Rare Bird Alert

Because of COVID-19 related Stay-at-Home orders in many states and provinces, the purpose of this report is to keep homebound birders caught up rare bird sightings across the ABA Area during spring migration. The ABA urges readers to respect state, provincial, and local restrictions on non-essential travel. The ABA’s Recording Standards and Ethics Committee has released guidelines on how birders should approach this unusual time and we urge birders, whether they are members of not, to consider them when deciding whether to travel to see a rare bird. Stay safe and healthy. everyone.

The Garganey (ABA Code 4) in Texas is the lone ABA Area rarity hanging around, and many Texas birders have managed to see it, hopefully abiding by appropriate social distancing rules.

This time of year is very good for that Eurasian duck, as Newfoundland’s 9th record of Garganey was found St. John’s, at Viriginia Lake, right in the city.

One 1st record to report this week, in Connecticut where a Townsend’s Warbler was seen in Middlesex. 

More than Garganey, this week is chock full of Yellow-billed Loons across the continent, as the big arctic divers are heading back north from unknown wintering sites far to the south.

Missouri’s 3rd Yellow-billed Loon was seen on Stockton Lake in Cedar. 

Massachusetts also had a Yellow-billed Loon this week, at Race Point at the tip of Cape Cod.

It’s also been a very good month for Tufted Duck (3) in the middle of the continent, as following one in Wisconsin last week, a bird was found in Calgary, Alberta, this week.

Los Angeles, California, was the place to be on the west coast this week, as both a LeConte’s Sparrow and a Grace’s Warbler were seen in the city.

Good birds for Colorado this week include the state’s 7th Louisiana Waterthrush in Larimer, and the state’s first Black-bellied Whistling Duck in many many years at La Junta.

Iowa joins the list of states to host a Neotropic Cormorant this spring, with one in Dallas. 

Wisconsin had a Ruff (3) in Walworth. 

Indiana Lark Bunting LaGrange

Noteworthy birds for Pennsylvania include a Pacific Loon in Lycoming and a Western Grebe in Northumberland. 

In New Jersey, a Say’s Phoebe was seen at Great Swamp in Morris. 

Florida had a Black-faced Grassquit (4) in Miami-Dade. 

And in Alabama, a Limpkin was photographed down in Mobile. 

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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.