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. We do not endorse the pursuit of rare birds beyond your local area. 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 the ABA or not, to consider them when deciding whether to travel to see a rare bird. Stay safe and healthy, everyone.

Continuing birds in the ABA Area include the Grey Heron (ABA Code 5) in Nova Scotia, which has been there long enough for birders willing to endure the 14 day quarantine to see it. Arizona is still doing well with continuing Common Crane (4), Streak-backed Oriole (4), and Berylline Hummingbird (4). The Little Egret (4) looks to be summering in Maine, and the Black-faced Grassquit (4) is still being seen in Florida.

The days might be long, but it’s a short list of rarities this week as we come down of the stint indiced high of the last couple weeks. But Nevada had a very nice Least Tern in Clark, a semi-annual visitor to the high desert.

There’s one 1st record to report this week, from Oklahoma where a Limpkin in McCurtain represents a state 1st. The species has been irrupting across the southeast quite a bit in the last couple years but it still quite unusual on the western edge of its range. Notably, this bird was seen merely 3 miles from Texas, which has yet to report a Limpkin in the state. Only a matter of time, I’d bet.

California saw a second Bar-tailed Godwit on the season in Humboldt, blown that way by favorable winds in the north Pacific.

Good for Missouri, a Neotropic Cormorant in Perry  is the second for the summer in the state

And in Georgia, yet another Ruff (3) on the east coast at a closed location in Camden. 

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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.