Rare Bird Alert

Continuing rarities in the ABA Area include Bahama Mockingbird (ABA Code 4) in Florida, Tufted Flycatcher (5) in Arizona, Oregon’s 1st record of Common Crane (4), and multiple European Golden-Plovers (4) still in Newfoundland.

It was a good week for 1st records around the ABA Area, and perhaps the most intriguing one comes from Florida, where an apparent Great-tailed Grackle was discovered from among the multitude of Boat-tailed Grackles in Miami-Dade. Kudos to birders for discovering the light-eyed, flat-headed weirdo. One wonders how often this species, which has spread far and wide in the west and north, has been overlooked in places where Boat-tailed Grackles are plentiful.

The Steller’s Sea-Eagle (4) roadshow continues, this time to Newfoundland, where the bird was seen just north of St. John’s this week.  Yet another provincial 1st added to the laurels of this already widely traveled bird.

In Arkansas, a Lewis’s Woodpecker near the town of Dover should represent a state 1st, though there is a murky sight record from the 60s.

Oklahoma’s 3rd record of Limpkin was seen in McCurtain this week, perhaps presaging another leap forward for this species that famously spread westward in big numbers last summer.

Missouri’s 2nd record of Brown Booby (3) was seen on a private dock in Camden, a very similar situation to the state’s first record a couple years ago.

In North Dakota, a Lesser Goldfinch at a feeder in Stanly is the state’s 6th.

Minnesota had a bizarre record of Rock Ptarmigan in Wabasha this week, the state’s 2nd.

It was an exceptional week for birders in Wisconsin, with the state’s 3rd Long-billed Curlew in Ashland, a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (3) in Sauk, and the state’s 3rd Garganey in Jefferson. 

In New York, a Black-throated Gray Warbler in Kings was a notable find.

A Pacific Golden-Plover in Halifax, Nova Scotia, represents about the 5th record, but this is the first to be photographed.

And on St Pierre et Miquelon, a Black-necked Stilt was notable.

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.