our newest project: ABA Community. This online platform was inspired by the printed ABA Member Directory that served as a way for members to connect with fellow birders and trip guides many years ago. Today we are happy to share a new way to connect within a safe online network accessed through your ABA membership. To use ABA Community you must be an ABA Member. What can you do at ABA Community? Connect and interact with fellow birders. Engage in groups focused on different birding themes.[...]
ABA Area’s First Icterine Warbler at Gambell, Alaska
An ABA-Area first Icterine Warbler at Gambell tops off an amazing early fall in Alaska thus far. This misoriented migrant may have made an incredible over-Arctic journey from its breeding grounds in Scandinavia to St. Lawrence Island, where it joined an already spectacular roster of vagrants found in September 2022.
New England: Winter 2021–2022
Winter 2021–2022: 1 Dec–28 Feb Greg Hanisek ctgregh@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hanisek, G. 2021. Winter 2021–2022: New England. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-dY2> North American Birds. In New England's human epicenter, Boston, January provided a feel for this winter's weather diversity. Temperatures hit a high of 54F on New Year's Day, but the average of 32 degrees was 2.5 degrees colder than normal for the month. Then the closing days brought the Blizzard of 2022, which as noted by Stymeist was the first in four years and buried the city under 23.6 inches of snow. That made it[...]
An Interview with Julia Tchira
Birds inspire art in many ways: writing, painting, photography, film. Not least of the art forms that birds frequently move people to create is music. The work of composer and violinist Julia Tchira has been heavily influenced by the wonder of birds, including a recent piece she wrote about the ABA’s 2022 Bird of the Year, the Burrowing Owl.
September 2022 Photo Quiz
The first response of some quiz-takers might well be, “What a horrible photo, particularly for a quiz photo!” Others, however, may well jump on the correct identification immediately. For those of us that are not accomplished at or comfortable with identification by shape, posture, and behavior, this could certainly provide for a difficult quiz. Those that had the second response posited above would have gotten the ID solely on shape and posture, perhaps aided by behavior.
August 2022 Photo Quiz
Back to the quiz bird being in flight. Aren’t you glad last month’s wasn’t?! There’s not much interesting showing this month. The quiz bird looks long- and narrow-winged, which, if accurate, certainly helps rule out some possibilities...
Review of the Olympus M.Zuiko 150–400mm F4.5 TC 1.25x IS PRO
Holy freakin’ cow! I have uttered those words quite regularly, and rarely quietly, from the moment I unpacked my new Olympus M.Zuiko 150–400mm F4.5 TC 1.25x IS PRO. So what does the TC 1.25x in the name stand for? That’s another fun capability of this lens . . . it has a 1.25x teleconverter built in. Just flipping a switch multiplies your focal length by 25%, so the 300–800mm equivalent focal length becomes a 375–1,000mm f5.6 super telephoto birding lens.
Atlantic Region: Spring 2022
Spring 2022: 1 Mar–31 May David Seeler dseeler@eastlink.ca Recommended citation: Seeler, D. 2022. Spring 2022: Atlantic Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-dEb> North American Birds. Weather conditions over the season were near normal. Perhaps the most interesting—and ultimately devastating weather effects—were related to persistent northeast to easterly North Atlantic winds from late March though late April. In late March, northeasterly winds drove Thick-billed Murres close to the shores of Newfoundland and Labrador, and ultimately prevented them from accessing their feeding grounds. Capelin fish stocks have been critically reduced within the Region for years, resulting in many Thick-billed[...]
Hudson-Delaware Region: Fall 2021
Amy Davis adavis@aba.org Shaibal S. Mitra shaibal.mitra@csi.cuny.edu Robert O. Paxton rop1@columbia.edu Frank Rohrbacher rohrbaf@aol.com Recommended citation: Davis, A., S.S. Mitra, R.O. Paxton, and F. Rohrbacher. 2022. Fall 2021: Hudson-Delaware. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-dDk> North American Birds. Fall 2021 was among the warmest ever for the Hudson-Delaware region: the third warmest for NJ, fourth warmest for NY, and fifth warmest for DE. NJ and DE experienced drier than usual conditions, while NY was wetter than normal. Tropical Storms Fred and Henri brought a few interesting storm birds to the region’s coastal areas, and a late Oct nor’easter[...]
July 2022 Photo Quiz
A quick look at this month’s quiz bird’s feet, more specifically how the toes are attached to the foot, should get us into the correct bird order, as the passerine foot is distinctive. Another important, but widely overlooked bird-ID feature is our quiz bird’s...
West Indies & Bermuda: Winter 2021–2022
Winter 2021–2022: 1 Dec–28 Feb Andrew Dobson (Greater Antilles, Bahamas, Bermuda) andrewdobs@gmail.com Anthony Levesque (Lesser Antilles) Anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr Recommended citation: Dobson, A., & A. Levesque. 2022. Winter 2021–2022: West Indies & Bermuda. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-dz6> North American Birds. Significant first records occurred in several countries. A Harris’s Sparrow was not only the first for Cuba but also the Caribbean. Two Lesser Antillean Bullfinches discovered on Vieques Island were the first to be documented for the Greater Antilles. Jamaica recorded its first and second Pacific Golden-Plovers. In the Lesser Antilles, Guadeloupe added Sabine’s Gull to its species[...]
Québec: Winter 2021-2022
Winter 2021–2022: 1 Dec–28 Feb Pierre Bannon pierre.bannon@icloud.com Olivier Barden iridosornis@gmail.com Normand David normanddavid@videotron.ca Samuel Denault samueldenault@hotmail.com Recommended citation: Bannon, P., O. Barden, N. David and S. Denault. 2022. Winter 2021—2022: Québec. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-dyS> North American Birds. The winter started with mild temperatures in Dec but turned much colder in Jan. Highlights for the period were the amazing discovery of three Bramblings, a passerine of northern Eurasia previously found only once in the province, a Northern Lapwing, a Mountain Bluebird and an Ivory Gull. Western visitors almost annual in Québec present during this period were[...]
Hawaii: Winter 2021-2022
Winter 2021–2022: 1 Dec–28 Feb Alex Wang axwang12@gmail.com Jennifer Rothe jennifer.a.rothe@gmail.com Recommended citation: Wang, A. and J. Rothe. 2022. Winter 2021–2022: Hawaii. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-dyG> North American Birds. The winter of 2021–2022 was abnormally dry across the Hawaiian Islands. Migrant bird numbers may have been affected both through the paucity of freshwater resources available to them as well as the lack of storms driving them to land in the first place. This unseasonal dryness seemed particularly pronounced on Oʻahu, where wetlands such as Pouhala Marsh were bone-dry most of the winter, providing little habitat for[...]
Western Great Lakes: Winter 2021–2022
Winter 2021–2022: 1 Dec–28 Feb William Marengo wcmarengo@gmail.com Recommended citation: Marengo, W.C. 2022. Winter 2021–2022: Western Great Lakes. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-dyu> North American Birds. An Ivory Gull and a Tufted Duck were highlights gracing a season that, in regard to rarities, was fairly quiet. Sub-regional Compilers Rob Pendergast (Wisconsin), Andrew Simon (Michigan), Ethan Urban (Michigan). Abbreviations: Abbreviations: CP (County Park), L.P. (Lower Peninsula, MI), NL (National Lakeshore), NWR (National Wildlife Refuge), RA (Recreation Area), SGA (State Game Area), SNA (Scientific/State Natural Area), SP (State Park), SR (State Riverway), SWA (State Wildlife Area), Twp. (Township), U.P.[...]
Atlantic Region: Summer 2018
Summer 2018: 1 June–31 July David Seeler dseeler@eastlink.ca Recommended citation: Seeler, D. 2022. Summer 2018: Atlantic Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-dyj> North American Birds. A chilly June was gradually replaced by heat waves in most of Atlantic Canada throughout July and August. Late snowfall and cold weather in the Newfoundland and Labrador region delayed the transition to summer. The summer heat wave in southern Atlantic Canada was reflected by a significant increase is ocean temperatures of 2–3 degrees above the 20 year average for the region. Increased temperatures were likely the cause of a significant dry[...]
Ontario: Winter 2021–2022
Winter 2021–2022: 1 Dec–28 Feb Adam Capparelli adam.capparelli@mail.utoronto.ca Aaron Rusak afrusak@gmail.com Recommended citation: Capparelli, A., and A. Rusak. 2022. Winter 2021-2022: Ontario. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-dya> North American Birds. We would like to extend our gratitude to Blake A. Mann, Maureen Riggs, and Brian Ratcliff for regional reporting, Andrew Keaveney for assistance in data logistics, and Joshua D. Vandermeulen, Elias Joshi, and Dinu Bandyopadhyay for contributing the photo highlights for this report. The theme for Winter 2021-2022 was a changeable one, with fluctuating temperatures and messy storms that dumped large amounts of sometimes mixed precipitation across[...]
Prairie Provinces: Winter 2021–2022
Winter 2021–2022: 1 Dec 28 Feb Rudolf Koes rkoes@mymts.net James Fox fox.james.ed@gmail.com Recommended citation: Koes, R.F., and J. Fox. 2022. Winter 2021–2022: Prairie Provinces. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-dxR> North American Birds. After several years with reasonably moderate winters across the southern Prairie Provinces, the winter of 2021–2022 was one characterized by severe cold spells, often very windy conditions and much greater-than-average snowfall, especially in Manitoba, where it was the third-snowiest winter in over a century. In Alberta the Christmas week was the coldest in 50 years, which discouraged many potential Christmas Bird Count (CBC) participants. It[...]
Southern California: Winter 2021–2022
Winter 2021–2022: 1 Dec–28 Feb Guy McCaskie guymcc@pacbell.net Kimball L. Garrett cyanolyca818@gmail.com Recommended citation: McCaskie, G., and K. L. Garrett. 2022. Winter 2021–2022: Southern California. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-dxz>North American Birds. Although precipitation totals were only slightly below average in many parts of the region, Southern California experienced yet another generally dry winter which exacerbated a widespread and severe drought; the limited snowpack in the higher mountains was largely gone below about 3000 m elevation by April. Any relationship between drought conditions and winter bird irruptions is tenuous at best, but the season saw low numbers[...]
Alabama & Mississippi: Fall 2021
Fall 2021: 1 Aug–30 Nov Greg D. Jackson g_d_jackson@bellsouth.net Recommended citation: Jackson, G. D. 2022. Fall 2021: Alabama & Mississippi <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-drU> North American Birds. Birders in our region enjoyed an exciting fall season, replete with good numbers of standard migrants and plenty of rare prizes. General migration of water, shore, and land birds was moderate to good in most areas. Though a few birds were early, later-than-normal departures became more common. Rarities included second state records for both Alabama and Mississippi, as well as many other fine discoveries of lesser magnitude. Temperatures this[...]
Baja California Peninsula: Year 2021
Year 2021: 1 Jan–31 Dec Richard A. Erickson richard.erickson@lsa.net Gerardo Marrón atakamara@gmail.com Enrique D. Zamora-Hernández zugunruhe@gmail.com Recommended citation: Erickson, R. A., G. Marrón, and E. D. Zamora-Hernández. 2022. Year 2021: Baja California Peninsula. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-dqW> North American Birds. This is our second annual report for the Baja California Peninsula. The number of species recorded was up (405 compared to 402 in 2020), with an impressive increase in Baja California (380 vs. 360) but a decrease in Baja California Sur (316 vs. 336); reports of pelagic species were especially lacking in Baja California Sur (Table[...]
June 2022 Photo Quiz
This time we have a lovely, pristine, perfectly lit, perfectly posed bird that shows all the field marks we need to identify it correctly to species. Did you believe any of that? This month’s quiz bird of a bird photographed in August might confound a number of quiz takers as to which family it belongs, although at least the order should be straightforward.
West Indies & Bermuda: Fall 2016
Fall 2016: 1 Aug–30 Nov Robert L. Norton (Bahamas, Greater Antilles) Corvus0486@aol.com Andrew Dobson (Bermuda) andrewdobs@gmail.com Anthony Levesque (Lesser Antilles) Anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr Recommended citation: Norton, R., A. Dobson, & A. Levesque. 2022. Fall 2016: West Indies & Bermuda. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-deL> North American Birds. Regional highlights Bermuda highlights include the first record of Grey-headed Swamphen and first Rusty Blackbird for 41 years. Tropical Storm Karl produced an unprecedented number of Pectoral Sandpipers. The Bahamas recorded its first record of Sedge Wren. A Western Wood-Pewee was an extreme rarity on Cuba. Waterfowl to[...]
2025 ABA Young Birders of The Year
Please join us in congratulating the 2025 ABA Young Birders of the Year, Killian Sullivan from Gahanna, OH and Elias Markee-Ratner from New York, NY!
2024 ABA Young Birders of The Year
Please join us in congratulating the 2024 ABA Young Birders of the Year, Chris Henry, from San Jose, CA and Anna Reichenbach from Mechanicsburg, PA!
May 2022 Photo Quiz
Not a very good photo this month. Right? While I generally try to have reasonably good photos with the quiz subject in reasonably good focus, birding is not really like that. We do not see most individual birds well, and, at least for those with “good ears,” most birds that we detect are not seen at all.
Rebecca Minardi Appointed as New Book and Media Reviews Editor for Birding Magazine
Delaware City, Delaware – Rebecca Minardi has been hired as Birding magazine’s new Book and Media Reviews Editor. Rebecca is an experienced book reviewer who has contributed multiple reviews to the column and also written other articles for Birding. Rebecca Minardi is passionate about connecting young people with nature, fostering a love of birds at an early age, and stopping species loss. She received her Master of Public Health from Des Moines University in 2012 before falling in love with birds. After she grew more concerned about habitat destruction and extinction, she joined the board of Detroit[...]
Black Birders: Embracing the Beauty Within
As part of its celebration of the third Black Birders Week, please enjoy the ABA's two-part session of the prerecorded panel "Black Birders: Embracing the Beauty Within." The panel explores such topics as childhood experiences with birds, how to pass on generational knowledge of birds, and whether things have changed since the first Black Birders Week.
April 2022 Photo Quiz
No surprise. This month’s quiz bird is flying. I think most would agree that it is a bird of prey of some sort. I chose the photo this month to provide an opportunity to make a couple points about taxonomy that some or many birders apparently do not know.
The Great Thick-billed Murre Swimming Migration
A 1,000-Kilometer Journey to the Wintering Grounds
A sense of wonder has stayed with me since seeing those Thick-billed Murre chicks jump at Prince Leopold Island on my first expedition cruise to Nunavut, as well as on subsequent trips until the most recent one in Aug. 2019.
Birdability and the ABA
If you’ve had experiences with access in the outdoors, we would appreciate knowing about them.
Cemetery Birding
Spend any amount of time at all in the company of birders, and you quickly discover their proclivity for places that are, in a word, weird. For example, ice-slicked jetties in a New England blizzard when it is too miserable for even the fisherman. Or mosquito-infested swamps in the Deep South in summer. There are the pelagic trips, of course, with their chopped-up fish, odeur de diesel, and birders barfing off the stern. And SEWAGE TREATMENT PONDS. And cemeteries. Eastern Bluebird. Woodlawn Cemetery, Forest Park, Cook Co., Illinois; April 28, 2009. Photo by © Greg Neise. Going[...]
March 2022 Photo Quiz
For the second consecutive month, the subject of the quiz photo is easily and quickly identifiable to family and, by most, to genus. However, despite field guides, the ABA-Area members of that genus do not make for quick and straightforward IDs...
February 2022 Photo Quiz
Most of us should be able to quickly narrow the number of options to a number requiring only a single digit. The plumage is mostly white, they have black wing tips, and neither the neck nor the legs are particularly long.
Have at it!
January 2022 Photo Quiz
This bird is pretty nondescript. It’s brown with a bit of vague streaking below. The bill is thick-based and short and neither the wings nor tail are particularly noteworthy. Not too long, not too short. Not too wide, not too thin. Good, all-purpose wings and tail. Unremarkable.
December 2021 Photo Quiz
Where’s the bird? Ah, there it is. This is something of a different quiz photo.
Yes, it is, to make a certain point: One does not necessarily need to see a bird all that well to be able to identify it. However, to do so, one does need to understand plumages and their progression in various species, as well as how those various plumages differ from those of similar species.
The Fledgling
The Fledgling is a magazine produced by and designed for young birders. This quarterly magazine is both enlightening and fun, and it showcases the amazing talent of the next generation of birders and scientists.
New Distributional and Temporal Records for Birds of the Mexican State of Guerrero
This is a detailed, comprehensive report of bird records from the Mexican state of Guerrero. It treats 94 species, of which 41 are first records for Guerrero. Nine species are resident, and 53 species are described as either data deficient, or their status is currently misrepresented in print.
Atlantic Region: Winter 2021–2022
Winter 2021–2022: 1 Dec–28 Feb David Seeler dseeler@eastlink.ca.ca Recommended citation: Seeler, D. 2022. Winter 2021–2022: Atlantic Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-d3J> North American Birds. A La Niña Weather pattern set in for the winter season, which combined with above average sea temperatures for the region, appeared to promise lower precipitation and slightly increased temperatures. Such was the case for December. However, in the New Year, weekly sprawling winter storms brought widespread varying effects such as rain, freezing rain, ice, snow and blizzard conditions throughout the region. Despite increasing seawater temperatures within the region through 2021, ice[...]
November 2021 Photo Quiz
I can almost hear it now, a disappointed, frustrated, “Ugh. A gull.” Much more quietly, I can hear, “Hey! A LWHG!”
“LWHG?”
October 2021 Photo Quiz
It’s that time of year. The time when raptorphiles head to the mountains, the shores of large lakes, the coastal promontories, the riverine bluffs to watch for southbound raptors. However, with a bit of luck and a lot of scanning the sky, one can encounter raptors in active migration virtually anywhere on land.
September 2021 Photo Quiz
A few sparrowy things comprise this month’s quiz, so break out your reading glasses, as we may need to delve into minutiae. I can hear the cheers, now! Everyone loves sparrowy things...
August 2021 Photo Quiz
This month we’ve got an apparently small bird flying overhead. Perhaps-important ID clues include the mix of buff and white below, the small bill, and the long primary projection. The final of those characters suggests that our bird is an individual of a species that is either a long-distance migrant or a highly aerial one… or both.
Roseate Spoonbills and Wood Storks Wander to the North
When Dianne Doherty spotted a Roseate Spoonbill near the Androscoggin River Dam in Gorham, New Hampshire on 30 Jul 2021, the sighting became the state’s first record for the species. It was far from an isolated incident, however.
New England: Fall 2021
Fall 2021: 1 Aug–30 Nov Greg Hanisek ctgregh@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hanisek, G. 2021. Fall 2021: New England. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-cja> North American Birds. Declines in New England's – and the continent's – breeding species rightfully generate concern, much of it centered on nesting season. Fall draws attention to another trend—species that have undergone significant, and in some cases remarkable, increases. The reasons vary from eastward range extensions to enhanced reverse migration. In some cases improved birding skills probably also play a role. Here are some changes of note, gleaned from eBird reports this fall (first[...]
Hawaii: Fall 2021
Fall 2021: 1 Aug–30 Nov Alex Wang axwang12@gmail.com Jennifer Rothe jennifer.a.rothe@gmail.com Recommended citation: Wang, A. and J. Rothe. 2021. Fall 2021: Hawaii. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-d8t> North American Birds. In the Hawaiian Islands, fall tends to be the most diverse birding season, often delivering the greatest number of surprises in the form of migratory shorebirds, waterfowl, and seabirds. Despite some rather odd weather, this fall did not disappoint. Highlights included multiple Bar-tailed Godwits and a Red-necked Stint. Compared to other years, this autumn was relatively hot and dry. November is normally one of our rainiest months[...]
Atlantic Region: Fall 2021
Fall 2021: 1 Aug–30 Nov David Seeler dseeler@eastlink.ca Recommended citation: Seeler, D. 2022. Fall 2021: Atlantic Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-cyX> North American Birds. Overall, the temperature tended to be above normal with normal to slightly elevated rainfall. The exception was a major late November storm—or Atmospheric River—emanating from the south along the eastern seaboard. Torrential rainfall brought flooding to many areas within the region resulting in significant infrastructure damage, power outages and property damage. Despite this, the season brought many records to the region including Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Eurasian Collared Dove, Band-rumped Storm-Petrel, Steller’s Sea-Eagle, Say’s[...]
Ontario: Fall 2021
Fall 2021: 1 Aug–30 Nov Adam Capparelli adam.capparelli@mail.utoronto.ca Aaron Rusak afrusak@gmail.com Recommended citation: Capparelli, A., and A. Rusak. 2022. Fall 2021: Ontario. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-cyO> North American Birds. We would like to extend our gratitude to Blake A. Mann, Roger Frost, Jeremy L. Hatt, Maureen Riggs, Mark Read, and Brian Ratcliff for regional reporting, Andrew Keaveney for assistance in data logistics, and Kyle Swanson, Henny Giles, Jeff H. Skevington, and Justin Peter for contributing the photo highlights for this report. Fall 2021 was dominated by warmer than average temperatures across the province. Winds from the[...]
Prairie Provinces: Fall 2021
Fall 2021: 1 Aug–30 Nov Rudolf Koes rkoes@mymts.net James Fox fox.james.ed@gmail.com Recommended citation: Koes, R.F., and J. Fox. 2022. Fall 2021: Prairie Provinces. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-d7W> North American Birds. Although precipitation during fall 2021 was about average, it arrived in a few major events and either soaked into the soil rapidly or ran off into streams. As a consequence, water-levels remained preciously low throughout the region, making shorebird habitat scarce. The Covid pandemic has seemingly been responsible for encouraging increasing numbers of birders and photographers to get out into the field, which may have resulted[...]
West Indies & Bermuda: Fall 2021
Fall 2021: 1 Aug–30 Nov Andrew Dobson (Bermuda) andrewdobs@gmail.com Robert L. Norton (Greater Antilles, Bahamas) Corvus0486@aol.com Anthony Levesque (Lesser Antilles) Anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr Recommended citation: Dobson, A., R. Norton, & A. Levesque. 2021. Fall 2021: West Indies & Bermuda. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-cUJ> North American Birds. This report is dedicated to the memory of Robert L. Norton who passed away on 11 January 2022. He was the originator of the West Indies & Bermuda regional report, first appearing in American Birds, in 1980. He continued in this capacity though Field Notes and North American Birds for over 40 years. His knowledge of the[...]
Oregon and Washington: Fall 2021
Fall 2021: 1 Aug–30 Nov Eric Heisey heiseyew@gmail.com Adrian Hinkle adrian.hinkle@gmail.com Christopher Hinkle christopher.hinkle2@gmail.com Alex Patia alexpatia89@gmail.com Recommended citation: Heisey, E., Hinkle, A., Hinkle, C., Patia, A. 2021. Fall 2021: Oregon-Washington. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-cYW> North American Birds. Washington recorded its hottest, driest year on record in 2021, resulting in a staggering number of wildfires throughout the state that burned nearly 1.5 million acres. Conditions in August were very hot and dry throughout Oregon and Washington, with temperatures lingering in the triple digits on the eastside of the Cascades. These historically dry conditions gave way to[...]
Québec: Fall 2021
Fall 2021: 1 Aug–30 Nov Pierre Bannon pierre.bannon@icloud.com Olivier Barden iridosornis@gmail.com Normand David normanddavid@videotron.ca Samuel Denault samueldenault@hotmail.com Recommended citation: Bannon, P., O. Barden, N. David and S. Denault. 2021. Fall 2021: Québec. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-d7B> North American Birds. The major events of the fall season in the province of Québec were : 1) The advent of an incredible number of MEGA rarities, including two highly migratory species native to South America. The total of 18 MEGA rarities include the Tundra Bean-Goose, Common Shelduck, Steller’s Eider, Common Ringed Plover, Little Stint, Magnificent Frigatebird, Brown Booby, Little Egret,[...]
Southern California: Fall 2021
Fall 2021: 1 Aug–30 NovGuy McCaskieguymcc@pacbell.netKimball L. Garrettkgarrett@nhm.orgRecommended citation:McCaskie, G., and K. L. Garrett. 2022. Fall 2021: Southern California. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-cxY> North American Birds. The fall 2021 season in Southern California was typically warm and dry, but the region experienced a welcome storm front in October. There were no major Santa Ana wind events, and unlike other recent falls there were no extensive wildfires in the southern part of California. The region witnessed an unprecedented number and variety of passerine migrants, especially wood-warblers, normally associated with the eastern half of North America; on the other[...]
Western Great Lakes: Fall 2021
Fall 2021: 1 Aug–30 Nov William Marengo wcmarengo@gmail.com Recommended citation: Marengo, W. C. 2022. Fall 2021: Western Great Lakes. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-cYd> North American Birds. Noteworthy gulls and jaegers provided the highlights for this season. Sub-regional Compilers Bob Domagalski (Wisconsin), Andrew Simon (Michigan), Ethan Urban (Michigan). Abbreviations CP (County Park), L.P. (Lower Peninsula, MI), NL (National Lakeshore), NWR (National Wildlife Refuge), RA (Recreation Area), SGA (State Game Area), SNA (Scientific/State Natural Area), SR (State Riverway), SWA (State Wildlife Area), U.P. (Upper Peninsula, MI), WPA (Waterfowl Production Area, WTP (Wastewater Treatment Plant). Waterfowl[...]
British Columbia: Fall 2021
Fall 2021: 1 Aug to 30 Nov Chris Charlesworth c_charlesworth23@hotmail.com Charlesworth, C. 2022. Fall 2021: British Columbia. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-d7d> North American Birds. August saw a gradual cooling throughout the month with scattered showers, but it did little to staunch the hundreds of wildfires still burning over the southern half of the region. Thick smoke remained a vexing problem. No doubt the birds felt the same as there was evidence that interior birds vacated territories early with some even heading out to the coast to get a breath of fresher air. The fact that most[...]
July 2021 Photo Quiz
When looking at an unknown shorebird – or, in this case, shorebirds, the first task should be determining to which ABA-Area shorebird family our mystery bird might be referable...
June 2021 Photo Quiz
This month’s quiz bird is obviously some sort of pigeon/dove thing. Certainly, those reddish-pink legs are typical of the group. While that leg color is typical of ABA-Area doves and pigeons, it does rule out...
Hawaii: Summer 2021
Summer 2021: 1 Jun–31 Jul Alex Wang axwang12@gmail.com Jennifer Rothe jennifer.a.rothe@gmail.com Recommended citation: Wang, A. and J. Rothe. 2021. Summer 2021: Hawaii. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-bQg> North American Birds. Summer birding in the Hawaii Region tends to be a relatively predictable endeavor. Most of the overwintering vagrants have moved on, though a few seem to extend their stay indefinitely rather than attempt another transoceanic flight. Given the supreme remoteness of the islands, there is little opportunity for new arrivals outside migration windows, except for the influence of a major storm system. Unlike the last several years,[...]
Western Great Lakes: Summer 2021
Summer 2021: 1 Jun–31 Jul William Marengo wcmarengo@gmail.com Recommended citation: Marengo, W. 2021. Summer 2021: Western Great Lakes. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-c5E> North American Birds. As with much of the country, the region experienced exceptionally hot and dry conditions. Species impacted by these conditions as well as from the previous harsh winter in the southern U.S. led to low numbers throughout the region. Particularly noticeable were the lack of Hermit Thrush, Eastern Bluebirds, Eastern Phoebes, and Sedge Wrens. Noteworthy highlights began with Michigan’s first Roseate Spoonbill, multiple Wood Stork reports, Magnificent Frigatebird, Townsend’s Warbler, and continuing[...]
Atlantic Region: Summer 2021
Summer 2021: 1 Jun–31 Jul David Seeler dseeler@eastlink.ca Recommended citation: Seeler, D. 2021. Summer 2021: Atlantic R. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-bBx> North American Birds. Weather conditions within the region normalized this season with the exception of the remnants of post Tropical Storm Eisa that briefly affected the region in early July. Species of note included the arrival of Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks, and the exceptional discovery of a Steller’s Sea-Eagle along the Restigouche in New Brunswick by Gerry Issac. Pending approval, this unique discovery will provide the provinces of New Brunswick and Québec with first records. Not surprisingly[...]
Southern California: Summer 2021
Summer 2021: 1 Jun–31 Jul Guy McCaskie guymcc@pacbell.net Kimball L. Garrett kgarrett@nhm.org Recommended citation: McCaskie, G., and K. L. Garrett. 2021. Summer 2021: Southern California. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-bIV> North American Birds. Record heat and lingering drought characterized the region through the summer. Climate change, with warming marine waters, has clearly played a role in the northward push of several subtropical species, including Neotropic Cormorant, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, and Reddish Egret. The summer season also saw a now almost-expected five species of boobies, and the first U.S. nesting of Blue-footed Booby on Sutil Rock off Santa Barbara[...]
Texas: Summer 2021
Summer 2021: 1 Jun–31 Jul Eric Carpenter ecarpe@gmail.com Recommended citation: Carpenter, E. 2021. Summer 2021: Texas. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-c5u> North American Birds. After consecutive fall, winter, and spring season reports that had incredible numbers of noteworthy birds, this Texas summer report is a bit lighter, as rarity-finding seems to have dropped-off to normal levels once again. A wetter than average spring in the eastern two-thirds of the state set up decent and occasionally lush breeding habitat there. Unfortunately, the story was different in the Trans-Pecos, where drought continued into early summer causing many birds there[...]
Hudson-Delaware Region: Summer 2021
Summer 2021: 1 Jun–31 July Robert O. Paxton rop1@columbia.edu Amy Davis argdavis@gmail.com Frank Rohrbacher rohrbaf@aol.com Shai Mitra shaibal.mitra@csi.cuny.edu Recommended citation: Paxton, R. O., A. Davis, S. Mitra, and F. Rohrbacher. 2021. Summer 2021: Hudson-Delaware Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-bxM> North American Birds. Summer 2021 was rainy and hot, though without breaking temperature records. It was the third wettest July ever in Central Park, New York City (11.09”), and on 17 Jul a record 3.03” of rain fell at Rochester. A major feature of the season was a hatch of 17-year Brood X cicadas, particularly in Delaware.[...]
Ontario: Summer 2021
Summer 2021: 1 Jun–31 JulAdam Capparelliadam.capparelli@mail.utoronto.caJosh Janvrinjosh.janvrin@gmail.comRecommended citation: Capparelli, A., Janvrin, J. 2021. Summer 2021: Ontario. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-bBo> North American Birds. We would like to extend our gratitude to Blake A. Mann, Roger Frost, Jeremy L. Hatt, Leo Heyens, and Brian Ratcliff for regional reporting, Andrew Keaveney for assistance in data logistics, and Joshua Vandermeulen, Michael Hatton, Melanie Palik, and Luke Raso for contributing the photo highlights for this report.Drought-like conditions from May continued throughout most of the province into the first half of the summer period. Southern and north-western Ontario saw higher than average temperatures while[...]
British Columbia: Summer 2021
Summer 2021: 1 Jun–31 Jul Chris Charlesworth c_charlesworth23@hotmail.com Recommended citation: Charlesworth, C. 2022. Summer 2021: British Columbia. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-cyB> North American Birds. British Columbia had been sectioned into a normally wet north and a drought-stricken southern half courtesy of the preceding six months of weather. Thus, the region was primed for an active wildfire season. June gradually warmed and the last week became blistering hot under a lingering heat dome. Lytton, B.C., set a new Canadian maximum temperature record of 49.6 degrees Celsius on June 29th, a reading more typical of Death Valley than[...]
Illinois & Indiana: Summer 2021
Summer 2021: 1 Jun–31 Jul James D. Hengeveld jhengeve@indiana.edu Keith A. McMullen warbler7@sbcglobal.net Geoffrey A. Williamson geoffrey.williamson.21@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hengeveld, J.D., K.A. McMullen, and G.A. Williamson. 2021. Summer 2021: Illinois & Indiana. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-cYH> North American Birds. Average temperatures in June were slightly higher than average, and those in July were slightly lower than average, with temperatures in Indiana ~1∞ C below those of Illinois. Though the season was average regarding temperature, rainfall levels were ~8 cm above the norm for the season, placing this year's summer season in the top 10% of years[...]
West Indies & Bermuda: Summer 2021
Summer 2021: 1 Jun–31 Jul Andrew Dobson (Bermuda) andrewdobs@gmail.com Robert L. Norton (Greater Antilles, Bahamas) Corvus0486@aol.com Anthony Levesque (Lesser Antilles) Anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr Recommended citation: Dobson, A., R. Norton, and A. Levesque. 2021. Summer 2021: West Indies & Bermuda. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-bXv> North American Birds. Vieques recorded its first record of Monk Parakeet; from San Andrés, reports of Piratic Flycatchers and a Mangrove Vireo; a Bare-eyed Pigeon was again reported from St. Martin; and a first nesting record of Killdeer in Guadeloupe. Waterfowl through Shearwater Two Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (ph.) of the southern race[...]
Prairie Provinces: Summer 2021
Summer 2021: 1 Jun–31 Jul Rudolf Koes rkoes@mymts.net James Fox fox.james.ed@gmail.com Recommended citation: Koes, R.F., and J. Fox. 2021. Summer 2021: Prairie Provinces. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-bu2> North American Birds. Summer 2021 in the southern prairie provinces was characterized by heat, drought and smoke. The drought conditions ranged from abnormally dry to extreme and exceptional - the highest possible rating - in much of Manitoba, with similar conditions in parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan. It was the driest July on record in southern Manitoba. The heat was unrelenting, and made all the more unbearable by persistent[...]
New Mexico: Summer 2021
Summer 2021: 1 Jun–31 Jul Matthew J. Baumann mbaumann22@gmail.com Raymond L. VanBuskirk newmexicobirder@gmail.com Jodhan Fine jodhanfine22@gmail.com Recommended citation: Baumann, M. J., R. L. VanBuskirk, and J. Fine. 2021. Summer 2021: New Mexico. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-cxO> North American Birds. Summer 2021 started hot and remained dry across the region. The Johnson fire, which started in May, continued to burn in the Gila Wilderness throughout the season and grew to nearly 90,000 acres before monsoon rains were able to provide relief in late July. Large swaths of the state were covered in smoke and haze from this[...]
Québec: Summer 2021
Summer 2021: 1 Jun–31 Jul Pierre Bannon pierre.bannon@icloud.com Olivier Barden iridosornis@gmail.com Normand David normanddavid@videotron.ca Samuel Denault samueldenault@hotmail.com Recommended citation: Bannon, P., O. Barden, N. David and S. Denault. 2021. Summer 2021: Québec. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-cfq> North American Birds. June was very warm and dry with the only significant precipitation reported late in the month. On the other hand, July was cool with close to normal precipitation. The visit of a Steller’s Sea-Eagle in the Gaspé region in July was an unbelievable experience for many Québec birders. Other highlights in the province this summer included a[...]
Oregon: Summer 2021
Summer 2021: 1 Jun–31 Jul Adrian Hinkle adrian.hinkle@gmail.com Christopher Hinkle christopher.hinkle2@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hinkle, A. W., and C. Hinkle. 2021. Summer 2021: Oregon. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-bE1> North American Birds. Portland hit an all-time record of 116 °F in the end of June, while spots on the North Coast topped 100 °F. Much of the state’s lowlands reported temperatures in the 90s or higher for several weeks. Many spots in the Willamette Valley, including Portland, had no measurable rain after mid-June, and the whole state suffered from drought. It was an average summer for birds, with[...]
May 2021 Photo Quiz
While some of the poor aspect to this photo is the photographer’s inability to get the subject in sharp focus, much of it is due to the disheveled appearance of the bird. While we all like looking at crisp photos of birds in good nick (as Brits say), particularly of pleasingly attractive birds, not all birds can meet these criteria at all times.
April 2021 Photo Quiz
This month’s photo quiz depicts one of the individual birds that was my first of this year of the relevant species. However, that bird is NOT the quiz bird.
A Birding Interview with Mark Obmascik
In 2004, Mark Obmascik suddenly burst onto the birding scene with the release of his first book, The Big Year—and his fame escalated when Hollywood made it into a movie in 2011.
ABA to Release New Version of Birding News
The American Birding Association is happy to announce a re-envisioned, complete make-over of our tried-and-true staple: ABA Birding News 2021.
March 2021 Photo Quiz
Raise your hands. Who considers this an ugly photo quiz? I am not talking, er, writing about the quality of the photo, which, admittedly, leaves a lot to be desired. I am writing about what is shown of the bird.
Three species added to the ABA Checklist
The ABA Checklist Committee recently added three species to the ABA Checklist.
Illinois & Indiana: Spring 2021
Spring 2021: 1 Mar–31 May James D. Hengeveld jhengeve@indiana.edu Keith A. McMullen warbler7@sbcglobal.net Geoffrey A. Williamson geoffrey.williamson.21@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hengeveld, J.D., K.A. McMullen, and G.A. Williamson. 2021. Spring 2021: Illinois & Indiana. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-ckl> North American Birds. It was a warmer than average spring with March being the warmest relative to means (+3.5°-3.6°C). Rainfall was fairly normal with March the wettest relative to averages. An interesting general trend was that numbers of migrant (but not resident) birds reported were significantly higher in 2020 than in 2021 (fide Kenneth J. Brock), perhaps as the result[...]
Alabama & Mississippi: Spring 2021
Spring 2021: 1 Mar–31 May Lawrence F. Gardella lfgardella@gmail.com Recommended citation: Gardella, L. 2021. Spring 2021: Alabama & Mississippi. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-cjY> North American Birds. Overall, it was somewhat cooler in the region with cool spells in each of the spring months. April 10 had more than an inch of rain across most of the region, but other heavy rains were more localized. On March 25–26 severe storms with straight line winds and tornadoes struck in several central Alabama counties, but there was only half an inch of rain on the coast. Strong south winds[...]
Idaho and Western Montana: Spring 2021
Spring 2021: 1 Mar–31 May Kate Stone kstone@mpgranch.com Recommended citation: Stone, K. 2021. Spring 2021: Idaho and Western Montana. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-bsk> North American Birds. Birders throughout the region commented on low migrant numbers and late arrival dates for migratory breeders. March was relatively dry in most areas, with average precipitation in April and May. A storm event that brought heavy, wet snow and cold temperatures the third week in May resulted in heavy passerine fallout, with hundreds to thousands of sparrows grounded and foraging in snow-free areas. Birders in some areas also noted grounded[...]
Western Great Lakes: Spring 2021
Spring 2021: 1 Mar–31 May William Marengo wcmarengo@gmail.com Sub-regional Compilers Sunil Gopalan (Wisconsin), Andrew Simon (Michigan), Ethan Urban (Michigan) Recommended citation: Marengo, W. 2021. Spring 2021: Western Great Lakes. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-brT> North American Birds. Spring was a “Jekyll-and-Hyde” season. While waterfowl and shorebirds impressed, migrant passerines disappointed. The region had mild weather with steady northerly winds through the first half of May. This resulted in no fallout-inducing storms, to the disappointment of all. The most noteworthy species reported was a region first Arctic Loon from Lake Superior in northwestern Wisconsin. A Wilson’s Plover from[...]
Hudson-Delaware Region: Spring 2021
Spring 2021: 1 Mar–31 May Shaibal S. Mitra shaibal.mitra@csi.cuny.edu Robert O. Paxton rop1@columbia.edu Amy Davis adavis@aba.org Frank Rohrbacher rohrbaf@aol.com Recommended citation: Mitra, Shaibal S., Amy Davis, Robert O. Paxton, and Frank Rohrbacher. 2021. Spring 2021: Hudson-Delaware Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-c74> North American Birds. A slew of record-early arrivals were noted in New York City this spring. As in some prior spring season reports, the last dates of observation for over-wintering rarities were carefully identified. Such birds often depart their wintering sites from mid-March to early April, in many cases much earlier than typical northbound migration[...]
Hawaii: Spring 2021
Spring 2021: 1 Mar–31 May Alex Wang axwang12@gmail.com Jennifer Rothe jennifer.a.rothe@gmail.com Recommended citation: Wang, A. and J. Rothe. 2021. Spring 2021: Hawaii. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-bdI> North American Birds. Spring 2021 in Hawaii started off with a bang. Spring storms from the south racked the state, resulting in flash-flooding on multiple islands and culminating in a high point for bird vagrancy. The ABA Area’s first Inca Tern showed up at South Point, Hawaiʻi Island, immediately after the first storm system. Looking heavily worn and ragged, it was lucky to have made it this far north (the[...]
Southern California: Spring 2021
Spring 2021: 1 Mar–31 May Guy McCaskie guymcc@pacbell.net Kimball L. Garrett kgarrett@nhm.org Recommended citation: McCaskie, G., and K. L. Garrett. 2021. Spring 2021: Southern California. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-bIC> North American Birds. After a very dry winter, with near record low precipitation in some areas, the limited snowpack in the mountains melted early. The region’s creeks and lakes were drier than normal, and desert and foothill shrublands entered their summer dormancy early. On top of the drought, the impacts on birds of fall 2020’s extensive wildfires in the region’s mountains were surely substantial. It remains to[...]
New England: Spring 2021
The Spring 2021, Mar. 1–May 31 Greg Hanisek ctgregh@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hanisek, G. 2021. Spring 2021: New England. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-b6C> North American Birds. The winter season's significant irruption of boreal finches continued into early spring. Major passerine fallouts were unimpressive, but gulls provided a series of highlights with species from across the continent and beyond. Sub-regional Compilers L. Bevier (Maine), S. Williams (Massachusetts), S. Mirick (New Hampshire), R. Farrell (Rhode Island), K. MacFarland (Vermont). Abbreviations L. Champlain (Vermont side of L. Champlain); Hammonasset (Hammonasset Beach S.P., Madison, New Haven Co, CT); Manomet (Manomet[...]
Middle Atlantic: Spring 2021
Spring 2021: 1 March–31 May Ellison Orcutt (Virginia) mr.ellyo@gmail.com Daniel Sloan (Maryland & DC) danielsloan215@gmail.com Recommended citation: Orcutt, E. and D. Sloan. 2021. Spring 2021: Middle Atlantic. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-bxB> North American Birds. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continued to affect birding in the region. Organized field trips were far less frequent than they were before the pandemic, but with people spending more time at home and having more free time, birder participation in the backyard and in the field appeared to be as high as ever. The weather was rather ordinary and no major weather[...]
Texas: Spring 2021
Spring 2021: 1 Mar–31 May Eric Carpenter ecarpe@gmail.com Recommended citation: Carpenter, E. 2021. Spring 2021: Texas. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-bux> North American Birds. After Winter Storm Uri hit Texas hard in mid-Feb, I'm not sure birders knew what to expect come springtime. The impact of the prolonged sub-freezing temperatures of that storm was felt throughout the spring mostly via the absence of regular residents, such as Eastern Bluebirds and Eastern Phoebe, that presumably perished during the storm. Some of these species did start to rebound as spring progressed but many did not. As an example, around[...]
Southern Great Plains: Spring 2021
Spring 2021: 1 Mar–31 May Joseph A. Grzybowski j_grzybowski@sbcglobal.net W. Ross Silcock silcock@rosssilcock.com Recommended citation: Grzybowski, J.A., and W.R. Silcock. 2022. Spring 2021: Southern Great Plains. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-cyl> North American Birds. Spring 2021 exemplified the continental position of the Southern Great Plains region, where ebbs and sways of eastern and western bird distributions can be captured in incidental detections by the birder pool. Eastern wood-warblers seemed more prominent than in many years, as did Veery. Some rarer species like Golden-winged, Connecticut and Cape May warblers were more frequently reported, Golden-winged prominently so in eastern[...]
New Mexico: Spring 2021
Spring 2021: 1 Mar–31 May Matthew J. Baumann mbaumann22@gmail.com Raymond L. VanBuskirk newmexicobirder@gmail.com Jodhan Fine jodhanfine22@gmail.com Recommended citation: Baumann, M. J., R. L. VanBuskirk, and J. Fine. 2021. Spring 2021: New Mexico. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-c57> North American Birds. Spring 2021 was characterized by continued widespread severe drought across the state, above normal temperatures, and low water levels in rivers and reservoirs as a result of below normal snowpack from the previous winter. Birders continued to navigate the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic while out birding across the state. This spring was notable for the large list of[...]
West Indies & Bermuda: Spring 2021
Spring 2021: 1 Mar–30 Apr Andrew Dobson (Bermuda) andrewdobs@gmail.com Robert L. Norton (Greater Antilles, Bahamas) Corvus0486@aol.com Anthony Levesque (Lesser Antilles) Anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr Recommended citation: Dobson, A., R. Norton, and A. Levesque. 2021. Spring 2021: West Indies & Bermuda. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-bXd> North American Birds. The full effect of the volcanic eruption on St. Vincent in April has yet to be fully assessed but will undoubtedly have had a serious impact on the avifauna including the endemic threatened St. Vincent Parrot and endangered Whistling Warbler. Puerto Rico recorded its first Yellow-hooded Blackbird, while Saint Kitts recorded its[...]
Québec: Spring 2021
Spring 2021: 1 Mar–31 May Pierre Bannon pbannon@videotron.ca Olivier Barden iridosornis@gmail.com Normand David normanddavid@videotron.ca Samuel Denault samueldenault@hotmail.com Recommended citation: Bannon, P., O. Barden, N. David and S, Denault. 2021. Spring 2021: Québec. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-btB> North American Birds. Overall, spring 2021 was dry accompanied with temperatures above normal. March was very dry but ended with significant amounts of rain. April brought dry, warm weather to most of the province with the exception of eastern Québec where rain and snow amounts were above normal. May continued dry with only 12 mm of rain at Montréal. Temperatures[...]
Ontario: Spring 2021
Spring 2021: 1 Mar–30 May Adam Capparelli adam.capparelli@mail.utoronto.ca Josh Janvrin josh.janvrin@gmail.com Recommended citation: Capparelli, A., Janvrin, J. 2021. Spring 2021: Ontario. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-baJ> North American Birds. We would like to extend our gratitude to Blake A. Mann, Roger Frost, Jeremy L. Hatt, Leo Heyens, and Brian Ratcliff for regional reporting, Andrew Keaveney for assistance in data logistics, and Dennis Dirigal, Ken Ball, Jeff H. Skevington, and Anthony Glenesk for contributing the photo highlights for this report. The weather was generally dry and very warm throughout most of the province. The lack of rain, especially[...]
Prairie Provinces: Spring 2021
Spring 2021: 1 Mar–31 May Rudolf Koes rkoes@mymts.net James Fox fox.james.ed@gmail.com Recommended citation: Koes, R.F., and J. Fox. 2021. Spring 2021: Prairie Provinces. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-baf> North American Birds. A mild March brought in a large number of early migrants, only the most notable of which will be mentioned here. April turned considerably cooler and migration slowed to a trickle. While the period was much drier than average, a significant amount of snow fell across the south from 10–12 April, and a mixture of snow and rain trekked through the area 20–22 May. The amount[...]
Oregon: Spring 2021
Spring 2021: 1 Mar–31 May Adrian Hinkle adrian.hinkle@gmail.com Christopher Hinkle christopher.hinkle2@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hinkle, A. W., and C. Hinkle. 2021. Spring 2021: Oregon. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-b7U> North American Birds. It was the driest spring on record in Portland and across much of the state. Many areas suffered severe and worsening drought despite near-average snowpack in several of the major mountain ranges. Drought was especially pronounced in the Klamath Basin where water shortages are intensifying. Unusually constant north winds along the coast for most of May contributed to record numbers of Red Knots. Most knots typically[...]
Atlantic Region: Spring 2021
Spring 2021: 1 Mar–31 May David Seeler dseeler@eastlink.ca Recommended citation: Seeler, D. 2021. Spring 2021: Atlantic Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-b7m> North American Birds. The most significant weather event for the region was the development of sustained easterlies that originated in Europe and reached the Atlantic Region in early April. Interestingly, these winds emanated in France and the southern United Kingdom, a significantly more southerly flow than the past. Species of note this season included Garganey, King Rail, European Golden-Plover, Wilson’s Plover, Ruff, Slaty-backed Gull, Barn Swallow (ssp. rustica), and Eurasian Tree Sparrow amongst others. Sub-regional[...]
February 2021 Photo Quiz
Tony Leukering Fairborn, OH greatgrayowl@aol.com Photos and answers are supplied by Tony Leukering, a field ornithologist based in southeast Colorado, with strong interests in bird migration, distribution, and identification. He has worked for five different bird observatories from coast to coast and considers himself particularly adept at taking quiz photos (that is, bad pictures!). Leukering is a member of the Colorado Bird Records Committee and had been a reviewer for eBird since its inception. He is also interested in most everything else that flies, particularly moths and odonates. [...]
North American Birds V 71 # 2 2020
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January 2021 Photo Quiz
Tony Leukering Fairborn, OH greatgrayowl@aol.com Photos and answers are supplied by Tony Leukering, a field ornithologist based in southeast Colorado, with strong interests in bird migration, distribution, and identification. He has worked for five different bird observatories from coast to coast and considers himself particularly adept at taking quiz photos (that is, bad pictures!). Leukering is a member of the Colorado Bird Records Committee and had been a reviewer for eBird since its inception. He is also interested in most everything else that flies, particularly moths and odonates. [...]
December 31, 2020 EDI Report
December 31, 2020 As 2020 draws to a close, we have the following updates on efforts and progress towards equity, diversity, and inclusion within the ABA and the communities it serves. We have continued to listen to and amplify BIPOC voices and to increase representation in our various media and content streams. Our publications and our podcast have featured Black, Latinx, and other non-white voices regularly. Our November issue of Birding magazine featured extensive coverage of the #BirdNames4Birds issue, including an essay by teen birder Ashwin Sivakumar. Our December issue includes content aimed at reaching a broader audience,[...]
Baja California Peninsula: Year 2020
Year 2020: 1 Jan–31 Dec Mark J. Billings markbillings2020@gmail.com Richard A. Erickson richard.erickson@lsa.net Gerardo Marrón atakamara@gmail.com Enrique D. Zamora-Hernández zugunruhe@gmail.com Recommended citation: Billings, M. J., R. A. Erickson, G. Marrón, and E. D. Zamora-Hernández. 2021. Year 2020: Baja California Peninsula. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-aM8> North American Birds. We are pleased to announce the first annual report for the Baja California Peninsula. We hope that this format illustrates changes in avian status and distribution in our region more effectively. We plan to report the total number of naturally occurring species that we find acceptable in the region[...]
Birding Online: December 2020
Welcome to the Birder’s Guide to Basics Special Issue of Birding, which I hope you’ll agree is anything but basic! Our goal with this issue is to present foundational information that beginners and seasoned birders alike can use to make their birding more enjoyable.
December 2020 Photo Quiz
Tony Leukering Fairborn, OH greatgrayowl@aol.com Photos and answers are supplied by Tony Leukering, a field ornithologist based in southeast Colorado, with strong interests in bird migration, distribution, and identification. He has worked for five different bird observatories from coast to coast and considers himself particularly adept at taking quiz photos (that is, bad pictures!). Leukering is a member of the Colorado Bird Records Committee and had been a reviewer for eBird since its inception. He is also interested in most everything else that flies, particularly moths and odonates. [...]
A Superflight of Finches in the East
While this year has been a tough one for many of us, birders in the eastern United States and southeastern Canada are receiving a welcome surprise as we experience a banner year for irruptive boreal birds, including remarkable records and a “superflight” of finches.
New Mexico: Winter 2020–2021
Winter 2020–2021: 1 Dec–28 Feb Matthew J. Baumann mbaumann22@gmail.com Raymond L. VanBuskirk newmexicobirder@gmail.com Jodhan Fine jodhanfine22@gmail.com Recommended citation: Baumann, M. J., R.L. VanBuskirk, and J. Fine. 2021. Winter 2020–2021: New Mexico. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-br9> North American Birds. This season saw typical La Niña weather patterns for the region, characterized by above-normal temperatures and below-average precipitation, an unfortunate trend seen across the Southwest in recent years. The continued drought wreaked havoc on wintering passerines, especially sparrows, numbers of which were dramatically reduced statewide. The Arctic polar vortex extended into the Land of Enchantment in mid-February, bringing[...]
Idaho and Western Montana: Winter 2020 – 2021
Winter 2020–2021: 1 Dec–28 Feb Kate Stone kstone@mpgranch.com Recommended citation: Stone, K. 2021. Winter 2020 –2021: Idaho and Western Montana. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-aHh> North American Birds. In general, the region experienced a mild winter with relatively warm temperatures. Low elevations experienced little snow at the beginning of winter, though parts of MT experienced one of the snowiest Februarys on record, as well as a subzero cold snap at the beginning of the month. Challenging weather (such as in Idaho and Montana in October) along the migratory paths of many species may have contributed to some[...]
Prairie Provinces: Winter 2020–2021
Winter 2020–2021: 1 Dec–28 Feb Rudolf Koes rkoes@mymts.net Christian Artuso chartuso@gmail.com James Fox, AB foxjames.edm@gmail.com Recommended citation: Koes, R., C. Artuso, and J. Fox. 2021. Winter 2020–2021: Prairie Provinces. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-atv> North American Birds. The Prairie Provinces experienced wild swings in the weather during the winter of 2020–2021. Snowfall was extremely low throughout the south of the region, continuing the dry cycle of the past few years, and by the end of the period little snow cover remained. While December was generally seasonable, January was very mild (the second-mildest ever in southern MB). On[...]
Southern California: Winter 2020–2021
Winter 2020–2021: 1 Dec–28 Feb Guy McCaskie guymcc@pacbell.net Kimball L. Garrett kgarrett@nhm.org Recommended citation: McCaskie, G., and K. L. Garrett. 2021. Winter 2020–2021: Southern California. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-aPO> North American Birds. The winter period was generally very dry and relatively warm, with rainfall totals well below average and little persisting snowpack in the mountains. But we note that a great deal of winter field effort, and perhaps even a greater percentage than usual this winter due to COVID-related restrictions, takes place in well-irrigated urban parks, residential areas, agricultural areas, and artificial wetlands which are somewhat[...]
Ontario: Winter 2020–2021
Winter 2020–2021: 1 Dec–28 Feb Adam Capparelli adam.capparelli@mail.utoronto.ca Josh Janvrin josh.janvrin@gmail.com Recommended citation: Capparelli, A., and J. Janvrin. 2021. Winter 2020–2021: Ontario. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-aDs> North American Birds. We would like to extend our gratitude to Blake A. Mann, Roger Frost, and Maureen Riggs for regional reporting, Michael V. A. Burrell and Andrew Keaveney for assistance in data logistics, and Riley Walsh, Laurel Wood, Alexander Skevington, and William Van Atte for contributing the photo highlights for this report. Most of Southern Ontario experienced the driest and mildest winter in recent memory, with significant snow cover[...]
Oregon: Winter 2020–2021
Winter 2020–2021: 1 Dec–28 Feb Adrian Hinkle adrian.hinkle@gmail.com Christopher Hinkle christopher.hinkle2@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hinkle, A., and C. Hinkle. 2021. Winter 2020–2021: Oregon. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-b6O> North American Birds. Winter was warm and dry statewide. Dec–Jan was one of the warmest on record in Portland, and above average in most of the state, while rainfall and snowpack languished below normal. February brought higher precipitation, above average in some areas, but most of the state ended winter with below-normal snowpack and rainfall, with especially severe water shortages in the Klamath Basin. The Covid-19 pandemic continued to alter[...]
Texas: Winter 2020–2021
Winter 2020–2021: 1 Dec–28 Feb Eric Carpenter ecarpe@gmail.com Recommended citation: Carpenter, E. 2021. Winter 2020–2021: Texas. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-aGL> North American Birds. If you read our Fall 2020 summary, you might be thinking that those four months were one of the most amazing birding periods ever in Texas, and you wouldn't be wrong. Well, along came an unimpressed Winter 2020 saying almost out of the gate "Hold my beer", and then kept bringing it the rest of the season. For the most part, southbound "fall" migration in Texas can last up until almost the last[...]
New England: Winter 2020-21
Winter 2020–21: 1 Dec–28 Feb Greg Hanisek ctgregh@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hanisek, G. 2021. Winter 2020–21: New England. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-aDf> North American Birds. Late and generally out of season records continued a long trend, but the most notable feature of the season was a wide-ranging irruption of boreal finches. Red Crossbills and Hoary Redpolls were noteworthy, the latter especially so because of their general rarity, identification challenges and taxonomic uncertainties. Contributors Louis Bevier, Nick Bonomo, Rachel Farrell, Peter Flood, Tina Green, Greg Hanisek, Neil Hayward, Rick Heil, Doug Hitchcox, Marshall J. Iliff, Skyler Kardell, Frank[...]
Hawaii: Winter 2020–2021
Winter 2020–2021: 1 Dec–28 Feb Alex Wang axwang12@gmail.com Jennifer Rothe jennifer.a.rothe@gmail.com Recommended citation: Wang, A. and J. Rothe. 2021. Winter 2020–2021: Hawaii. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-azQ> North American Birds. Winter 2020-2021 was a relatively mild one in Hawai’i, with few and short-lasting winter storms. A high ocean swell is characteristic of winter in Hawaiʻi, and this is why there are not typically any pelagic trips at this time of year. However, calm seas in the early part of 2021 allowed for three pelagics out of Kona in back-to-back weekends. These yielded sightings of both Black-footed Albatross[...]
Southern Great Plains: Winter 2020–2021
Winter 2020–2021: 1 Dec–28 Feb Joseph A. Grzybowski j_grzybowski@sbcglobal.net W. Ross Silcock silcock@rosssilcock.com Recommended citation: Grzybowski, J. A., and W.R. Silcock. 2021. Winter 2020–2021: Southern Great Plains. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-bfb> North American Birds. This season was marked with the increasingly expected in recent times—many species across a broad taxonomic array wintering more northerly, at least until mid-February when an exceptionally harsh cold snap with ice and snow across the region made such a poor choice. Eastern Bluebirds may have been especially hard hit by this storm in Oklahoma. More patterns may become apparent in[...]
Alabama & Mississippi: Winter 2020–2021
Winter 2020–2021: 1 Dec–28 Feb Collin T. Stempien cstempien40@gmail.com Recommended citation: Stempien, C.T. 2021. Winter 2020–2021: Alabama & Mississippi. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-bIb> North American Birds. While many birders remained close to home due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, others resumed traveling around the region, and all had the opportunity to experience an exciting season of winter birding. This winter season brought numerous western vagrants to the region, including an influx of hummingbirds, flycatchers, tanagers, and grosbeaks. As predicted, this season also saw a remarkable finch irruption. While waterfowl numbers were reported to be relatively average[...]
Québec: Winter 2020–2021
Winter 2020–2021: 1 Dec–28 Feb Pierre Bannon pbannon@videotron.ca Olivier Barden iridosornis@gmail.com Normand David normanddavid@videotron.ca Samuel Denault samueldenault@hotmail.com Bannon, P., 0. Barden, N. David and S. Denault. 2021. Winter 2020–2021: Québec. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-azu> North American Birds. Winter 2020–2021 was very mild, especially in the East. December and January were the mildest with temperatures 2–7° Celsius above normal, while the month of February was closer to normal. Precipitation of snow was below normal in most of the province. The mild temperature and the absence of ice on the main waterways probably explain why so many unanticipated[...]
Illinois & Indiana: Winter 2020–2021
Winter 2020–2021: 1 Dec–28 Feb James D. Hengeveld jhengeve@IN.edu Keith A. McMullen warbler7@sbcglobal.net Geoffrey A. Williamson geoffrey.williamson.21@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hengeveld, J.D., K.A. McMullen, and G.A. Williamson. 2021. Winter 2020–2021: IL & IN. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-d7o> North American Birds. December and January temperatures were above average, likely resulting in the high (and in some cases, record) numbers of semi-hardy species. However, a polar vortex blasted the Midwest on 5 February and enveloped the region through 21 February, resulting in an average regional temperature that was approximately 4.0 °C lower than normal for February. Rarities included Brant,[...]
Western Great Lakes: Winter 2020–2021
Winter 2020–2021: 1 Dec–28 Feb William Marengo wcmarengo@gmail.com Recommended citation: Marengo, W. 2021. Winter 2020-2021: Western Great Lakes. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-aPy> North American Birds. December and January temperatures were well above normal for the region. Consequently, three states generated record-late reports of shorebirds and passerines, among others. February brought below-average temperatures to the region, and also to much of the rest of the country. There were no exceptional winter storms in an otherwise quiet “atmospheric” season. Highlighting the winter were Wisconsin's two first state records: Allen’s Hummingbird and Sprague’s Pipit; three other accidental species and[...]
West Indies & Bermuda: Winter 2020–2021
Winter 2020–2021: 1 Dec–28 Feb Robert L. Norton (Greater Antilles, Bahamas) Corvus0486@aol.com Andrew Dobson (Bermuda) andrewdobs@gmail.com Anthony Levesque (Lesser Antilles) Anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr Recommended citation: Norton, R., A. Dobson, and A. Levesque. 2021. Winter 2020–2021: West Indies & Bermuda. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-apJ> North American Birds. Bermuda stole the show, with the first record Mountain Bluebird for the West Indies and Bermuda region. Clearly weather, as function of climate change, had an impact on long-distance vagrancy and perhaps short-distance dispersals as is the case with the Bahamas. Cayman Islands, Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe, Grenada, and Barbados all provided major[...]
Atlantic Region: Winter 2020–2021
Winter 2020–2021: 1 Dec–28 Feb David Seeler dseeler@eastlink.ca Recommended citation: Seeler, D. 2021. Winter 2020–2021: Atlantic Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-ayt> North American Birds. Regional temperatures were above normal this season, moderating many of the winter’s effects. Various forms of precipitation, consistent with normal amounts, affected the latter part of the season. Sea temperatures within the region were at record high levels for the Gulf of St. Lawrence, while the Bay of Fundy also had water temperatures above normal. As a result, sea ice coverage of the Gulf was at a record low. The development of[...]
Colorado: Winter 2020–2021
Winter 2020–2021: 1 Dec–28 Feb Dean Shoup deshoup723@gmail.com Recommended citation: Shoup, D. 2021. Winter 2020–2021: Colorado. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-bEb> North American Birds. Colorado winter weather was mostly mild for 2020-2021 until February. From 12 Feb through the 16th, temperatures dropped significantly to zero Fahrenheit or lower. On the 14th, the high was 1 degree above zero and the low was 14 degrees below zero, both record values for the day. Denver also had some higher-than-average precipitation, getting 13.5 inches of snow. This was 7.8 inches higher than the normal 5.7 inches for[...]
November 2020 Photo Quiz
Tony Leukering Fairborn, OH greatgrayowl@aol.com Photos and answers are supplied by Tony Leukering, a field ornithologist based in southeast Colorado, with strong interests in bird migration, distribution, and identification. He has worked for five different bird observatories from coast to coast and considers himself particularly adept at taking quiz photos (that is, bad pictures!). Leukering is a member of the Colorado Bird Records Committee and had been a reviewer for eBird since its inception. He is also interested in most everything else that flies, particularly moths and odonates. [...]
October 2020 Photo Quiz
Tony Leukering Fairborn, OH greatgrayowl@aol.com Photos and answers are supplied by Tony Leukering, a field ornithologist based in southeast Colorado, with strong interests in bird migration, distribution, and identification. He has worked for five different bird observatories from coast to coast and considers himself particularly adept at taking quiz photos (that is, bad pictures!). Leukering is a member of the Colorado Bird Records Committee and had been a reviewer for eBird since its inception. He is also interested in most everything else that flies, particularly moths and odonates. [...]
September 2020 EDI Report
Here is a concise update on our progress toward equity, diversity, and inclusion over the last three months. As always, we welcome your input, support, and participation in these worthy and long-term efforts.
Birding Online: October 2020
The ABA continues to strive to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion in birding and in the environmental movement in general: We welcome you to participate by sharing your knowledge and experiences via the ABA’s various media channels...
September 2020 Photo Quiz
A distant bird on a treetop can be difficult to identify. Distance takes away most, if not all, of the features that we generally use to ID individual birds, leaving us with only gross patterns of dark and light, particularly on this quiz bird.
August 2020 Photo Quiz
In bird ID, it is not finding a single character in the field guide that matches what you saw that enables correct ID, it is ruling out ALL OTHER species that share that character, even a semblance of that character.
Free Digital Collection of “Missing” Southeast Arizona Bird Vocalizations
SEAZ Birds: The Missing Tracks is a 117-track, 75-species, five-disc digital collection. It includes regular species with missing calls (such as Crissal Thrasher), regional specialties and subspecies (such as Elegant Trogon), rare birds (such as Rufous-capped Warbler), and long-expected state-firsts not yet on the Arizona Checklist (such as Rusty Sparrow).
SEAZ Birds: The Missing Tracks, Disc 2
Disc 1: Hawks to Flycatchers by Diana Doyle ⇐ Click the ZIP icon to download the entire disc 1 set, with liner notes (12MB .zip file). This album of the “missing tracks” for Southeast Arizona’s Sky Islands is intended to supplement the popular national-coverage app, Sibley eGuide to Birds. The album currently has five “discs” with 117 audio tracks of 75 species, including regular species with missing calls, annual specialties, local subspecies, rarities, and the rare but potential dream-birds: Regular Species— Locally common birds that are missing vocalizations often heard in Southeast Arizona, such as[...]
SEAZ Birds: The Missing Tracks, Disc 5
Disc 1: Warblers to Grosbeaks by Diana Doyle ⇐ Click the ZIP icon to download the entire disc 1 set, with liner notes (9.4MB .zip file). This album of the “missing tracks” for Southeast Arizona’s Sky Islands is intended to supplement the popular national-coverage app, Sibley eGuide to Birds. The album currently has five “discs” with 117 audio tracks of 75 species, including regular species with missing calls, annual specialties, local subspecies, rarities, and the rare but potential dream-birds: Regular Species— Locally common birds that are missing vocalizations often heard in Southeast Arizona, such as[...]
SEAZ Birds: The Missing Tracks, Disc 4
Disc 1: Euphonias to Orioles by Diana Doyle ⇐ Click the ZIP icon to download the entire disc 1 set, with liner notes (9.6MB .zip file). This album of the “missing tracks” for Southeast Arizona’s Sky Islands is intended to supplement the popular national-coverage app, Sibley eGuide to Birds. The album currently has five “discs” with 117 audio tracks of 75 species, including regular species with missing calls, annual specialties, local subspecies, rarities, and the rare but potential dream-birds: Regular Species— Locally common birds that are missing vocalizations often heard in Southeast Arizona, such as[...]
SEAZ Birds: The Missing Tracks, Disc 3
Disc 3: Vireos to Mockingbirds by Diana Doyle ⇐ Click the ZIP icon to download the entire disc 1 set, with liner notes (12.6MB .zip file). This album of the “missing tracks” for Southeast Arizona’s Sky Islands is intended to supplement the popular national-coverage app, Sibley eGuide to Birds. The album currently has five “discs” with 117 audio tracks of 75 species, including regular species with missing calls, annual specialties, local subspecies, rarities, and the rare but potential dream-birds: Regular Species— Locally common birds that are missing vocalizations often heard in Southeast Arizona, such as[...]
Southern Great Plains: Fall 2020
Fall 2020: 1 Aug–30 Nov Joseph A. Grzybowski j_grzybowski@sbcglobal.net W. Ross Silcock silcock@rosssilcock.com Recommended citation: Grzybowski, J. A., and W.R. Silcock. 2021. Fall 2020: Southern Great Plains. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-aj5> North American Birds. Assembling an overview for the season can reflect the repetition of long-term patterns expressing themselves that particular season. The mid-continental location of the region can also express some extremes affecting the region or parts of it that year—no year is average. The effects of significant events in adjacent regions can overflow into the Southern Great Plains. Sometimes, the patterns are deviations of[...]
Prairie Provinces: Fall 2020
Fall 2020: 1 Aug–30 Nov Christian Artuso chartuso@gmail.com James Fox fox.james.ed@gmail.com Rudolf Koesrkoes@mymts.net Recommended citation: Artuso, C., J. Fox and R. Koes. 2021. Fall 2020: Prairie Provinces. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-ab9> North American Birds. Fall 2020 was dry across the south of the Prairie Provinces, with temperatures near normal except for a long cold spell in Manitoba in October. This cold weather resulted in smaller waterbodies freezing over and a rather early exodus of most water birds. By season’s end, snow cover remained minimal across the south of the region. Although some very rare shorebirds were recorded[...]
Texas: Fall 2020
Fall 2020: 1 Aug–30 Nov Eric Carpenter ecarpe@gmail.com Recommended citation: Carpenter, E., et al. 2021. Fall 2020: Texas. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-a2M> North American Birds. From a birder's perspective, the Fall of 2020 in Texas was an absolute spectacle. With the on-going COVID-19 pandemic continuing into its seventh month and then some, even birders sticking close to home were finding a variety of species that rarely if ever before (or ever again) reach Texas in such numbers. The overriding story was a tired refrain of too many species, mostly songbirds, of the western U.S., migrating or[...]
Oregon: Fall 2020
Fall 2020: 1 Aug–30 Nov Adrian Hinkle adrian.hinkle@gmail.com Christopher Hinkle christopher.hinkle2@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hinkle, A., and Hinkle, C. 2021. Fall 2020: Oregon. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-a2A> North American Birds. A warm, dry August and September brought record wildfires that burned over a million acres, mostly on forested public land on the west slope of the Cascades. Wildfire smoke blanketed the entire state in mid-September, prompting health advisories and giving Portland the worst air quality of any world city 13 September. Smoke was so thick that starlings and pigeons were noted lining up to roost on powerlines[...]
Ontario: Fall 2020
Fall 2020: 1 Aug–30 Nov Adam Capparelli adam.capparelli@mail.utoronto.ca Josh Janvrin josh.janvrin@gmail.com Recommended citation: Capparelli, A., and Janvrin, J. 2021. Fall 2020: Ontario. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-a2s> North American Birds. Ontario experienced typical autumn weather in September and October, save a series of late September storms that produced an EF-1 tornado and dropped small hail in many locales in southern Ontario. The first half of November, however, brought a stretch of weather that was about as good as it gets for this time of year. Temperature records were smashed across the province, with some towns and cities[...]
Québec: Fall 2020
Fall 2020: 1 Aug–30 NovPierre Bannonpbannon@videotron.ca Olivier Barden iridosornis@gmail.com Normand David normanddavid@videotron.ca Samuel Denault spdenault@gmail.com Recommended citation: Bannon, P., O. Barden, N. David, & S. Denault. 2021. Fall 2020: Québec. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9Io> North American Birds. The July heat lasted into August, but the end of the month was marked by a clear break in this trend. September exhibited normal temperatures and precipitation, while October was cool and wet. Finally, November was very mild and dry, especially during the first half of the month. Highlights of the season involved a high number of western vagrants and[...]
West Indies & Bermuda: Fall 2020
Fall 2020: 1 Aug–30 Nov Robert L. Norton (Bahamas, Greater Antilles) Corvus0486@aol.com Andrew Dobson (Bermuda) andrewdobs@gmail.com Anthony Levesque (Lesser Antilles) Anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr Recommended citation: Norton, R., A. Dobson, and A. Levesque. 2021. Fall 2020: West Indies & Bermuda. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-aQ6> North American Birds. New regional and island records are reported from Guadeloupe, Bermuda, The Bahamas, and St. Vincent. Guadeloupe provided the first Caribbean record of Azure Gallinule and the country’s first record of Common Cuckoo (photographed by Anthony Levesque). Never recorded in the Caribbean, two European Golden Plovers (photographed by Erich Hetzel) were the first[...]
Atlantic Region: Fall 2020
Fall 2020: 1 Aug–30 Nov David Seeler dseeler@eastlink.ca Recommended citation: Seeler, D. 2021. Fall 2020: Atlantic Region & St. Pierre et Miquelon. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9NX> North American Birds. The regional bubble maintained through the season for Covid-19 was successful, thus allowing more mobility than otherwise would have been possible. Good weather allowed for continued outdoor activities. An ongoing breeding bird survey in NL tended to increase the number of reports from that province this and last season. Temperature remained at or slightly above normal overall, with minimal changes to average precipitation. To the north of[...]
Southern California: Fall 2020
Fall 2020: 1 Aug–30 Nov Guy McCaskie guymcc@pacbell.net Kimball L. Garrett kgarrett@nhm.org Recommended citation: McCaskie, G. and Garrett, K. L. 2021. Fall 2020: Southern California. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-bfC> North American Birds. The highlights of a typical warm and dry fall were the region’s first Fork-tailed Flycatcher on north Vandenberg Air Force Base in Santa Barbara Co, and its second Common Ringed-Plover at Morro Bay in San Luis Obispo Co. Other notable vagrants included a Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, California’s tenth Arctic/Kamchatka Leaf Warbler, a Northern Wheatear (San Clemente Island’s fourth muscicapid species!), five White Wagtails, a Field[...]
Hudson-Delaware: Fall 2020
Fall 2020: 1 Aug–30 Nov Amy Davis argdavis@gmail.com Shai Mitra shaibal.mitra@csi.cuny.edu Robert O. Paxton rop1@columbia.edu Frank Rohrbacher rohrbaf@aol.com Recommended citation: Davis, A., et al. 2021. Fall 2020: Hudson-Delaware. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-aDB> North American Birds. Overall, 2020 was the second warmest year on record for NJ and DE, and the third warmest for NY. In New York City, LaGuardia Airport and Central Park reported their warmest average Nov temperatures ever. Portions of NY state were abnormally dry this season with unusually low streamflow. On 4 Aug, Tropical Storm Isaïas generated significant rainfall, flooding, and wind damage,[...]
New Mexico: Fall 2020
Fall 2020: 1 Aug–30 Nov Matthew J. Baumann mbaumann22@gmail.com Raymond L. VanBuskirk newmexicobirder@gmail.com Baumann, M.J., and R.L. VanBuskirk. 2020. Fall 2020: New Mexico. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9JT> North American Birds. This season was marked by unprecedented bird records, extreme temperature swings across the region resulting in mass die off of insectivorous migratory birds, and an ongoing global pandemic—making Fall 2020 one of the most exciting and challenging migratory seasons in recent memory (for birds and birders alike). September 28th will go down as the day that two first state records were discovered on opposite ends of[...]
Hawaii: Fall 2020
Fall 2020: 1 Aug–30 Nov Alex Wang axwang12@gmail.com Jennifer Rothe jennifer.a.rothe@gmail.com Recommended citation: Wang, A. and J. Rothe. 2021. Fall 2020: Hawaii. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-aes> North American Birds. La Niña conditions drove above-average amounts of rainfall, especially in November. August was hot and humid, at least along the windward sides of the islands. As usual, precipitation was driven by the predominant northeast trade winds. Notable storms were absent until mid October but arrived intermittently through November. The passage of these storms often coincided with arrivals of migrant shorebirds and waterfowl, which sometimes stayed only long[...]
New England: Fall 2020
Fall 2020: 1 Aug–30 Nov Greg Hanisek ctgregh@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hanisek, G. 2021 Fall 2020: New England. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-ae0> North American Birds. In this region with a long history of significant sightings, fall is an especially rich time for the discovery of vagrants. This year the usual array of state-level rarities took a back seat to two finds noteworthy in the context of the Lower 48—a Gray Heron and a Common Cuckoo. The first performed for a lucky two observers; the latter drew admirers from far and wide and disappointed few of them. As[...]
Alabama & Mississippi: Fall 2020
Fall 2020: 1 Aug–30 Nov Greg D. Jackson g_d_jackson@bellsouth.net Recommended citation: Jackson, G. D. 2021. Fall 2020: Alabama & Mississippi. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-aRz> North American Birds. A pandemic and a record-breaking hurricane season certainly made for a memorable and challenging fall season. Fortunately, with precautions, birding and other outdoor activities remained viable in our area. Migration was, in general, productive this fall, especially for shorebirds, flycatchers, and in some areas, warblers. The onset of a huge northern finch flight was felt earlier than usual. And the rarity parade was in full regalia, including a remarkable[...]
July 2020 Photo Quiz
What do we do with this boring brown bird? We cannot even see the head! Tony Leukering walks us through how to identify this bird.
SEAZ Birds: The Missing Tracks, Disc 1
Disc 1: Quail to Hummingbirds by Diana Doyle ⇐ Click the ZIP icon to download the entire disc 1 set, with liner notes (11.8MB .zip file). This album of the “missing tracks” for Southeast Arizona’s Sky Islands is intended to supplement the popular national-coverage app, Sibley eGuide to Birds. The album currently has five “discs” with 117 audio tracks of 75 species, including regular species with missing calls, annual specialties, local subspecies, rarities, and the rare but potential dream-birds: Regular Species— Locally common birds that are missing vocalizations often heard in Southeast Arizona, such as Buff-breasted[...]
The ABA and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
The American Birding Association presents this summary of its recent and ongoing efforts to make our birding community more equitable, diverse, and inclusive. Please visit aba.org/EDI to learn more and contribute feedback on this and future reports. The American Birding Association affirms that birding can and should improve the quality of life for anyone and everyone. Our mission is to “inspire all people to enjoy and protect wild birds,” and yet the ABA, along with the larger birding community it serves, remains overwhelmingly white. We resolve to work with the Black Birder community, as well as[...]
ABA Checklist Committee Mid-Year 2020 Report
This midterm report from the ABA Checklist Committee (CLC) includes four species added to the the Checklist, and brief discussion of three records still being considered.
June 2020 Photo Quiz
A bird flying by… Better get the binocular on it before it’s out of sight! The bird might immediately strike one as a passerine or, at least, not any of the non-passerines – you know, all those birds at the front half of the taxonomy/field guide, many of which are waterbirds of various sorts.
ABA Statement on Black Birders Week and Anti-Racism Efforts
Like so many in the birding community, American Birding Association staff and board were inspired by last week’s #BlackBirdersWeek, and greatly appreciate the effort to not only celebrate Black faces and voices in birding, but to draw attention to the unique difficulties birding can pose to Black people in terms of accessibility, safety, and community.
A Birding Interview with J. Drew Lanham
"Please don’t tell a person of color you don’t see color. That’s insulting. After all, most birders spend lots of time seeing color—otherwise a Red-winged Blackbird and a Snow Bunting wouldn’t be so beautifully different. So, see the color. Respect the face. Get to know me inside. The rest will fall into place."
Alabama & Mississippi: Summer 2020
Summer 2020: 1 Jun–31 July John A. Trent jose.trent@dcnr.alabama.gov Recommended citation: Trent, J.A. 2021. Summer 2020: Alabama & Mississippi. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-b87> North American Birds. The landfall of Tropical Storm Cristobal in southeastern Louisiana on 7 June was the most notable highlight this season, bringing good numbers of storm-related birds to coastal areas as well as scattered locations inland. Sites such as Columbus Lake in Mississippi saw many coastal tern species that were likely storm-displaced, filtering through the area well into July. Rainfall in both states was near average during the report period. Temperatures in[...]
Québec: Summer 2020
1 Jun–31 Jul Pierre Bannon pbannon@videotron.ca Samuel Denault spdenault@gmail.com Olivier Barden iridosornis@gmail.com Normand David normanddavid@videotron.ca Recommended citation: Bannon, P., Denault, S., Barden, O., and David, N. 2020. Summer 2020: Québec. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9wZ> North American Birds. For the third consecutive year, the summer was hot and dry. June was one of the driest in years, while July was the warmest month in 100 years. The highlights for the period included a Mississippi Kite and a Burrowing Owl. The Yellow-billed Cuckoo, normally a rare breeder in the region, staged an impressive demographic explosion. [...]
Ontario: Summer 2020
Summer, 1 June–31 July Adam M. Capparelliadam.capparelli@mail.utoronto.ca Josh Janvrinjosh.janvrin@gmail.com Recommended citation: Capparelli, A., and Janvrin, J. 2020. Summer 2020: Ontario. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-8TL> North American Birds. June and July 2020 featured severe weather events and extreme temperatures in Ontario. On the evening of 9 Jun, the Weather Prediction Center issued updates on Tropical Storm Cristobal in Wisconsin—an unusual track for a tropical storm. The following day featured one of the more significant tornado outbreaks in southern Ontario when seven confirmed tornadoes tore across the province; the strongest was an EF-2 in Mary Lake. Beginning on[...]
Hudson-Delaware: Summer 2020
Summer 2020, June 1–July 31 Robert O. Paxton rop1@columbia.edu Shaibal Mitra mitra@mail.csi.cuny.edu Tom Reed coturnicops@gmail.com Frank Rohrbacher ROHRBAF@aol.com Recommended citation: Paxton, R. O., et al. Summer 2020: Hudson-Delaware. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-8TC> North American Birds. Summers grow relentlessly hotter. This season, the coronavirus precluded some field work, such as the New York City Audubon Society’s Harbor Herons Survey. In addition, an early deadline meant that breeding statistics for colonial waterbirds that have been traditionally a staple of this column were not ready at submission time. Next summer’s report will include them. On 10 July, Tropical Storm[...]
Southern California: Summer 2020
Summer 2020: 1 Jun–31 July Guy McCaskie guymcc@pacbell.net Kimball L. Garrett kgarrett@nhm.org Recommended citation: McCaskie, G., and K. L. Garrett. 2021. Summer 2020: Southern California. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9RR> North American Birds. A typical warm and dry summer was somewhat lackluster for rarities, although the bizarre image of a Buller’s Shearwater swimming among wading American Avocets on a shallow pond adjacent to the Salton Sea is one that will surely linger. A Little Stint returned for a second winter on south San Diego Bay, and a Brown Booby/Blue-footed Booby pair produced a chick on Santa Barbara[...]
British Columbia: Summer 2020
Summer 2020: 1 Jun–30 Jul Chris Charlesworth c_charlesworth23@hotmail.com Recommended citation: Charlesworth, C. 2021. Summer 2020: British Columbia. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9IO> North American Birds. Summer 2020 was cold and wet across British Columbia, as a longwave trough dominated the weather pattern resulting in precipitation surpluses of up to 33% across central sections of the region along with seasonal temperature deficits of up to 2º Celsius. And yes, cold winds blew frequently. The few warm, dry episodes only lasted a couple of days at a time. There was much evidence of delayed breeding by many bird species[...]
Southern Great Plains: Summer 2020
Summer 2020: 1 Jun–31 May Joseph A. Grzybowski j_grzybowski@sbcglobal.net W. Ross Silcock silcock@rosssilcock.com Recommended citation: Grzybowski, J.A., and W.R. Silcock. 2021. Summer 2020: Southern Great Plains. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9Rk> North American Birds. The theme from the regional co-editors was that this was a normal summer, but perhaps with better data from more birders contributing to outlets like eBird and Facebook pages. Shorebird migration often muddles in June, so this season. And laggard or vagrant waterfowl species can be more visible. But several surprise summer vagrants occurred among passerines as well. The common theme for some[...]
Illinois & Indiana: Summer 2020
Summer 2020: 1 Jun–31 July James D. Hengeveld jhengeve@indiana.edu Keith A. McMullen warbler7@sbcglobal.net Geoffrey A. Williamson geoffrey.williamson.21@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hengeveld, J.D., K.A. McMullen, and G.A. Williamson. 2021. Summer 2020: Illinois & Indiana. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-cjP> North American Birds. The weather was unremarkable, though significantly warmer (1.0° C) than average but, overall, average with respect to precipitation, with June slightly drier and July slightly wetter than average. Highlights included a Sooty Tern, 14 Neotropic Cormorants, multiple Roseate Spoonbills, two Swallow-tailed Kites, several pairs of nesting Merlins, lingering Red Crossbills, an Audubon’s Yellow-rumped Warbler, and a Painted[...]
Prairie Provinces: Summer 2020
Summer 2020: 1 Jun–31 Jul Rudolf Koes rkoes@mymts.net James Fox foxjames.edm@gmail.com Recommended citation: Koes, R.F., and J. Fox. 2021. Summer 2020: Prairie Provinces. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-b6X> North American Birds. Following the driest spring on record in Alberta, most of the province, except for the far northwest, experienced a very wet summer. In July it rained on 21 of 31 days in Edmonton, while a massive hailstorm in Calgary on 13 June created the fourth-most costly natural disaster ever in Canada. Manitoba also had a dry spring and precipitation remained at below-normal levels during the summer[...]
Texas: Summer 2020
Summer 2020: 1 June–31 July Eric Carpenter ecarpe@gmail.com Recommended citation: Carpenter, E. 2020. Summer 2020: Texas. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-914> North American Birds. Summer 2020 was the second season of birding during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the effects were similar to what we saw in the spring season. Many birders discovered ample opportunities close to home while both birding and travel opportunities farther afield remained limited. Still, this was not an entirely bad thing, as yard-listing has become a fun challenge for many who are scrutinizing their local birds more and more. Just what can you find[...]
Atlantic Region: Summer 2020
1 Jun – 31 Jul 2020 David Seeler dseeler@eastlink.ca Recommended citation: Seeler, D. 2020. Summer 2020: Atlantic Region & St. Pierre et Miquelon. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9qz> North American Birds. The season continued with the implications of the Covid pandemic strongly factoring in mobility throughout the region. The forming of an Atlantic Bubble (comprised of New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia, & Prince Edward Island) enabled, for residents of those provinces, travel that otherwise would have been significantly impaired. June temperatures were near normal for the season but rainfall was significantly reduced. This was followed[...]
West Indies & Bermuda: Summer 2020
Summer 2020: 1 Jun–31 Jul Robert L. Norton (Greater Antilles, Bahamas) Corvus0486@aol.com Andrew Dobson (Bermuda) andrewdobs@gmail.com Anthony Levesque (Lesser Antilles) Anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr Recommended citation: Norton, R., A. Dobson, and A. Levesque. 2021. Summer 2020: West Indies & Bermuda. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-b8j> North American Birds. Dedicated sea watching from Bermuda produced a South Polar Skua and the island’s first Black-browed Albatross; a Roseate Tern found in Bermuda had flown from Ireland; and a Curlew Sandpiper made an appearance at Puerto Rico. Contributors Gloria Archilla, Sarahi Barbosa, Francoise Benjamin, Erick Bermúdez, Kenrith Carter (KC), Karim Carter (KCa), Martha[...]
May 2020 Photo Quiz
This quiz bird has a plethora of useful field marks, so the fact that we are looking at the south end of a north-bound bird should be alleviated somewhat.
April 2020 Photo Quiz
I find that many birders don’t really learn most of the plumage features of really distinctive species, such as American Avocet, Belted Kingfisher, and Northern Cardinal. Each of these species has quite a few features that can enable identification...
Keep your eyes on the sky and your butt close to home!
American Birding Association Guidelines on Birding and Social Distancing The basic principles of “quarantine” birding are already well covered in the ABA Code of Birding Ethics:
March 2020 Photo Quiz
Large rocks by a water body with apparent wave action play a part in this photo quiz. The shortish, orange legs and long, white wing stripe are also important.
ABA Area Big Year Rules
An ABA Area Big Year shall start at 12:00 AM on 1 January of that year and end at 11:59 PM, 31 December of that year, based on the local time of the location of the birder at each time threshold. 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. Each species counted must have been on the ABA Checklist during the Big Year, with the following exception: A non-exotic species encountered that is new to the ABA Area can be retroactively counted for the Big[...]
Criteria for Determining Establishment of Exotics
An explanation of exotic species in the ABA Area, and criteria for their inclusion.
Southern Great Plains: Spring 2020
1 Mar–31 May Joseph A. Grzybowski jgrzybowski@sbcglobal.net W. Ross Silcock silcock@rosssilcock.com Recommended citation: Grzybowski, J. A. and Silcock, W.R. 2020. Spring 2020: Southern Great Plains. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9xd> North American Birds. Each spring, migration data allow us to support or modify expected patterns of timing and distribution. Variations can create pictures of change—some gradual, some dramatic. In recent years, two trends that have emerged are an increasing array of early migrants and the spread of southeastern riparian and woodland species westward and northward. Although some areas were still experiencing drought, more water in substantive portions[...]
Atlantic Region: Spring 2020
Spring 2020: 1 Mar–31 May David Seeler dseeler@eastlink.ca Recommended citation: Seeler, D. 2020. Spring 2020: Atlantic Region & St. Pierre et Miquelon. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-8Pk> North American Birds. Weather patterns for the region were near normal for much of the season. On 10 May a major spring storm hit the southern part of the region funneling up through the Bay of Fundy, moving into Gulf of St. Lawrence and subsequently impacting the northern parts of the region. The system brought winds gusting to 90–100 km/h, significant storm surges, snowfall, and in some locales rain, as well..[...]
Québec: Spring 2020
1 March – 31 May Pierre Bannon pbannon@videotron.ca Samuel Denault spdenault@gmail.com Olivier Barden iridosornis@gmail.com Normand David normanddavid@videotron.ca Recommended citation: Bannon, P., S. Denault, O. Barden, N. David. 2020. Spring 2020: Québec. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9ap> North American Birds. Overall, spring 2020 was slightly cool in the south but milder in the north. March was 3ºC above normal south of the St. Lawrence River, with precipitation also above normal. April started mild but turned cool with precipitation below normal. May was dry and cool but ended up with four days of scorching heat late in the month. The[...]
Alabama & Mississippi: Spring 2020
Spring 2020: 1 Mar–31 May Lawrence F. Gardella lfgardella@gmail.com Recommended citation: Gardella, L.F. 2021. Spring 2020: Alabama & Mississippi. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9Pz> North American Birds. The season began wet and warm in most of the region, but seasonally cooler and much drier in the extreme southern portion of the region. By the end of March, temperatures soared to record highs in the southern portion, and got somewhat cool in May. Rainfall at the immediate coast continued well below average, while rainfall farther north was above average. This April was different from the typical April. The[...]
Illinois & Indiana: Spring 2020
Spring 2020: 1 Mar–31 May James D. Hengeveld jhengeve@indiana.edu Keith A. McMullen warbler7@sbcglobal.net Geoffrey A. Williamson geoffrey.williamson.21@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hengeveld, J.D., K.A. McMullen, and G.A. Williamson. 2021. Spring 2020: Illinois & Indiana. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-aId> North American Birds. The weather was unremarkable, with March the warmest and wettest relative to means. Nonetheless, the migration overall seemed ahead of schedule. The two states set 14 different early arrival records, and many species had notably early arrivals. The most extraordinary avian event of the season was the passage of 8000+ passerines on 15 May witnessed by Stephanie[...]
Texas: Spring 2020
Spring 2020: 1 March - 31 May Eric Carpenter ecarpe@gmail.com Bert Frenz bert2@bafrenz.com Anthony Hewetson fattonybirds@gmail.com Jim Paton jnpaton@att.net Ross Rasmussen ross.rasmussen@att.net Willie Sekula williebird22@gmail.com Ron Weeks ronweeks@sbcglobal.net David Wolf dewolfnac@gmail.com Recommended citation: Carpenter, E. 2020. Spring 2020: Texas. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-8T9> North American Birds. COVID-19 had a noticeable impact on birding in Texas in Spring 2020. The main impact was where birder coverage was increased, and where it fell off the cliff due to various restrictions as well as many birders doing less traveling to see birds. Coastal migrant traps that typically host a[...]
British Columbia: Spring 2020
Spring 2020: 1 Mar–31 May Chris Charlesworth c_charlesworth23@hotmail.com Recommended citation: Charlesworth, C. 2021. Spring 2020: British Columbia. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-a3U> North American Birds. An upper ridge began building offshore by mid-March, gaining strength through April. The resulting cool, dry northerly flow led to depressed temperatures and precipitation, although stations east of the Rockies picked up some new snow the latter half of March. Interior valley snowpacks were late melting, mostly gone by the third week of April. The ridge broke down early in May allowing the westerlies to resume, especially over the southern half of[...]
New England: Spring 2020
The Spring 2020, Mar. 1–May 31 Greg Hanisek 175 Circuit Avenue Waterbury, Connecticut 06708 ctgregh@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hanisek, G. 2020. The spring 2020: New England. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9nX> North American Birds. In spring 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic encroached, upending birder’s normal activities. Starting in March, field trips were canceled, sanctuaries and parks were closed, and even cemeteries—such as the popular Mount Auburn Cemetery in Massachusetts—restricted access. Plum Island was closed to vehicles until June 4. Birders, always resourceful, began solitary explorations, in some cases discovering good sites close to home that had been overlooked. News[...]
Southern California: Spring 2020
Spring 2020: 1 Mar–31 May Guy McCaskie guymcc@pacbell.net Kimball L. Garrett kgarrett@nhm.org Recommended citation: McCaskie, G., and K. Garrett. 2020. Spring 2020: Southern California. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-986> North American Birds. The crescendo of the COVID pandemic through the spring period certainly changed birder behavior, though it isn’t clear how this was reflected in the record of bird sightings. Some key areas were closed to the public—for example, San Clemente Island was essentially uncovered for the first time in a couple of decades, and one of the most important interior wetlands (Piute Ponds on the Edwards[...]
Iowa & Missouri: Spring 2020
Spring 2020: 1 Mar–31 May Ryan N. Douglas RNDouglas@gmail.com Joshua P. Uffman Birdsandbugs@sbcglobal.net Recommended citation: Douglas, R. and J.P. Uffman. Spring 2020: Iowa & Missouri. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-bc4> North American Birds. A warmer-than-normal winter bled into spring across Iowa and Missouri, with both states averaging March temperatures around 5°F above historical averages. Both states also experienced their wettest March in over a decade. The warmth of winter and early spring ended abruptly in April, with each state experiencing below-normal temperatures. The chilly April saw unusual midmonth snow fall across southern Iowa and northern Missouri. The[...]
West Indies & Bermuda: Spring 2020
Spring 2020: 1 Mar–31 May Robert L. Norton (Greater Antilles, Bahamas) Corvus0486@aol.com Andrew Dobson (Bermuda) andrewdobs@gmail.com Anthony Levesque (Lesser Antilles) Anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr Recommended citation: Norton, R., A. Dobson, & A. Levesque. 2021. Spring 2020: West Indies & Bermuda. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-baS> North American Birds Highlights for the region include a remarkable discovery of Trindade Petrel prospecting nesting at Bermuda: the region’s first Common Redshank in Guadeloupe; a first Little Egret for Anguilla; a pair of Swainson’s Hawks at Cuba, and a Bicknell’s Thrush in the Bahamas. Observers: David Ascanio, Erick Bermúdez, Sylvie de Blois, Lisa Brin, Bradly[...]
Prairie Provinces: Spring 2020
The Spring 2017, Mar. 1–May 31 Greg Hanisek 175 Circuit Avenue Waterbury, Connecticut 06708 ctgregh@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hanisek, G. 2020. The spring 2017: New England. North American Birds 71(3). March weather in southern Manitoba was variable, while April was rather cold and windy. May had a brief cold spell during its second week, with record lows, followed by a warm spell. Similar conditions existed in the other Prairie Provinces. Numerous rarities were reported. Contributors Christian Artuso, Ken & Lou Ateah, Doug Beckingham, Jon Benson, Fred & Marie Bowen, Jan Bradley, Garry Budyk, Trevor Catchpole,[...]
2020 Young Birders of the Year
Today the American Birding Association is thrilled to announce the results of the 2020 Young Birder of the Year program. The ABA Young Birder of the Year exists to encourage, mentor, and develop the talents of our teenage birders.
February 2020 Photo Quiz
Relative to the small branches, this quiz bird seems small and that feature, in combo with the fact that it’s perched in a tree, probably puts us in the large bird order, Passeriformes, which houses about half the world’s bird species.
Expert Advice for All Levels of Bird Photography
In her ambitious new Mastering Bird Photography: The Art, Craft, and Technique of Photographing Birds and Their Behavior, Marie Read has distilled decades of experience into a beautiful, well-organized reference on the topic.
Birding Magazine: December 2019
Birding Guide to Photography - December 2019
Excellent Essays and Fantastic Photos Reveal Threats to Western Hemisphere Birds
Beyond its well-crafted essays and lovely photographs, a beauty of Bringing Back the Birds: Exploring Migration and Preserving BirdScapes throughout the Americas is its compositional richness and diversity. One can either pick it up off the bookshelf for a good educational read or lift it from the coffee table for the avian eye candy.
January 2020 Photo Quiz
Photos and answers are supplied by Tony Leukering, a field ornithologist based in southeast Colorado, with strong interests in bird migration, distribution, and identification. He has worked for five different bird observatories from coast to coast and considers himself particularly adept at taking quiz photos (that is, bad pictures!). Leukering is a member of the Colorado Bird Records Committee and had been a reviewer for eBird since its inception. He is also interested in most everything else that flies, particularly moths and odonates.
A Global Birding Pioneer Finally Tells His Tale
For every birder who faithfully devotes a half-shelf or more to global listing chronicles like Noah Strycker’s Birding without Borders or Phoebe Snetsinger’s Birding on Borrowed Time, Fisher’s book is an instant must-own.
Gulls, Obsession, and Trash in a Human-altered World
Taking us through a journey of landfill visits with some of Europe’s most prominent gull-watchers, the book unfolds in southern Britain, and it is here that the author experiences the subculture of gull obsession, taking part in capturing and banding gulls.
The Universal Pleasures of Birding Pt. 2
Finding and appreciating birds in cities is fun. But there is one other major benefit to birding an urban area, namely, the people you meet. If you are wearing a pair of binoculars on public transportation, you will probably meet other birders on the way.
The Universal Pleasures of Birding
Birding in the city highlights the opportunities to bird close to home and to explore more accessible places.
West Indies & Bermuda: Winter 2019–2020
Winter 2019–2020: 1 Dec–29 Feb Andrew Dobson (Bermuda) andrewdobs@gmail.com Robert L. Norton (Greater Antilles, Bahamas) Corvus0486@aol.com Anthony Levesque (Lesser Antilles) Anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr Recommended citation: Dobson, A., R. Norton, and A. Levesque. 2021. Winter 2019–2020: West Indies & Bermuda. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-ccN> North American Birds. A Common Redshank was discovered in Guadeloupe, the first record for the Caribbean. There were country firsts for three other countries with Grenada adding Gadwall, the Bahamas increasing their list with an Ash-throated Flycatcher, and Puerto Rico encountering their first and second Townsend’s Warblers. Waterfowl to Shorebirds A[...]
Atlantic Region: Winter 2019-20
Winter 2019-20: 1 Dec 2019–29 Feb 2020 David Seeler dseeler@eastlink.ca Recommended citation: Seeler, D. 2021. Winter 2019-20: Atlantic Region & St. Pierre et Miquelon. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-aaM> North American Birds. The season began innocently enough, with milder temperatures and less-than-normal precipitation through December. On New Year’s Eve, a massive blizzard struck Newfoundland, and things changed for the region. Newfoundland was the recipient of numerous snowstorms through to the end of the season, including a record-breaking snowfall in mid-January. Southern parts of the region also saw significantly colder temperatures and stormy weather through the rest of[...]
Southern California: Winter 2019-20
Winter 2019-20: 1 Dec–29 Feb Guy McCaskie guymcc@pacbell.net Kimball L. Garrett kgarrett@nhm.org Recommended citation: McCaskie, G., and Garrett, K. L. 2021. Winter 2019-20: Southern California. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9PZ> North American Birds. Following a significant cold storm on Thanksgiving, another cold and wet period began just after Christmas. Until then, rainfall totals for the season were well above average. However, January was dry and February was the driest on record for much of the region, so the winter’s overall precipitation ended up being a bit below normal. A moderate mid-winter snowpack in the higher mountains fed[...]
Québec: Winter 2019–2020
Winter 2019–2020: 1 Dec–29 Feb Pierre Bannon pbannon@videotron.ca Olivier Barden iridosornis@gmail.com Normand David normanddavid@videotron.ca Samuel Denault spdenault@gmail.com Recommended Citation Bannon, P., Bardon, O., David, N., and Denault, S. 2020. Winter 2019–2020: Québec. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-8Ut> North American Birds. Winter 2019–2020 was very mild. January was the mildest month, being 4–6 degrees Celsius above normal, followed by February, which was 1–4 degrees Celsius above normal, and then by Dec, which was 1–2 Celsius above normal. Snowfall was below normal in Dec, near normal in Jan, and above normal in Feb. The mild temperatures probably helped some[...]
Hudson-Delaware: Winter 2019–2020
1 Dec–29 Feb Frank Rohrbacher ROHRBAF@aol.com Robert O. Paxton rop1@columbia.edu Shaibal Mitra mitra@mail.csi.cuny.edu Tom Reed coturnicops@gmail.com Recommended citation: Rohrbacher, F., et al. 2020. Winter 2019–2020: Hudson-Delaware. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9Bm> North American Birds. The temperatures in our region from early December until late February were 6 or more degrees above normal, and snow was rare. Waterfowl were slow to move south, and it was even rarer for geese make it south to our region, with most of the Barnacle and Pink-footed Geese remaining in New England. Winter finches and Red-breasted Nuthatches remained in their breeding areas because[...]
Oregon: Winter 2019–2020
Winter 2019–2020: 1 Dec–29 Feb Adrian W. Hinkle adrian.hinkle@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hinkle, A.W. 2021. Winter 2019–2020: Oregon. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9Pn> North American Birds. The Pacific Northwest experienced a rather mild winter. December was a bit dry, but January was wet, with rainfall in Portland on all but a couple days. Particularly rainy and windy weather during the first half of January (including several fronts with strong winds out of the west) pushed unprecedented numbers of Black-legged Kittiwakes inland. Perhaps related to those storms, a beached Thick-billed Murre and a Murphy’s Petrel showed up in Clatsop[...]
Iowa & Missouri: Winter 2019–2020
Winter 2019-2020: 1 Dec 2019–29 Feb 2020 Francis L. Moore flmoore@forbin.net Moore, F. 2021. Winter 2019–2020: Iowa & Missouri. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-akC> North American Birds. Average temperatures for December were unseasonably warm statewide in Iowa with the warmest conditions across eastern Iowa: up to eight degrees above normal. December’s statewide average maximum temperature was 38.1℉, 6.4℉ above normal, while the minimum temperature was 19.6℉, 5.5℉ above normal. Much of the southeastern two-thirds of Iowa experienced near to below average precipitation during December, with east central Iowa reporting up to one inch deficits. Measurable snowfall was also[...]
Birding Online – December 2019
MICHAEL RETTER Birding Specials Editor F-stops, ISO, aperture, shutter speeds, lenses… Photography can be challenging. Our goal with the special Birder’s Guide issues of Birding is to seek out and distill expert advice, in order to make it as easy as possible for you to understand.With that in mind, our very first photography issue features an article by Keith Barnes on tips for taking excellent photos of birds.A suite of expert bird photographers shares with us their top tips and favorite camera rigs as they try to answer “Which Camera is Right for Me?”Kirby Adams explains how different kinds[...]
Texas: Winter 2019 – 2020
The Winter 2019 - 2020, 1 December - 29 February Eric Carpenter ecarpe@gmail.com Bert Frenz Anthony Hewetson Jim Paton Ross Rasmussen Willie Sekula Ron Weeks Recommended citation: Carpenter, E. 2020. The Winter 2019-2020: Texas. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-8QF> North American Birds. Contributors: Greg Albrecht, John Allendorf, Debra Anderson (DAn), Mary Anderson (MAn), Marie Asscherick (MAs), Danielle Aube (DAu), Mike Austin (MAu), Kenneth Bader, Babe Banner, Bradley Banner (BrB), Barry Barentine (BaB), Sheryl Barker (SBa), James Barnes (JaB), Judy Behrens (JBe), David Bell (DBe), Robert Benson (RBe), John Berner (JoB), Brian Berry (BBe), Chris Bick, Amy Bishop,[...]
Prairie Provinces: Winter 2019–2020
Winter 2019–2020: 1 Dec 29 Feb Rudolf Koes rkoes@mymts.net James Fox fox.james.ed@gmail.com Recommended citation: Koes, R.F., and J. Fox. 2021. Winter 2019–2020: Prairie Provinces. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-btR> North American Birds. The winter of 2019–2020 was generally a quiet one, bird-wise, in the Prairie Provinces. After the very wet fall of 2019, precipitation during the winter was light and temperatures were generally within the normal range. The most noteworthy rarities were a Tundra Bean-Goose in Saskatchewan, a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and a Carolina Wren in Manitoba and a Green-tailed Towhee in Alberta. Geese[...]
Baja California Peninsula: August 2016–December 2019
Notable Bird Observations for Baja California and Baja California Sur, with an Updated Checklist for the States 1 Aug 2016–31 Dec 2019 Richard A. Erickson richard.erickson@lsa.net Gerardo Marrón atakamara@gmail.com Enrique D. Zamora-Hernández zugunruhe@gmail.com Mark J. Billings markbillings2020@gmail.com Recommended citation: Erickson, R. A., G. Marrón, E. D. Zamora-Hernández, and M. J. Billings. 2020. Notable bird observations for Baja California and Baja California Sur, August 2016 through December 2019, with an updated checklist for the states. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-91t> North American Birds. Report pages and links: Page 1. Abstract and Introduction Page 2. Observations (August 2016–December 2019)[...]
Southern Great Plains: Winter 2019-2020
Winter 2019-20: 1 Dec 2019—29 Feb 2020 Joseph A. Grzybowski j_grzybowski@sbcglobal.net W. Ross Silcock silcock@rosssilcock.com Grzybowski, J.A. and Silcock, W. R. 2020. Winter 2019-20: Southern Great Plains. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-8So> North American Birds. Certain species continue to shift northwest, gradually, up riparian corridors. These include residents such as Pileated Woodpecker, Carolina Wren and Northern Cardinal. This winter, a broad array of less-hardy species was found much further north than is typical. Some of these, like Yellow-billed Cuckoo, White-eyed Vireo, and Orchard Oriole would have been unheard-of in previous years. Many of the less-hardy species even[...]
Arkansas-Louisiana: Winter 2019–2020
Winter 2019–2020: 1 Dec–29 Feb Paul Conover, Louisiana zoiseaux@lusfiber.net Kenny Nichols, Arkansas kingbird@ymail.com Recommended citation: Conover, P. and K. Nichols. 2021. Winter 2019–2020: Arkansas-Louisiana. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-b92> North American Birds. Seasonal highlights include Brown Pelican, Great Crested Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, American Redstart, Golden-crowned Sparrow, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Observers (subregional editors in boldface) Leif Anderson, Todd Balinger, Katie Barnes, Bonnie Taylor Barry, James W. Beck, Rrik Beck, Wendy Wilson Billiot, Gary Broussard, Jacque Brown, Robin Buff, Bill Burnham, Terry Butler, Lynn Christie, Pat Clanton, Paul E. Conover (Louisiana), Matt Courtman, Ivory Detter, George Dokes, Susan Edmunds,[...]
Illinois & Indiana: Winter 2019–2020
Winter 2019–2020: 1 Dec–28 Feb James D. Hengeveld jhengeve@iu.edu Keith A. McMullen warbler7@sbcglobal.net Geoffrey A. Williamson geoffrey.williamson.21@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hengeveld, J.D., K.A. McMullen, and G.A. Williamson. 2021. Winter 2019–2020: Illinois & Indiana. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-b8s> North American Birds. It was a warm and wet season, with January the wettest and warmest month relative to average levels as temperatures soared into the low 60’s in the southern tier. As a result of the mild conditions, Lake Michigan was virtually ice-free throughout the season. Mild conditions also undoubtedly contributed to the unusually large number of "non-winter" species[...]
Colorado: Winter 2019-2020
1 December 2019 – 30 February 2020 Dean Shoup deshoup723@gmail.com Recommended citation: Shoup, D. 2020. Winter 2019-2020: Colorado. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9t5> North American Birds. Colorado weather in December was warm and dry, with snow falling mostly in the high country. The exception to this was a late month snow storm that brought colder temperatures and 2.8 inches of snow to the Denver area on the 28th. January continued to be mild, with above average temperatures and below average precipitation. In contrast with December and January, February’s temperatures were colder with several storms producing[...]
Florida: Winter 2019–2020
Winter 2019–2020: 1 Dec–28 Feb Michael Brothers mbrothers.larids@gmail.com David Simpson simpsondavid@mac.com Recommended citation: Brothers, M. and D. Simpson. 2021. Winter 2019–2020: Florida. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-a3g> North American Birds. The winter of 2019–2020 was predictably somewhat warmer than normal with average precipitation. Despite the rather ordinary weather, Florida experienced an exciting season with 16 species reported that were Florida Ornithological Society Records Committee Review Species. West Indian strays are always significant, with Florida usually the only state to host these rarities; what an exciting season it was with birds such as Scaly-naped Pigeon, Antillean Palm-Swift, La[...]
November 2019 Photo Quiz
A bird clinging to the side of a tree, right side up. Yes, there are bird species that regularly or habitually cling to the trunks of trees that aren’t woodpeckers, but the Picidae is a good place to start when one encounters such.
The Comeback Bird
When it comes to us and Ospreys, it’s deep and personal. Around 1970, a neighbor took an adolescent Carl to a secret fishing spot on an eastern Long Island pond. He saw a huge stick nest, and from what he’d been reading he knew some things: it was an Osprey nest, abandoned, and Ospreys were nearly extinct.
October 2019 Photo Quiz
Is this an ugly quiz photo, or what! The quiz bird seems to have few field marks, particularly as most of the head and underparts are not depicted, but I guarantee that it is identifiable to species.
Identification of North American Peeps
The peeps, common slang for the five smallest North American sandpipers, tend to create more identification headaches than the rest of the shorebirds put together.
Oaxaca – 2022
June 24–July 3, 2021
$3,965.00 – $4,715.00
Status & Distribution: the Most Under-used ID Feature
This feature is not something that is only just coming to light, nor is it related to the introduction of digital cameras, nor is it due to the internet—although the internet has enabled a more thorough understanding of it. This incredible identification feature is temporal likelihood, aka time of year.
The Sole of Birding: Footwear
From flip-flops to mountaineering boots, what you have on your feet will make, or break, your birding day.
Better Birding with Merlin ID
Merlin’s goal is to demystify identification, enabling anyone to identify the birds around them.
Primer: Clothing & Layering
This article is about layering, or clothing oneself in such a way as to stay comfortable and safe throughout the varied and often temperamental climates in which we love (or dread) to bird.
Analyzing Nocturnal Flight Calls
The fascinating nocturnal world of migrants is out there just waiting for you to experience and record. What will your first recording be?
Smartphone Audio Recording
Making and sharing audio recordings is a piece of cake. It’s as easy, literally, as pressing a button on your smartphone.
REVIEW: Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II Mirrorless Micro 4/3
Kevin Loughlin takes Olympus's hot new 4/3 entry for a spin.
Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont, Texas, perhaps more than any-where else in the ABA Area, is a fascinating confluence of birds from the north, south, east, and west.
Philadelphia
Philadelphia is one of the best cities in the country for urban birding; the geo-logical features and prevailing winds that create nearby legendary migration spots spill over into the city.
September 2019 Photo Quiz
Oh, lovely. Part of a small shorebird. Many of us know that various features of the wing and tail can be quite useful in identifying shorebirds, particularly using the two together
Oregon: Fall 2019
Oregon The Fall 2019 Aug 1–Nov 30, 2019 Adrian W. Hinkle 2616 SE 58th Ave Portland, Oregon 97206 adrian.hinkle@gmail.com Recommended citation Hinkle, A. W. 2019. The fall 2019: Oregon. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-7iz> North American Birds. Several rain events during August and September gave way to a notably dry October and November. August and September brought typical shorebird numbers, including the state’s 5th White-rumped Sandpiper. September delivered several interesting vagrants to Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, including two Hutton’s Vireos, a Broad-billed Hummingbird, and a Phainopepla. A second Broad-billed Hummingbird in John Day increased the state’s total to four.[...]
Texas: Fall 2019
Fall 2019: 1 August–30 November Eric Carpenter ecarpe@gmail.com Recommended citation: Carpenter, E., et al. 2020. Fall 2019: Texas. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-8T5> North American Birds 74(1). Contributors (subregional editors in boldface) T. Jay Adams (TJA), Ty Allen, John Allendorf, Connie Andrus (CAn), Marlin Andrus (MAn), Daphne Asbell, Eric Atwell, Mike Austin (MAu), Colby Ayers (CAy), James Barnes (JBa), Bill Beaty (BBe), Grant Beauprez, David Bell, John Berner (JBe), Lucas Bobay, Bruce Bodson (BBo), Justin Bosler (JBo), Sonny Bratz, Tammy Brown (TBr), Craig Browning, Holly Bundock, Till Burnett (TBu), Raymond Burr, Winston Caillouet, Mike Cameron, Kris Cannon[...]
Birding Online – September 2019
MICHAEL RETTER Birding Specials Editor Travel means different things to different people. For some, it’s a post-brunch stroll through their local park in Philadelphia. In this issue, Tony Croasdale offers his suggestions for birding the City of Brotherly Love, as well as a suggested longer itinerary for the more adventurous. Others crave unfamiliar birds and save up for a dream vacation to far-flung, exotic places such as Patagonian Chile, where Jenn Smith Nelson recently visited. But you don’t have to be rich to travel to some of the world’s most famous birding destinations. Volunteering at a birding lodge[...]
August 2019 Photo Quiz
This month’s quiz bird has the hooked beak and talons typical of raptorial birds and the lack of a facial disk and the various plumage features visible rule out the owls (order Strigiformes) and New World vultures (order Cathartiformes), so we are left with...
Alabama and Mississippi: Fall 2019
Fall 2019: 1 Aug–30 Nov Greg D. Jackson g_d_jackson@bellsouth.net Recommended citation: Jackson, G. D. 2021. Fall 2019: Alabama & Mississippi. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9Xv> North American Birds. For rarity fanciers, our region was a great place to be in Autumn 2019! Numerous unusual species were observed throughout the area spanning the phylogenetic order. Standard migrants arrived in respectable numbers and diversity, and many lingering individuals were found. We fortunately avoided direct strikes by tropical systems this season. Tropical Storm Nestor delivered only a glancing blow in late October as it transited from the northeast Gulf of[...]
Southern California: Fall 2019
Fall 2019: 1 Aug–30 Nov Guy McCaskie guymcc@pacbell.net Kimball L. Garrett kgarrett@nhm.org Recommended citation: McCaskie, G. and K. Garrett. 2021. Fall 2019: Southern California. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9On> North American Birds. The fall was generally warm and quite dry, with some monsoonal rains in the southeastern deserts in September and several dry offshore wind events in October; the season concluded with a strong, cold storm at the end of November that brought much snow to the Mtns. and deserts. Avian highlights included some excellent shorebirds, including the region’s first (and California’s third) Common Ringed Plover, the[...]
Illinois & Indiana: Fall 2019
Fall 2019: 1 Aug–30 Nov James Hengeveld (jhengeve@indiana.edu) Keith A. McMullen (warbler7@sbcglobal.net) Geoffrey A. Williamson (geoffrey.williamson.21@gmail.com) Recommended citation: Hengeveld, J., K.A. McMullen, and G.A. Williamson. 2021. Fall 2019: Illinois & Indiana. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9R8> North American Birds. The fall season continued as summer had ended—warm and dry. September was the 3rd–4th warmest on record. This all changed in October when precipitation was above normal and record-breaking heat early in the month was followed by record-breaking cold temperatures, with frosts and measurable snowfall in northern portions of the region by the end of the month. Particularly in[...]
West Indies & Bermuda: Fall 2019
Fall 2019: 1 Aug–30 Nov Andrew Dobson (Bermuda) andrewdobs@gmail.com Robert L. Norton (Greater Antilles, Bahamas) Corvus0486@aol.com Anthony Levesque (Lesser Antilles) Anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr Recommended citation: Dobson, A., R. Norton, and A. Levesque. 2021. Fall 2019: West Indies & Bermuda. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-ccx> North American Birds. The fall is always a highly anticipated season, with migrants heading south. This year did not disappoint, with highlights of the season including several notable firsts. Guadeloupe documented the first Caribbean record of Yellow-green Vireo (excluding the Colombian island of San Andrés). The US Virgin Islands recorded their first Tropical Kingbird and[...]
Québec: Fall 2019
1 August–30 November Pierre Bannon pbannon@videotron.ca Samuel Denault spdenault@gmail.com Olivier Barden iridosornis@gmail.com Normand David normanddavid@videotron.ca Recommended citation: Bannon, P., S. Denault, O. Barden, N. David. 2020. Fall 2019: Québec. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-99s> North American Birds. Fall weather was very variable depending on the period and the region. Continuing the same weather pattern that prevailed in July, August was warm and dry but there was an abrupt change to cool and wet conditions in early Sep. Oct turned mild again, but the end of the month was spoiled by a heavy rain and windstorm on Halloween day.[...]
Atlantic Region: Fall 2019
Fall 2019: 1 Aug–30 Nov Alvan Buckley alvanbuckley@gmail.com Recommended citation: Buckley, A. 2021. Fall 2019: Atlantic Region and St. Pierre and Miquelon. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-a46> North American Birds. The major birding event of the decade, for the Atlantic provinces, occurred with the arrival of Hurricane Dorian in early to mid-September. The eye of Dorian struck the coast of Nova Scotia, near Halifax, late in the day on 7 Sep, then crossed the province and met the eastern edge of Prince Edward Island, and finally exited through the Strait of Belle Isle between Newfoundland and Labrador.[...]
Southern Great Plains: Fall 2019
1 Aug—30 Nov Joseph A. Grzybowski, Oklahoma j_grzybowski@sbcglobal.net W. Ross Silcock, Nebraska silcock@rosssilcock.com Recommended citation: Grzybowski, J.A. and Silcock, W. R. 2020. Fall 2019: Southern Great Plains. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9eG> North American Birds. The most striking feature of this fall’s report is the large number of lingering migrants, a trend that continues and seemingly increases. This tendency is evidenced prominently with passerines and also with shorebirds. Correspondingly, arrivals of northern wintering species such as Common Merganser, Rough-legged Hawk, Common Redpoll, Snow Bunting, and American Tree Sparrow were late. Fall often produces an array of rarities—this[...]
July 2019 Photo Quiz
Once more unto the flying-birds quiz photo, dear friends, once more. (Apologies to The Bard for the paraphrasing.) And, to make bad worse, the birds are flying away from us!
June 2019 Photo Quiz
The take-home message of this quiz (and the April 2019 quiz) is the same one that is front-and-center in most of my quizzes: Learn the field marks that aren’t usually noted in the field guides.
Québec: Summer 2019
1 June–31 July Pierre Bannon pbannon@videotron.ca Samuel Denault spdenault@gmail.com Olivier Barden iridosornis@gmail.com Normand David normanddavid@videotron.ca Recommended citation: Bannon, P., S. Denault, O. Barden, N. David. 2020. Summer 2019: Québec. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9ad> North American Birds. Reproducing the same weather pattern of summer 2018, temperatures started off slightly cool in June 2019, but warmed up well above normal in July. The most impressive rarities reported throughout the period included Black-bellied Whistling-Duck and Western Grebe. Waterfowl through Owls For the fifth consecutive summer, Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks made an incursion in the region. A bird was first reported at[...]
West Indies & Bermuda: Summer 2019
Summer 2019: 1 Jun–31 Jul Andrew Dobson (Bermuda) andrewdobs@gmail.com Robert L. Norton (Greater Antilles, Bahamas) Corvus0486@aol.com Anthony Levesque (Lesser Antilles) Anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr Recommended citation: Dobson, A., R. Norton, and A. Levesque. 2021. Summer 2019: West Indies & Bermuda. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-ccm> North American Birds. Grenada stole the headlines with their first record of Marbled Godwit and second record of White-winged Swallow. A Trindade Petrel once again appeared in Bermuda. A long-staying Black-bellied Whistling-Duck was at various Bermuda locations to 31 Jul+ (Tim White), and an four others were seen in Warwick, Bermuda 20 June (Erin Stovell).[...]
The Atlantic Region: Summer 2019
Summer 2019: 1 June—31 July David Seeler dseeler@eastlink.ca Recommended Citation: Seeler, D. 2021. Summer 2019: Atlantic. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9Vp> North American Birds. Precipitation was below normal for much of the region. While for the Maritime portion of the Region temperature was slightly above seasonal, in Newfoundland average temperature was close to normal. Most disquieting were comments early in the season suggesting that, in the Maritime Provinces at least, there appeared to be a decrease in the number of species of song birds observed or active in localized areas. A number of reasons were postulated but[...]
Hudson-Delaware: Summer 2019
Summer 2019, June 1–July 31 Robert O. Paxton rop1@columbia.edu Shaibal Mitra mitra@mail.csi.cuny.edu Tom Reed coturnicops@gmail.com Frank Rohrbacher ROHRBAF@aol.com Recommended citation: Paxton, R. O., et al. Summer 2019: Hudson-Delaware. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-8U6> North American Birds. Summer 2019 was hotter and wetter than average in most of this region. The average temperature was the highest ever in some localities, though July was only the fifth hottest in DE and the eleventh hottest in NY. According to NOAA, the period January–August was the wettest on record for the contiguous U. S., and in most of the Hudson-Delaware region,[...]
Alabama & Mississippi: Summer 2019
The Summer 2019, Jun 1, 2019-Jul 31, 2019 John A. Trent 4819 Pleasant Hill Road Midway, AL 36053 john.trent@dcnr.alabama.gov Recommended Citation: Trent, J.A. 2019. The Summer 2019: Alabama and Mississippi. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-8R2> North American Birds. Alabama’s weather this season was typical, with no notable extremes. Mississippi recorded rainfall totals slightly above average for many areas during Jun. and Jul. Hurricane Barry made landfall in Louisiana on 12 Jul., but only had minor influence on regional bird influxes. Summer bird counts took place in Alabama’s Baldwin, Limestone, and Walker counties. Contributors (subregional editors in boldface):[...]
Southern Great Plains: Summer 2019
Summer 2019: 1 Jun–31 Jul Joseph A. Grzybowski j_grzybowski@sbcglobal.net W. Ross Silcock silcock@rosssilcock.com Recommended citation: Grzybowski, J. A., and W. R. Silcock. 2021. Summer 2019: Southern Great Plains. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-ax9> North American Birds. This summer was wetter than normal. However, the impact of this on wetland species was mixed. Some waterfowl may have benefited, but the suitable habitat for breeding wetland species was still too limited for broader expansions. Shorebird migrations contained the usual mid-summer muddle. Certain species—for example some hummingbirds—seemed to move earlier. Clay-colored and Baird’s sparrows were a few of the unexpected[...]
Alaska: Fall 2018–Summer 2019
Fall 2018: 1 Aug–30 Nov Winter 2018–2019: 1 Dec–28 Feb Spring 2019: 1 Mar–31 May Summer 2019: 1 Jun–31 Jul Thede Tobish tgtljo@gmail.com Recommended citation: Tobish, T. 2022. Fall 2018–Summer 2019: Alaska. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-cfM> North American Birds This report summarizes observations in context of regional significance or of unusual dates or locations. The accounts include those for the twelve-month period from fall 2018 through summer season 2019. Alaska’s overall conditions for this coverage period mostly continued a three-year trend of temperatures above long-term means. This is especially consistent in the north portion of the[...]
Texas: Summer 2019
Summer 2019, 1 June - 31 JulyEric Carpenter ecarpe@gmail.comRecommended citation:Carpenter, E., et al. 2020. Summer 2019: Texas. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-8Wq> North American Birds. Contributors (subregional editors in boldface)Colby Ayers, Kenneth Bader, Angela Bailey, Chris Bailey (CBa), Clint Boal (CBo), Justin Bosler, Mike Bradham (MBr), Benji Brooks, Scott Buckel, Marissa Buschow (MBu), Skip Cantrell (SkC), Steve Cardiff (StC), Eric Carpenter (Central Texas), Kevin Cochran (KeC), Fred Collins, Greg Cook, Mel Cooksey, Kim Cortez (KiC), James Court (JCo), Jim Crites (JCr), Cinda Crosley, D.D. Currie (DDC), Tripp Davenport, Nicholas DeMaio, Sandy Dillard, Donna Dittman, Gil Eckrich, K Dean Edwards[...]
The Prairie Provinces Summer 2019
The Prairie Provinces The Summer 2019 June 1–July 31 Rudolf F. Koes 135 Rossmere Crescent Winnipeg, Manitoba R2K 0G1 rkoes@mymts.net Christian Artuso 170 Cavell Drive Winnipeg, Manitoba R3J 1P1 chartuso@gmail.com Recommended citation: Koes, R. F., and C. Artuso. 2019. The summer 2019: Prairie provinces. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-2rZ> North American Birds. While much of the north of the Prairie Provinces region was wetter and cooler than normal, the south saw the opposite conditions. From southeastern Alberta through southern Manitoba, extremely dry conditions existed. July was the fourth driest on record in southeastern Alberta, while the first six months of the[...]
Arkansas-Louisiana: Summer 2019
Summer 2019: 1 Jun–31 Jul Paul Conover, Louisiana zoiseaux@lusfiber.net Kenny Nichols, Arkansas kingbird@ymail.com Recommended citation: Conover, P. and K. Nichols. 2021. Summer 2019: Arkansas-Louisiana. <PERMALINK> North American Birds. Seasonal highlights include Swallow-tailed Kite, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and Red Crossbill. Observers (subregional editors in boldface) Leif Anderson, Sandy Berger, Judy Butler, Terry Butler, Paula Channell (PCh), Paul Conover (Louisiana), Kevin Cunningham, Mitchell Foret, Joan Garvey, Sally Jo Gibson, Judith Ann Griffith, Garbrielle Hargrove, Vivek Govind Kumar, Michael Linz, Paul Mack (PMa), Samuel Manning, Cody Massery, Don Matt (DMa), Jason McCallie, Kirby McCallie, Patty McLean (PMc),[...]
Iowa & Missouri: Summer 2019
Summer 2019: June 1–July 31 James J. Dinsmore oldcoot@iastate.edu Recommended citation: Dinsmore, J. Summer 2019: Iowa & Missouri. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-960> North American Birds. Missouri experienced its coolest June since 2004 with temperatures 0.6 degrees below normal and July only returned to normal temperatures. After experiencing record-high rainfall totals from January through May, rainfall in Missouri continued above normal in both June and July. Weather in Iowa was fairly normal in June with both temperatures and rainfall close to long-term averages. In July, the state experienced somewhat above-average temperatures and below-normal rainfall totals. The most[...]
May 2019 Photo Quiz
Ugh. Birds flying away fairly high in the sky. Yes, those features often make bird ID difficult. However, in many such situations with many species, there still are enough clues to get to the correct ID. This is one such situation.
April 2019 Photo Quiz
So, we go from a bird flying away (in last month’s quiz) to a neck-breaking view of a different bird. Given the comparison in size with that of the various branches and leaves, we should surmise that April’s quiz bird is fairly wee.
March 2019 Photo Quiz
As in many of my quiz photos, our subject bird is flying, and flying away at that. In reality, we would have little time to come up with an identification unless the bird changed course. Since we have a static image, we have some considerable amount of time to solve the ID problem.
Québec: Spring 2019
Spring 2019 : 1 Mar–31 May Pierre Bannon pbannon@videotron.ca Samuel Denault spdenault@gmail.com Olivier Barden iridosornis@gmail.com Normand David normanddavid@videotron.ca Recommended citation: Bannon, P., S. Denault, O. Barden, and N. David. 2021. Spring 2019: Québec. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-a2c> North American Birds. Overall, spring 2019 was cool and more wet than normal. May was the eighth consecutive month with temperatures below normal. In western Québec, severe flooding in April and May were responsible for the evacuation of 10,000 victims, and caused damages to 6,000 residences. A few occurences of diurnal reverse migration were witnessed at the Tadoussac Bird Observatory[...]
The Atlantic Region: Spring 2019
Spring 2019: 1 Mar–31 May David Seeler dseeler@eastlink.ca Recommended citation: Seeler, D. 2021. Spring 2019: Atlantic Region & St. Pierre et Miquelon. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-a15> North American Birds. Weather conditions for the region were relatively unremarkable this season. Reports of note included North America’s fifth record of Eurasian Oystercatcher in Newfoundland, a Chuck-will’s-widow and a lingering Eurasian Collared-Dove in Nova Scotia, and an unusual movement of a number of passerine species into the southern portions of the region. Contributors: Alvan Buckley, Roger Etcheberry, Alix d’Entremont, Bruce Mactavish, Jim Wilson, Marie Dunford Abbreviations: C.S.I. (Cape Sable[...]
Southern Great Plains: Spring 2019
Spring 2019: 1 Mar–31 May Joseph A. Grzybowski j_grzybowski@sbcglobal.net W. Ross Silcock silcock@rosssilcock.com Recommended citation: Grzybowski, J.A., and W.R. Silcock. 2021. Spring 2019: Southern Great Plains. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-aD2>North American Birds. Themes of this spring season were vague. Perhaps the most prominent were early arrivals, some quite exceptional. Also, were some high numbers, particularly of geese, but others that may reflect wetter conditions or weather systems “staging” some species. There was the fringe of a few southeastern wetland species (Black-bellied Whistling–Ducks and Neotropic Cormorants) encroaching more prominently into Kansas and Oklahoma. Among the lackluster were[...]
Texas: Spring 2019
Spring 2019, 1 March - 31 May Eric Carpenter ecarpe@gmail.com Recommended citation: Carpenter, E., et al. 2020. Spring 2019: Texas. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-8Wk> North American Birds. Contributors (subregional editors in boldface) Matthew Abernathy (MAb), T. Jay Adams (TJA), Rodney Allen, Trevis Allen, John Allendorf, Skip Almoney (SAl), Susan Andres (SAn), Connie Andrus (CAn), Marlin Andrus (MAn), Erik Atwell, Mike Austin (MAu), Colby Ayers (CAy), Amanda Beckman, David Bell (DBe), Chris Benesh, Steve Berenzweig (SBe), John Berner (JBe), Brandon Best, Gary Binderim (GBi), Justin Bosler (JBo), Sonny Bratz (SBr), Marcia Braun, Ron Braun, Donald Brightsmith (DoB),[...]
West Indies & Bermuda: Spring 2019
Spring 2019: 1 Mar–30 Apr Andrew Dobson (Bermuda) andrewdobs@gmail.com Robert L. Norton (Greater Antilles, Bahamas) Corvus0486@aol.com Anthony Levesque (Lesser Antilles) Anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr Recommended citation: Dobson, A., R. Norton, and A. Levesque. 2021. Spring 2019: West Indies & Bermuda. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-bWY> North American Birds. A number of country firsts were registered, with a Blackburnian Warbler for Anguilla; a Common Myna for Cuba; and a Tufted Duck for Guadeloupe (only the third for the Caribbean). Cuba also recorded its fourth Large-billed Tern. Ducks through Terns A Redhead continued its stay at West End,[...]
Arkansas-Louisiana: Spring 2019
Spring 2019: 1 Mar–31 May Paul Conover, Louisiana zoiseaux@lusfiber.net Kenny Nichols, Arkansas kingbird@ymail.com Recommended citation: Conover, P. and K. Nichols. 2021. Spring 2019: Arkansas-Louisiana. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-b9n> North American Birds. Seasonal highlights include blue-phase Ross’s Goose, Allen’s Hummingbird, Rough-legged Hawk, Crested Caracara, Chihuahuan Raven, Lesser Goldfinch, Connecticut Warbler, and Lazuli Bunting. Abbreviations BKNWR (Bald Knob NWR, White, AR). Observers (subregional editors in boldface) Amanda Anderson, Leif Anderson, Matthew L. Brady, Chuck Broussard, Paul Burrows, Candace Casey, Steven W. Cardiff, Dave Compton, Paul E. Conover (Louisiana), Donna L. Dittmann, Jim Dixon, Robert C. Dobbs, Emily Donahue,[...]
West Indies & Bermuda: Winter 2018–2019
Winter 2018–2019: 1 Dec–28 Feb Robert L. Norton (Greater Antilles, Bahamas) corvus0486@aol.com Andrew Dobson (Bermuda) andrewdobs@gmail.com Anthony Levesque (Lesser Antilles) anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr Recommended citation: Norton, R., A. Dobson, and A. Levesque. 2021. Winter 2018–2019: West Indies & Bermuda. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-aii> North American Birds. The undoubted highlight of the winter was the first Caribbean record of Wattled Jacana discovered in Antigua. Other highlights included the Caribbean’s third record of Common Ringed Plover in Guadeloupe and Bermuda’s second records of Trindade Petrel and Common Eider. A House Finch provided a new record for Cuba, while Anguilla recorded[...]
Southern Great Plains: Winter 2018-2019
Winter 2018-2019: 1 Dec–28 Feb Joseph A. Grzybowski j_grzybowski@sbcglobal.net W. Ross Silcock silcock@rosssilcock.com Recommended citation: Grzybowski, J. A., and Silcock, W. R. 2021. Winter 2018-2019: Southern Great Plains. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-aaq> North American Birds. This winter season was colder than the norm. The increasing array of individuals wintering further north than expected still occurred, but it does not tell us how many of them made it all the way through. Some species, like Black-crowned Night-Herons, seem to be establishing local urban pockets in the southern region. Common Mergansers were abundant on larger reservoirs in Nebraska,[...]
Iowa & Missouri: Winter 2018-2019
December 1, 2018–February 28, 2019 Francis L. Moore flmoore@forbin.net Recommended citation: Moore, F. Winter 2018-2019: Iowa & Missouri. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-99o> North American Birds. The unseasonable warmth observed in December in Iowa continued into the new year, with January trending warmer than average for much of Iowa until a destabilization in the Polar Vortex led to frigid, unseasonable coldness over the last few days of January and into February. A substantial snowpack across much of the state also helped hold down temperatures. Statewide average snowfall was 22.6 inches, making February the snowiest on record. Iowa[...]
Atlantic Region: Winter 2018–2019
Winter 2018–2019: 1 Dec–28 Feb David Seeler dseeler@eastlink.ca Recommended citation: Seeler, D. 2021. Winter 2018–2019: Atlantic Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-ath> North American Birds. The season began with milder temperatures than normal and remained near normal as it progressed. Precipitation for the maritime region was slightly above normal following a major storm on 28 December 2018. Species of note included California Gull, Slaty-backed Gull, Golden-crowned Sparrow, and Harris’s Sparrow. Contributors: (sub-regional editors in boldface) Alvan Buckley, Alix d’Entremont, Roger Etcheberry, Bruce Mactavish, Jim Wilson. Abbreviations SPM (Saint Pierre and Miquelon) Waterfowl through[...]
Arkansas-Louisiana: Winter 2018–2019
Winter 2018–2019: 1 Dec–28 Feb Paul Conover, Louisiana zoiseaux@lusfiber.net Kenny Nichols, Arkansas kingbird@ymail.com Recommended citation: Conover, P. and K. Nichols. 2021. Winter 2018–2019: Arkansas-Louisiana. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-b9b> North American Birds. Seasonal highlights include Hudsonian Godwit, Long-eared Owl, Crested Caracara, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Gray Flycatcher, and Gray-headed Junco. Observers (subregional editors in boldface) Leif Anderson, David Booth (DaB), Robert Boyd, Dottie Boyles (DotB), Chuck Broussard, Ellen Carpenter, Candace Casey, Lynn Christie, Paul E. Conover (Louisiana), Jim Delahoussaye, Robert C. Dobbs, Rob Doster, Todd Fitzgerald, Brent Franklin, Kent Freeman, Anthony French, Bob Harden, Gabrielle Hargrove, Ron Hoff, Bill[...]
Camp Delaware Bay 2026
Our Camp Delaware Bay visits many of the mid-Atlantic’s most celebrated birding hotspots during peak shorebird migration. From Bombay Hook and Prime Hook national wildlife refuges in Delaware to legendary hotspots in and around Cape May, New Jersey, we’ll bird the beaches, Bayshore, marshes, and woodlands of the region, finding a wonderful variety of species. Camp Delaware Bay Director: Holly Merker Camp Delaware Bay Coastal Delaware Bay: Coastal Delaware and Cape May, New Jersey • Aug. 6-12, 2026 Open to all birders ages 13 to 17. Membership in the ABA is required for attendance. CAMP FEE: $2,250 Includes all[...]
West Indies & Bermuda: Fall 2018
Fall 2018: 1 Aug–30 NovRobert L. Norton (Greater Antilles, Bahamas)corvus0486@aol.comAndrew Dobson (Bermuda)andrewdobs@gmail.comAnthony Levesque (Lesser Antilles)anthony.levesque@wanadoo.frRecommended citation:Norton, R., A. Dobson, and A. Levesque. 2021. Fall 2018: West Indies & Bermuda. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-aiJ> North American Birds. The outstanding sighting of the season was North America and the Caribbean’s first record of Squacco Heron photographed in Guadeloupe. Other highlights included a Black-browed Albatross photographed in the Bahamas, Guadeloupe’s second record of Red-necked Phalarope, and Bermuda’s second record of Marsh Wren.Contributors (sub-regional compilers in bold)Peter Adhemar, Nathan Beccue (NBe), David Bernstein, Nick Bonomo, Elwood Bracey (Bahamas), Randolph "Casper" Burrows, Zoe[...]
Atlantic Region: Fall 2018
Fall 2018: 1 Aug–30 Nov Alvan Buckley alvanbuckley@gmail.com Recommended citation: Buckley, A. 2021. Fall 2018: Atlantic Region and St. Pierre and Miquelon. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-als> North American Birds. The Autumn 2018 season was an average one with no major storms or unexpected movements of birds. European geese continued to entertain birders throughout the region, while increasingly noble efforts to find seabirds resulted in more discoveries for the region. Rarities were highlighted by a Gray Kingbird in New Brunswick and a Hooded Oriole in Nova Scotia. The warbler diversity and rate of vagrants for Autumn 2018[...]
Southern Great Plains: Fall 2018
Fall 2018: 1 Aug–30 Nov Joseph A. Grzybowski j_grzybowski@sbcglobal.net W. Ross Silcock silcock@rosssilcock.com Recommended citation: Grzybowski, J. A., and W. R. Silcock. 2021. Fall 2018: Southern Great Plains. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-a4D> North American Birds. These reports have frequently focused on population phenomena and patterns. This fall, dynamic—if creeping—range extensions of southeastern species continued more northward and westward, and withdrawals or delays of northern species spread southward. Part of the northwestward creep in some bird species is from encroaching woody vegetation westward. Several species, such as Red-shouldered Hawk, Barred Owl, and Carolina Wren, follow the riparian[...]
Arkansas & Louisiana: Summer 2018
Summer 2018: 1 Jun–31 Jul Paul Conover (LA) zoiseaux@lusfiber.net Kenny Nichols (AR) kingbird@ymail.com Recommended citation: Conover, P., and Nichols, K. 2021. Summer 2018: Arkansas & Louisiana. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9Pd> North American Birds. Seasonal highlights include Masked Duck, Black-billed Cuckoo, Swallow-tailed Kite, Red-breasted Nuthatch and Pine Siskin. Contributors (subregional editors in boldface): Bill Beall, Paul Conover (Louisiana), Eric Cormier, Paul Dickson, Sally Jo Gibson, Gabrielle Hargrove, James Holmes Jr, Erik I Johnson, Michael Linz, Charles Lyon, Jason McCallie, Patty McLean, Sarah Morris, Joe Neal, Kenny Nichols (Arkansas), LaDonna Nichols, Lance Runion, Phil Ryan, Jacob Wessels, Glenn Wyatt.[...]
West Indies & Bermuda: Summer 2018
Summer 2018: 1 Jun–31 Jul Robert L. Norton (Greater Antilles, Bahamas) corvus0486@aol.com Andrew Dobson (Bermuda) andrewdobs@gmail.com Anthony Levesque (Lesser Antilles) anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr Recommended citation: Norton, R., A. Dobson, & A. Levesque. 2021. Summer 2018: West Indies & Bermuda. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-ahX> North American Birds. Highlights of the season in Bermuda included: the first breeding of Roseate Terns since the 1840s, the third record of Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, and another record-breaking number of Cahow chicks. Contributors (subregional editors in boldface): Elizabeth Bell (EBe), Eva Bottelli, Lou Carroll, Martha Cartwright, Jackie Catino-Davenport, Jacquelin Cistero, Peter Davey, Frantz Delcroix Duzont,[...]
Southern Great Plains: Summer 2018
Summer 2018 : 1 Jun–31 Jul Joseph A. Grzybowski j_grzybowski@sbcglobal.net W. Ross Silcock silcock@rosssilcock.com Recommended citation: Grzybowski, J. A., and W. R. Silcock. 2021. Summer 2018: Southern Great Plains. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-aeh> North American Birds. The summer season brought out an array of isolated, out-of-place species across a series of taxa and across the region, some caused by good local water conditions, as in the Oklahoma Panhandle and western Kansas; some of these real surprises. Vagrant gulf-states marsh-birds made a good showing, with more of some heron species (Great Egrets and Yellow-crowned Night-Herons), even a Reddish[...]
West Indies & Bermuda: Spring 2018
Spring 2018: 1 Mar–31 May Robert L. Norton (Greater Antilles, Bahamas) Corvus0486@aol.com Andrew Dobson (Bermuda) andrewdobs@gmail.com Anthony Levesque (Lesser Antilles) Anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr Recommended citation: Norton, R., A. Dobson, & A. Levesque. 2021. Spring 2018: West Indies & Bermuda. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-aix> North American Birds. To evaluate reports from the eastern Greater Antilles (Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands) since September 2017, one has to start with the impact of class 4/5 hurricanes Maria and Irma. After inflicting major damage to the Virgin Islands, Irma passed to the north of Puerto Rico, delivering a glancing blow to Vieques.[...]
Atlantic Region: Spring 2018
Spring 2018: 1 Mar–31 May David Seeler Seeler@eastlink.ca Recommended citation: Seeler, D. 2021. Spring 2018: Atlantic Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-cjD> North American Birds. Temperatures were slightly above normal, and precipitation was near normal with the exception of an early April storm that led to flooding in New Brunswick. A late May winter storm brought snowfall to much of the region with light amounts of snow to a massive storm hitting Newfoundland, leaving 35 cm of snow in Gander—the largest single-day snowfall for the winter—and nearly eclipsing the previous record for May. Significant numbers of vagrant[...]
Arkansas & Louisiana: Spring 2018
Spring 2018: 1 Mar–31 May Paul Conover (LA) zoiseaux@lusfiber.net Kenny Nichols (AR) kingbird@ymail.com Recommended citation: Conover, P., and Nichols, K. 2021. Spring 2018: Arkansas & Louisiana. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9Pa> North American Birds. Seasonal highlights include Long-billed Curlew, Sage Thrasher, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Western Tanager, and Black-headed Grosbeak. Contributors (sub-regional compilers in boldface) Jeff Barnhill (JBa), Rose Ann Barnhill, Greg Bass, Susan Bass, Dick Baxter, Stacey Benson (StB), Sandy Berger (SaB), Jodi Brannam (JBr), Jerry Byler, Rhonda Byler, Lynn Christie, Paul Conover (Louisiana), Robert C. Dobbs, Ron Duvall, Ted Drozdowski, Maureen Ellis, Karen Hammond, Bob Harden,[...]
Central America: Spring and Summer 2018
Spring and Summer 2018: 1 March–31 July John van Dort john.vandort@gmail.com Oliver Komar okomar@zamorano.edu Recommended citation: van Dort, J., and O. Komar. 2021. Spring and Summer 2018: Central America. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-bde> North American Birds. The spring and summer of 2018 were noteworthy for discoveries of a new species for North America (Bare-faced Ibis) and three first records for Central America. Two Pacific coast migrants finally made it to Central America: a Red-throated Pipit in April and a Black Turnstone in May that remained through the summer. First country records included Great Shearwater and White-faced[...]
Arkansas & Louisiana: Winter 2017-18
Winter 2017-18: 1 Dec–28 Feb Kenny Nichols kingbird@ymail.com Paul Conover zoiseaux@lusfiber.net Recommended citation: Nichols, K. and P. Conover. 2021. Winter 2017-18: Arkansas & Louisiana. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9Qe> North American Birds. Seasonal highlights include Tundra Bean-Goose, Lucifer Hummingbird, Limpkin, Mew Gull, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Curve-billed Thrasher, and Gray-headed Junco. Significance for Arkansas records is based on Arkansas Birds, their distribution and abundance (James and Neal 1986) and the Arkansas Audubon Society (AAS) online bird record database (for records since 1986). The significance of Louisiana records is based on trends derived from the database of bird record[...]
Iowa & Missouri: Winter 2017-2018
December 1, 2017–February 28, 2018 Francis L. Moore flmoore@forbin.net Recommended citation: Moore, F. Winter 2017-2018: Iowa & Missouri. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9cA> North American Birds. This winter season in Iowa had above normal temperatures in December and February with January alternating between periods of very cold weather with equally warm spells. Precipitation totals for December were below normal at every reporting point in the state. Other than a major blizzard in far northwestern Iowa, snowfall was notably lacking across the state in January, but precipitation was much more frequent during February than the previous two months[...]
West Indies & Bermuda: Winter 2017–2018
Winter 2017–2018: 1 Dec–28 Feb Robert L. Norton (Greater Antilles, Bahamas) Corvus0486@aol.com Andrew Dobson (Bermuda) andrewdobs@gmail.com Anthony Levesque (Lesser Antilles) Anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr Recommended citation: Norton, R., A. Dobson, & A. Levesque. 2021. Winter 2017: West Indies & Bermuda. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-aeG> North American Birds. Bermuda highlights of the season included: the first record of Northern Fulmar, two Brant, the sixth White-winged Scoter; and the biggest-ever arrival of Killdeer. The Bahamas also provided some highlights of vagrant corvids from Florida, a Black Vulture, some interesting reports of pelagics, and a Little Egret. From Puerto Rico, some exciting[...]
Atlantic Region: Winter 2017–2018
Winter 2017–2018: 1 Dec–28 Feb David Seeler dseeler@eastlink.ca Recommended citation: Seeler, D. 2021. Winter 2017–2018: Atlantic Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-azc> North American Birds. The most significant weather event that affected this winter season in fact occurred in late October, when a strong storm transported a massive number of songbirds into Nova Scotia, many of which remained into, or through, the season. St. Pierre et Miquelon had a record number of species for the Winter Bird Count—105—while Nova Scotia tallied 204, New Brunswick 191, and Newfoundland and Labrador 155. In addition, numerous regional records occurred this[...]
Central America: Winter 2017–2018
Winter 2017–2018: 1 December–28 February John van Dort john.vandort@gmail.com Oliver Komar okomar@zamorano.edu Recommended citation: van Dort, J., and O. Komar. 2021. Winter 2017/2018: Central America. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-b9w> North American Birds. Two vagrants, Great Black-backed Gull from the North and Russet-throated Puffbird from the South, were new for the region this winter. Meanwhile in Honduras, Black Catbird, a species practically restricted to the Yucatán Peninsula, reappeared after a 160+ year absence. There were only two other new country records this period: Western Gull in Honduras and White-crowned Sparrow in Costa Rica. Both are migratory vagrants[...]
Québec: Fall 2017
The Fall 2017, September 1–November 30 Pierre Bannon 235 de Vimy, app. 2 Saint-Bruno de Montarville, QC J3V 6G9 pbannon@videotron.ca Olivier Barden 2942 rue de l’Aubier Québec, QC G1M 3V1 iridosornis@gmail.com Normand David 202-53 Hasting Dollard-des-Ormeaux, QC H9G 3C4 normanddavid@videotron.ca Samuel Denault 1991 rue Saint-Zotique Est Montréal, QC H2G 1J2 samueldenault@hotmail.com Recommended citation: Bannon, P., O. Barden, N. David, & S. Denault. 2020. The Fall 2017: Québec. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-8Jt> North American Birds. Overall, August was cool and wet, except in the Lower St. Lawrence where the drought persisted. After a cool start, September turned[...]
Western Great Lakes: Fall 2017
Fall 2017: 1 Aug–30 Nov Peder Svingen psvingen@gmail.com Recommended citation: Svingen, P. 2021. Fall 2017: Western Great Lakes Region. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-aeR> North American Birds. Though a strong cold front around Labor Day did produce some prominent migration, true autumn seemed to arrive late, especially when a heat wave stifled the region in late September. Despite cooler days in late October, in late November temperatures reached the mid-60s in Wisconsin and Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. Erratic patterns of precipitation were not easily summarized. Whitefish Point recorded 109,139 waterbirds of 78 species, its 4th highest seasonal total[...]
Central America: Fall 2017
Fall 2017: 1 August–30 November John van Dort john.vandort@gmail.com Oliver Komar okomar@zamorano.edu Recommended citation: van Dort, J., and O. Komar. 2021. Fall 2017: Central America. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-aGX> North American Birds. With the exceptions of El Salvador and Honduras, most Central American countries added species to their lists this fall, with Panama topping the effort with four additions: Eurasian Collared-Dove, Inca Dove, Cassin’s Kingbird, and Carib Grackle. The discovery of Carib Grackle in Panama adds another South American species to the Central American list. Other first country records during this period include Yellow-crowned Parrot and[...]
Colorado: Fall 2017
Fall 2017: August 1–November 30 Dean Shoup deshoup723@gmail.com Recommended citation: Shoup, D. 2021. Fall 2017: Colorado. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9Lh> North American Birds. Temperatures for the season were much above average for much of the state. For the western half of the state, November provided record warm temperatures. Precipitation was below average for much of the season except for September, which experienced above average precipitation in the eastern half of the state and much above average in the southeast quadrant. These warmer temperatures may have encouraged some species to linger longer during migration, including some[...]
Alaska: Fall 2017–Summer 2018
Fall 2017–Summer 2018: 1 Aug 2017–31 Jul 2018 Thede Tobish tgtljo@gmail.com Recommended citation: Tobish, T. 2021. Fall 2017–Summer 2018: Alaska. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-adR> North American Birds. This report summarizes observations in the context of regional significance, or of unusual dates or locations, spanning the twelve-month period fall 2017 through the summer season 2018. Alaska’s overall temperature profiles for 2017 and 2018 followed a multi-year trend of above long-term means. This period was below the record set by 2016’s highest ever annual departure of 1.5°F warmer than the previous record holder (2014). Northern Alaska again reported[...]
Texas: Summer 2017
Summer 2017: 1 Jun–31 Jul Eric Carpenter ecarpe@gmail.com Recommended citation: Carpenter, E. 2021. Summer 2017: Texas. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-a9S> North American Birds. Summer continues to be a tough season to summarize in Texas, given the paucity of birds and birders venturing afield. Temperatures were only slightly above average and perhaps more tolerable than usual. This summer seemed a bit wetter than most, resulting in more water birds lingering or attempting to summer. There are always a few migrants present into Jun, and this year a few local late dates were set, particularly along the coast[...]
Colorado: Summer 2017
Summer 2017: 1 Jun–31 Jul Dean Shoup deshoup723@gmail.com Recommended citation: Shoup, D. 2021. Summer 2017: Colorado. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-akO> North American Birds. Temperatures for June and July were above average in the eastern portion of the state and much above average in the west. Although June was much drier than average, July precipitation averages were much above average especially in the se. quadrant. Throughout the season much of the state was out of drought, with only a few sections in the west in Abnormally Dry status. Birds not typically found in the western half of[...]
Central America: Summer 2017
Summer 2017: 1 Jun–31 Jul John van Dort john.vandort@gmail.com Oliver Komar okomar@zamorano.edu Recommended citation: van Dort, J., and O. Komar. 2021. Summer 2017: Central America. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-aA5> North American Birds. The summer is generally a quiet period in Central American birding, and only Guatemala added a truly new bird, House Finch, to its list this summer. While the finch is resident in nearby Mexico and has long been expected, there is still no clear evidence that House Finch has colonized Guatemala. Few vagrants were reported this season. The most notable was in western El Salvador,[...]
Iowa & Missouri: Summer 2017
June 1–July 31 James J. Dinsmore oldcoot@iastate.edu Recommended citation: Dinsmore, J. Summer 2017: Iowa & Missouri. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9rC> North American Birds. Overall, both states had fairly typical summer weather. In June, temperatures and rainfall were average in Missouri although parts of northern and western Missouri had 12 inches of rain on 28-29 June leading to flooding on several rivers. In Iowa, June was fairly warm with dry conditions across much of the southwestern two thirds of the state and especially in southeastern Iowa. July was hot and dry with above-average temperatures in both states,[...]
Ontario: Summer 2017
Summer 2017: 1 June–31 July Blake A. Mann boatmann@kent.net Recommended citation: Mann, B. A. 2021. Summer 2017: Ontario. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-ajA> North American Birds. The month of June saw above average rainfall. Although July was a little drier, above average precipitation still fell in most regions. Water levels continued to rise from the previous year and reached levels not seen in 20 years. High lake levels caused some flooding especially with the relentless winds. Such was the case in the Toronto Is. where they were closed to the public for much of the summer. Some[...]
Texas: Spring 2017
Spring 2017: 1 Mar–31 May Eric Carpenter ecarpe@gmail.com Recommended citation: Carpenter, E. 2021. Spring 2017: Texas. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-aiW> North American Birds. Spring 2017 was considered average or even lackluster in the quantities of migrants seen, but there were a fair number of interesting sightings. Mild conditions may have contributed to a number of early arrivals as well as several late records. A couple of late cold fronts grounded more than a few birds for folks inland. Rainfall totals were mixed, though more areas seemed to need rain rather than get too much. The widespread[...]
Illinois & Indiana: Spring 2017
Spring 2017: 1 Mar–31 May James D. Hengeveld jhengeve@indiana.edu Keith A. McMullen warbler7@sbcglobal.net Geoffrey A. Williamson geoffrey.williamson.21@gmail.com Recommended citation: Hengeveld, D., K.A. McMullen, and G.A. Williamson. 2021. Spring 2017: Illinois & Indiana. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9RH> North American Birds. It was a warm and wet spring, with April particularly warm and May abnormally wet. Perhaps as the result of the warm conditions, waterbirds (particularly waterfowl and gulls) moved north early and many landbirds arrived early and in good numbers. A nice assortment of rarities included Mottled Duck, Ruff, Black-headed Gull, Pacific Loon, Neotropic Cormorant, Anhinga, Swallow-tailed[...]
Alabama & Mississippi: Spring 2017
Spring 2017: 1 Mar–31 May Lawrence F. Gardella lfgardella@gmail.com Recommended citation: Gardella, L.F. 2021. Spring 2017: Alabama & Mississippi. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9Rt> North American Birds. Spring 2017 opened very warm with unseasonably high temperatures on 1 March. Those temperatures quickly moved back to normal range. Then, starting 12 March, temperatures dipped well below normal before returning to levels well above normal, and averaging five degrees above normal for the balance of March and April. Temperatures in May were much less volatile, but they were still several degrees above historical averages. Rainfall was below average for[...]
Wyoming: Spring 2017
Spring 2017: 1 Mar–31 May Matthew Fraker frakerpovc@aol.com Recommended citation: Fraker, M. 2021. Spring 2017: Wyoming. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9QI> North American Birds. March 2017 in Wyoming was the fourth warmest in 123 years while April and May’s temps were near the normal 123 year average. Precipitation in March was above normal, in April was much above normal, and then returned to near normal in May. All 10 of Wyoming’s climate divisions stood at zero drought conditions. Contributors Laurel Armstrong, Janice Backstrom (JB), Jason Beason (JBe), Nathaniel Behl, Elizabeth Boehm, Rebecca Bracken, Thomas Brantley, Kurt Countryman,[...]
Southern California: Spring 2017
Spring 2017: 1 Mar–31 May Guy McCaskie guymcc@pacbell.net Kimball L. Garrett kgarrett@nhm.org Recommended citation: McCaskie, G, and K. L. Garrett. 2021. Spring 2017: Southern California. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-aa3> North American Birds. The spring period was relatively warm and dry following a winter of somewhat above-average precipitation in the region. Strong Santa Ana wind conditions 27–29 April resulted in some major movements of land bird migrants at coastal localities; San Clemente Island experienced a large passage 28–29 April and again 4 May, with the offshore winds best explaining the passage on the earlier dates. R. McKernan[...]
Colorado: Spring 2017
Spring 2017: 1 Mar–31 May Dean Shoup deshoup723@gmail.com Recommended citation: Shoup, D. 2021. Spring 2017: Colorado. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-akW> North American Birds. Temperatures for March were much above average in the east and record warmest in the west. April cooled down a bit, with the state recording above average temperatures. May cooled off even further, with the state experiencing near average temperatures and even below average in the sw. quadrant. Precipitation ranks were below average or near average for most of the state in March and April. Late April and most of May was much[...]
Central America: Spring 2017
Spring 2017: 1 Mar–31 May John van Dort john.vandort@gmail.com Oliver Komar okomar@zamorano.edu Recommended citation: van Dort, J., and O. Komar. 2021. Spring 2017: Central America. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-arY> North American Birds. Spring of 2017 generated several new country records. Guatemala picked up two new species: White-crowned Pigeon and Yellow-headed Blackbird. Honduras finally added Hudsonian Godwit. In Nicaragua, the remarkable slate of first country records includes Red-billed Tropicbird, Nazca Booby, Yellow-breasted Crake, Swainson’s Warbler, and a South American vagrant: Dark-billed Cuckoo. No new country records were recorded for Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, or Panama. This[...]
Arkansas & Louisiana: Spring 2017
Spring 2017: 1 Mar–31 May Paul Conover (LA) zoiseaux@lusfiber.net Kenny Nichols (AR) kingbird@ymail.com Recommended citation: Conover, P., and Nichols, K. 2021. Spring 2017: Arkansas & Louisiana. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9US> North American Birds. Seasonal highlights include possible Cayenne Tern, Brown Booby, White-tailed Kite, Lesser Goldfinch, Lark Bunting and Bullock’s Oriole. Significance for Arkansas records is based on Arkansas Birds, their distribution and abundance (James and Neal 1986) and the Arkansas Audubon Society (AAS) online bird record database (for records since 1986). The significance of Louisiana records is based on trends derived from the database of bird[...]
Northern Canada & Greenland: Spring 2017
Spring 2017: 1 Mar–31 May Cameron D. Eckert cameron.eckert@gmail.com Recommended citation: Eckert, C. D. 2021. Spring 2017: Northern Canada & Greenland. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-akj> North American Birds. Impressive numbers of migrants across a diversity of species groups were seen throughout the region. Diligent observations by birders not only helps monitor bird populations, but highlights important migration sites and staging areas. The Yukon added one new species to the territory list, and a suite of rarities elsewhere made for an exciting season. Contributors (sub-regional compilers in boldface) Tracy Allard, Libby Anderson, Julie Bauer, Serge Brodeur, Bruce[...]
Ontario: Spring 2017
Spring 2017: 1 Mar–31 May Margaret J. C. Bain mjcbain@sympatico.ca Recommended citation: Bain, M. 2021. Spring 2017: Ontario. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-ajT> North American Birds. An unusually warm spell in the last days of February and the first few days of March created a false Spring in southern Ontario, encouraging numbers of waterfowl, woodcock, robins and blackbirds into an early return north. This provided several record arrival dates but almost certainly resulted in fatalities for many of these migrants as cold, wet weather returned all too soon. Rapidly alternating warm and cold spells then persisted through[...]
Hawaiian Islands: Winter 2016–2017
1 Dec–28 Feb Lance Tanino nabhawaiibirds@gmail.com Recommended citation: Tanino, L. 2020. Winter 2016–2017: Hawaiian Islands. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9xu> North American Birds. In the Hawaiian Islands, winter is usually wet; but this year there were fluctuations of wet and dry periods, including back and forth tradeoffs between trade winds and Kona winds, with a very dry January and above average rainfall in February. A cold front in late January brought strong damaging northeasterly winds. The winter avian highlights included a Semipalmated Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper, Western Gull, and a Lesser Black-backed Gull (second regional record). Contributors Liz[...]
Southern California: Winter 2016–2017
Winter 2016–2017: 1 Jan–31 Mar Guy McCaskie guymcc@pacbell.net Kimball L. Garrett kgarrett@nhm.org Recommended citation: G. McCaskie and K. L. Garrett. 2021. 2016–2017: Southern California. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9O9> North American Birds. A fter several years of well-below normal precipitation during the region’s winter rainy season, a series of wet Pacific troughs passed through in December, January and February, bringing greater than average rainfall to most of Southern California. Temperatures were at, or below, normal throughout the region, and the only significant Santa Ana wind events occurred in early December and again in late January. There were[...]
Central America: Winter 2016–2017
Winter 2016–2017: 1 Dec–28 Feb John van Dort john.vandort@gmail.com Oliver Komar okomar@zamorano.edu Recommended citation: van Dort, J., and O. Komar. 2021. Winter 2016/2017: Central America. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-ald> North American Birds. This winter period garnered new country records for Belize (Violet-headed Hummingbird, Cory’s Shearwater), El Salvador (Surf Scoter, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Yellow-headed Caracara, Vermillion Flycatcher), and Nicaragua (Burrowing Owl). These vagrants and others mentioned in this report are a mix of migration overshoots (the shearwater, scoter, flycatcher, and owl) and non-migratory dispersers (the hummingbird, collared-dove, and caracara). Contributors (sub-regional compilers in boldface): Julio Acosta, George Angehr[...]
Texas: Winter 2016–17
Winter 2016–17: 1 Dec–28 Feb Eric Carpenter ecarpe@gmail.com Randy Pinkston drpinkston@sbcglobal.net Recommended citation: Carpenter, E., and R. Pinkston. 2021. Winter 2016–17: Texas. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-a3K> North American Birds. Some incredibly mild conditions, even by Texas standards, lasted all season long throughout the state. Rainfall for the most part was average and temperatures almost across the board were a few degrees above average. Yes, there were some cold snaps as there always are, but, in between, it seemed like fall just lasted longer than it usually does around here. Insectivores (swallows, flycatchers, warblers, etc.) that usually[...]
Iowa & Missouri: Winter 2016–2017
Winter 2016–2017: 1 Dec–28 Feb Francis L. Moore flmoore@forbin.net Recommended citation: Moore, F. 2021. Winter 2016–2017: Iowa & Missouri. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-aky> North American Birds. This winter season in Iowa had above normal temperatures in January and February and below normal temperatures in December, with above normal precipitation during the first two months and slightly below normal precipitation during the last month of the season in Iowa. There were five rain/snow events during December, with multiple rain events and only one snow event of consequence in January. There were only two measurable snow events during[...]
Northern Canada & Greenland: Winter 2016–2017
Winter 2016/17: 1 Dec–28 Feb Cameron D. Eckert cameron.eckert@gmail.com Recommended citation: Eckert, C. D. 2021. Winter 2016/17: Northern Canada & Greenland. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-akf> North American Birds. Reports of marginal winter species, many of which didn’t quite last the winter, showed what a tough season winter is in the far North. While Christmas Bird Counts continue to be a primary source of information, observations at other times of the season really help create a full picture of the region’s winter bird populations. Contributors (sub-regional compilers in boldface) Julie Bauer, Mike Beauregard, Stephanie Behrens, Robert Bromley,[...]
West Indies & Bermuda: Winter 2016–2017
Summer 2016–2017: 1 Dec–28 Feb Robert L. Norton (Greater Antilles, Bahamas) Corvus0486@aol.com Andrew Dobson (Bermuda) andrewdobs@gmail.com Anthony Levesque (Lesser Antilles) Anthony.levesque@wanadoo.fr Recommended citation: Norton, R., A. Dobson, & A. Levesque. 2021. Winter 2016–2017: West Indies & Bermuda. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-ahI> North American Birds. Bermuda highlights included the first record of Common Eider, third record of American White Pelican, and the first record of Dovekie in 50 years. The Lesser Antilles produced an exciting record of Wood Sandpiper. Contributors: Geoff Bell, Eva Botelli, Jacqueline Cestero, Antoine Chabrolle, Alison Copeland, Mark Davidson, Eric Delcroix, Frantz Delcroix, BDL,[...]
Wyoming: Winter 2016–2017
Winter 2016–2017: 1 Dec–28 Feb Matthew Fraker frakerpovc@aol.com Recommended citation: Franker, M. 2021. Winter 2016–2017: Wyoming. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-apE> North American Birds. December 2016 temperatures in Wyoming were "Below Normal" statewide, being the 17th coldest December in 122 years of data. Of the 10 climate divisions, temperatures were "Normal" in one, "Below Normal" in four, and "Much Below Normal" in five. January 2017 temperatures in Wyoming remained "Below Normal" statewide, being the 32nd coldest January in 123 years of data. Of the 10 climate divisions, seven were "Below Normal" and three were "Normal." Things warmed up quickly[...]
Prairie Provinces: Winter 2016–2017
Winter 2016–2017: 1 Dec–28 Feb Rudolf F. Koes rkoes@mymts.net Peter Taylor taylorp@granite.mb.ca Recommended citation: Koes, R. F., and P. Taylor. 2021. Winter 2016–2017: Prairie Provinces. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-a4Q> North American Birds. Mild weather in November and the first few days of December enticed many birds to linger, but this was followed by a two-week cold snap that froze virtually all the non-flowing water and pushed many lingerers out just before the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) period. The remainder of the winter saw generally average temperatures and snowfall, with a mild spell in mid-February resulting in[...]
Texas: Fall 2016
Fall 2016: 1 Aug–30 Nov Eric Carpenter ecarpe@gmail.com Recommended citation: Carpenter, Eric. 2021. Fall 2016: Texas. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9OB> North American Birds. Fall is usually a very active season for birding in Texas but in 2016, it seemed quite lackluster. Migration seemed painfully slow and uneventful by most accounts; one long-time seasoned Texas birder labeled it “boring”, another called it the “dullest and slowest” fall migration he had ever experienced. As our summering birds left, there were few migrants that seemed to fill the void, particularly inland where there were not all that many weather[...]
Central America: Fall 2016
Fall 2016: 1 Aug–30 Nov John van Dort john.vandort@gmail.com Oliver Komar okomar@zamorano.edu Recommended citation: van Dort, J. and O. Komar. 2021. Fall 2016: Central America. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9QM> North American Birds. While most of Central America is now accessible to birders, there are still a few wilderness areas that require special efforts and logistics to explore. The Tacarcuna Mountains of eastern Panama, with no vehicular access, is such an area. An expedition there in September, specifically to Cerro Tacarcuna on the Panamanian–Colombian border, produced several records of birds endemic to these mountains and not seen or[...]
Wyoming: Fall 2016
Wyoming: Fall 2016 Fall 2016: 1 Aug–30 Nov Matthew Fraker frakerpovc@aol.com Recommended citation: Fraker, M. 2021. Fall 2016: Wyoming. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9QF> North American Birds. Contributors Jean Adams, Janice Backstrom (JB), Shawn Billerman, David Blue (DB), Aaron Brees (ABr), Adam Brubaker (AB), Jerald Britton, Will Britton (WB), Dave Buckles (DBu), Jackie Canterbury, Leigh Ann Carter (LAC), Holly Copeland, Kurt Countryman, Eva Crane, Charles Crawford, Kendra David, B. Deschamp, Cathy DiSalvo (CDS), Philip DiSalvo (PDS), Corey Finger, Judy Geiger, Larry Geiger, Caleb Gordon, Tim Griffith, Todd Jensen, Greg Johnson, Steve Kelling, Michael Kiessig, Tom Koerner, Steve[...]
Southern California: Fall 2016
Fall 2016: 1 Sep–30 Nov Guy McCaskie guymcc@pacbell.net Kimball L. Garrett kgarrett@nhm.org Recommended citation: McCaskie, G., and K. Garrett. 2021. Fall 2016: Southern California. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-aae> North American Birds. Fairly typical warm temperatures and dry conditions prevailed in the region through the fall, with the first significant Pacific storms passing through in the latter half of Nov. Two Pacific hurricanes had slight impacts on the region—Newton’s remnants after 7 Sep were apparently responsible for the appearance of a flock of 13 Magnificent Frigatebirds at the south end of the Salton Sea on 11 Sep,[...]
Tennessee & Kentucky: Fall 2016
Fall 2016: 1 Aug–30 Nov Chris Sloan csloan1973@gmail.com Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr. brainard@mindspring.com Sloan, D., and Palmer-Ball, B. Jr. 2021. Fall 2016: Tennessee & Kentucky. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-a3t> North American Birds. Weather conditions during fall 2016 were quite variable. Temperature averages at all major stations were a bit above normal during Aug, but significantly warmer than normal during Sep through Nov; Oct was the most extreme (6.5–7.0°F above normal) regionwide. Except for the eastern third of TN, which was near average, precipitation was well above normal during Aug, with all major stations recording at least one-and-a-half[...]
Northern Canada & Greenland: Fall 2016
Fall 2016: 1 Sep–30 Nov Cameron D. Eckert cameron.eckert@gmail.com Recommended citation: Eckert, C. D. 2021. Fall 2016: Northern Canada & Greenland. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-akn> North American Birds. Consistent observations over many years contribute to a better understanding of changes to northern bird populations. Our view of a species as a once in a lifetime rarity, such as a Horned Puffin or Anna’s Hummingbird, changes when it turns up for a second or third time. These may well be the vanguards of change. Contributors (sub-regional compilers in boldface) Tracy Allard, Julie-Ann Bauer, Jeff Bolingbroke, Aurélie Bourbeau-Lemieux,[...]
Northern Great Plains: Summer 2016
Summer 2016: 1 Jun–31 Jul Ron Martin jrmartin@srt.com Recommended citation: Martin, R. 2021. Summer 2016: Northern Great Plains. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9Zv> North American Birds. Temperatures were generally above average across the region with precipitation above average in the east, but drier in the west. Snowy Plovers made a strong showing in MN and ND. A Summer Tanager was photographed in MN. Lingering warblers added some spice in the Dakotas. SD had first records for Gull-billed Tern and Black-chinned Hummingbird. Contributors (state editors in boldface) MN: Bill Blake, Diane Borgreen, Andy Boyce, Dan Casey, Josh Covill,[...]
Wyoming: Summer 2016
Summer 2016: 1 Jun–31 Jul Matthew Fraker frakerpovc@aol.com Recommended citation: Fraker, M. 2021. Summer 2016: Wyoming. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-9QB> North American Birds. Wyoming saw its second warmest June in 122 years in 2016, while July stood at a more gentle “just” above normal with her temps. Overall, there was no evidence of drought in the state despite six of the major drainages being “much below normal” and the other four being “below normal” in June, while July improved with three drainages “much below normal”, four “below normal”, two “near normal”, and one “above normal”. Mute[...]
Northern California: Summer 2016
Summer 2016: June–July 31 Michael M. Rogers m.m.rogers@comcast.net Jeff N. Davis jdavis@colibri-ecology.com Rob Fowler migratoriusfwlr@gmail.com Stephen C. Rottenborn srottenborn@harveyecology.com Recommended citation: Rogers, M., J. Davis, R. Fowler & S. Rottenborn, 2021. Summer 2016: Northern California. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-akr> North American Birds. Highlights from this summer included the Region’s second Nazca Booby, Southeast Farallon Island’s first Least Storm-Petrel, an inland Magnificent Frigatebird, a healthy onshore Parakeet Auklet, and a cooperative Red-necked Stint. Breeding success at the Farallones was mixed, with cormorants and gulls having little success, but the smaller alcids doing fairly well. Contributors (county and[...]
Colorado: Spring 2016
Spring 2016: 1 Mar–31 May Dean Shoup deshoup723@gmail.com Recommended citation: Shoup, D. 2021. Spring 2016: Colorado. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-al4> North American Birds. The spring season began with most of the region out of drought status, with just a few small areas abnormally dry. As the season progressed, moderate drought conditions in the southeast were present by late March into mid-April. By the season’s end, the southeast and most of the state were out of drought status, except a small area in the southwest. Temperatures were near to above average for the state overall for the[...]
Prairie Provinces: Winter 2025–2026
Winter 2025–2026: 1 Dec–28 Feb Rudolf Koes rkoes@mymts.net James Fox fox.james.ed@gmail.com Recommended citation: Koes, R.F., and J. Fox. 2026. Winter 2025–2026: Prairie Provinces. <https://wp.me/p8iY2g-lrV> North American Birds. The winter of 2025–2026 was quiet in the Prairie Provinces. The only major cold spell occurred in late January, while snowfall could be considered average. Alberta experienced more extremes, with severe cold spells followed by warmer periods, such as a record-breaking high of 17 degrees C in mid-January. As a result, snow that fell had mostly melted by the end of the period. Northern owls and finches, which often spice[...]
