Rare Bird Alert

Continuing birds in the ABA Area include the small flock of Brown Jays (ABA Code 4) in south Texas, at least one and probably more Red-legged Honeycreepers (5) in Florida along with a long-staying Bahama Mockingbird (4), and a Little Stint (4) in California.

Michigan had a phenomenal 2022 and the state’s 2023 is off to a pretty great start with the discovery of a state 1st Pink-footed Goose (4) in Grand Traverse. This species has become regular in the northeast of the continent in the last decade or so, and records farther west have been increasing in recent years as well.

Also in Michigan, a Cinnamon Teal was seen in Saginaw and a Mountain Bluebird in Sanilac.

Yukon also gets on the board this year with a territorial 1st Whooper Swan (4) at McClintok Bay, which means that, along with the individual in Newfoundland, means Canada is bookended by Whooper Swans this month.

Continuing a fascinating run of Caribbean rarities in south Florida, a Cuban Pewee (5) was discovered this week in Miami-Dade. There are fewer than 10 records of this species in the ABA Area.

Up to Maryland, where the state’s 8th Say’s Phoebe was seen in Kent. 

Notable for Pennsylvania was a Tufted Duck (3) in Erie. 

New York, New York, had a productive couple weeks with both a Painted Bunting and a Smith’s Longspur seen in the city.  

Connecticut’s 2nd record of Trumpeter Swan turned up in Pomfret.

A photo of a Yellow-crowned Night Heron in Winooski, Vermont, was reported to iNaturalist this week.

Nova Scotia joins the Brambling (3) club with a sharp-looking bird in Charlos Cove.

Illinois welcomes a couple southern vagrants with Fulvous Whistling-Duck in Monroe and a Limpkin in Fayette. 

Missouri also welcomes Limpkins with a surprising trio of birds at Mingo NWR.

Colorado has a trifecta of noteworthy vagrant raptors this week with a Crested Caracara in Kit Carson, a Harris’s Hawk in Kiowa, and a Common Black Hawk in Fremont. Also good was a Brown Pelican in Pueblo. 

A Pinyon Jay at a feeder in Foothills, Alberta, is a good bird for the province.

And in Arizona, the first Berylline Hummingbird (4) of the season was seen in Santa Cruz. 

Omissions and errors are not intended, but if you find any please message blog AT aba.org and I will try to fix them as soon as possible. This post is meant to be an account of the most recently reported birds. Continuing birds not mentioned are likely included in previous editions listed here. Place names written in italics refer to counties/parishes.

Readers should note that none of these reports has yet been vetted by a records committee. All birders are urged to submit documentation of rare sightings to the appropriate state or provincial committees. For full analysis of these and other bird observations, subscribe to North American Birds, the richly illustrated journal of ornithological record published by the ABA.