Continuing rare birds in the ABA Area into this first week of December include the Yellow-headed Caracara (ABA Code 5) and Cattle Tyrant (5) on the Upper Texas Coast, and both Brown Jay (4) and Mottled Owl (5) in the Rio Grande Valley. The Yukon 1st Eurasian Bullfinch (4) is still being seen, as is the ongoing Steller’s Sea-Eagle (4) in Newfoundland.
Since the ABA Area’s first record of Common Shelduck (4) in Newfoundland in 2014, this unique European waterfowl has become an every other year or so visitor to northeastern North America, especially in Newfoundland or Quebec. This week Nova Scotia became the latest to record this bird, when an unbanded, unclipped, and wild-seeming individual turned up in Dover. This leaves Prince Edward Island as the last holdout in eastern Canada, which feels like only a matter of time.
Newfoundland & Labrador also boasted Common Shelduck (4) this week, with a trio in Codroy. But the most exciting bird of recent weeks came late last month, where the province’s 1st record of Cooper’s Hawk was finally documented in the Codroy Valley. This is on the far southwestern corner of Newfoundland, where one could expect a bird to end up having made the flight from Nova Scotia, where they are regular.
Elsewhere in the northeast corner of the continent, a one-day wonder Common Cuckoo (4) in Rockingham Co, New Hampshire was a state 1st, and especially noteworthy in that it came not much more than a week after a bird spent several days on Long Island, New York. There was no apparent evidence that this was the same individual. This becomes the fourth record of this species from a small cluster in New England, and only the fifth away from Alaska.
Late November in Massachusetts brought the season’s first major snowstorm along with the state’s 1st record of Limpkin in Plymouth Co, certainly two things one wouldn’t expect to arrive together. This is the first new state record of this weird Rallid since the massive irruptions in 2022 and 2023.
In Connecticut, a Cassin’s Kingbird in Woodbury is a state 1st, though somewhat expected as there are a handful of records from nearby states.
A feeder-watcher in Burleigh Co, North Dakota, was excited to report a locally rare Northern Cardinal before correcting the identification to a state 1st Pyrrhuloxia. This Cardinalid of the desert southwest is a very uncommon vagrant but has been recorded in Montana, Wisconsin, and Ontario in the past, suggesting at least some penchant for wandering.
And in Hawaii, a Blue Rock-Thrush on the western point of Oahu is a 1st record for the state, and only the third for the ABA Area, following birds seen in Oregon and California just last year.
Jumping up to Alaska, where early winter birding on Adak in the western Aleutians is proving productive for the second year in the row. Intrepid birders have found the ABA Area’s 3rd Eurasian Sparrowhawk (5), the ABA’s 3rd Asian Rosy-Finch (5), and a Common Pochard (4) in recent days.
Good birds in British Columbia recently include both a Summer Tanager and a Prairie Warbler in Surrey.
Alberta also had a Prairie Warbler, the province’s 2nd record in Lethbridge.
Washington welcomed a spate of notable birds in the last couple week’s including the state’s 7th Arctic Loon and its 3rd Common Crane (4), both in Grays Harbor Co. The state’s 6th Whooper Swan (3) was seen in Olympia, and a White Wagtail turned up in Clallam Co.
Good for New Mexico, was a Common Crane (3) at Las Vegas NWR in San Miguel Co.
Nevada had a Scarlet Tanager in Washoe Co.
Minnesota’s 9th Common Eider was photographed in Beltrami Co.
In Texas, a female Crimson-collared Grosbeak is a nice bird in Hidalgo Co.
Missouri’s 2nd record of Brambling was photographed in St Louis.
In Illinois, a Western Flycatcher in Christian Co is the state’s 2nd.
Ohio also had a Western Flycatcher this week, in Lake Co, the state’s 3rd. Arguably weirder was a Limpkin in Erie Co, however.
North Carolina’s 4th record of MacGillivray’s Warbler was a brief visitor to a private residence in Lake Norman.
And in New Jersey, a Fork-tailed Flycatcher (3) was found in Ocean Co.
Omissions and errors are not intended, but if you find any, please message blog AT aba.org and we 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 installments of the ABA Rare Bird Alert. Readers should note that most of these reports have not yet been vetted by a records committee. All birders are urged to submit documentation of rare sightings to the appropriate state or provincial records 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.
