Rare Bird Alert

Oriental Turtle-Dove (ABA Code 4) and Little Stint (4) highlight the continuing ABA Area rare birds in California, with the Zenaida Dove (5) and Thick-billed Vireo (4) continuing in south Florida. And in Texas, the Bat Falcon (5), Social Flycatcher (5), and Golden-crowned Warbler (4) are still being seen through this week.

We begin in Washington, where a Whooper Swan (4) has been seen by many birders in Snohomish, Provenance is always a question with extralimital waterfowl, but the time and place are entirely reasonable for a naturally occurring record of this massive Old World swan. The company with which is it keeping, a large flock of wild Trumpeter Swans, seems appropriate as well.

Staying in the west, a pair of  Yellow-billed Loons in Pueblo, Colorado, are notable find, as is any record of this species away from Alaska.

In Arkansas, a Common Redpoll at a feeder in Van Buren, is the farthest south extent of what is turning out to be a very good irruption year for redpolls in the east and midwest.

To Quebec, where a Golden-crowned Sparrow at Bas-Saint-Laurent is almost certainly the same individual that was at this very same spot last winter.

In Connecticut, a Common Gull of the east Asian Kamchatka subspecies was showing well in Stamford.

And to New York, where a Black-headed Grosbeak was photographed at a feeding station in Westchester.

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.