Rare Bird Alert

Both Large-billed Terns (ABA Code 5) are still being seen in Florida, highlighting the continuing rarities for this week. Also still being seen, a Berylline Hummingbird (4) in Arizona, the Steller’s Sea-Eagle (4) in remote western Newfoundland, and a handful of Hawfinches (5) in western Alaska.

Alaska is continuing to produce excellent Asian rarities, and the latest comes from the mainland rather than the Bering Sea and Aleutian islands. The ABA Area’s 2nd ever record of Lesser Whitethroat (5) was well-photographed in Utqiagvik, Alaska, on the North Slope. This is also the first spring record of this central Asian warbler, the previous ABA Area account coming from Gambell on St. Lawrence Island in the fall of 2002.

That doesn’t mean the islands aren’t also having a nice time of it, as both Eurasian Siskin (5) and Asian Brown Flycatcher (5) were recently on Shemya – there are fewer than 10 records of both in the ABA Area – and a sharp looking Curlew Sandpiper (3) was seen on St Paul.

West Virginia Arctic Tern Taylor Co 1st

Quebec’s long-awaited 1st record of Lewis’s Woodpecker was seen this week in Old Fort. It’s the second sighting of this species in eastern Canada this year, and this might be the same individual that spent four months in Ontario from January through May 2023. Also good for Quebec, a Tropical Kingbird was photographed in Gaspésie.

Perhaps inevitably, Colorado becomes the latest state to host a Limpkin, a bird that had to have jumped the relatively arid western Great Plains to end up in El Paso Co, representing a state 1st. Also notable for Colorado was a Long-tailed Jaeger in Crowley Co.

Another inevitable 1st comes from West Virginia, where that state’s 1st record of Arctic Tern was seen in Taylor Co.

From Texas comes an interesting sighting of a Blue-gray Tanager west of Houston, which would represent a 1st for Texas and the ABA Area if accepted. This species has long been considered a likely next record in the ABA Area, and it occurs in northern Mexico not far from the border, thriving in the urban environments of Monterey and Cuidad Victoria. That said, this individual is unlikely to pass muster as Blue-gray Tanager is quite common as a cage bird, in fact those urban populations in Mexico are likely the result of birds released both inadvertently and intentionally. While this individual is probably not one that will be accepted, it is a reminder to birders to watch for this species in places closer to the border.

To Nunavut again for the second straight week, where a Great Egret at Prince Charles Island is only the territory’s 2nd.

New York’s 8th record of Neotropic Cormorant was seen this week in Kings Co.

Delaware had a Trumpeter Swan at Bombay Hook NWR, only the state’s 4th or so.

Tennessee also had a Limpkin this week in Roane Co, the state’s 6th.

Noteworthy for Wisconsin was a White-tailed Kite well-photographed in Door Co.

And in British Columbia, a pair of Dickcissel in Kispiox and an Indigo Bunting in Coquitlam are good birds for the province.

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.