March 14, 2025
Continuing rare birds in the ABA Area include Northern Lapwing (ABA Code 4) in Rhode Island, Brown Jay (4) in Texas, and Yellow Grosbeak (4) in Arkansas.
Over the years we have seen some pretty remarkable Asian vagrants in the interior of the Lower 48. Citrine Wagtail in Mississippi and Great Knot in West Virginia spring to mind as truly remarkable records. And this week the birding world received news of another bird of that ilk, this time in coastal Texas, where an Amur (Asian) Stonechat (4) was discovered at the site known by birders as Anahuac NWR in Chambers Co. And to make things even more bizarre, the bird was initially discovered at the Anhuac CBC in mid-December, and it has stayed put for nearly three months as birders on the ground arranged access to the restricted part of the refuge where it has been present.
Stonechat has occurred in the ABA Area a dozen or so times in the past, with almost all previous records coming from Alaska. There are two additional single records from California and New Brunswick. The Stonechat complex was split a couple years ago, with NACC (which informs the ABA Checklist) accepting a three-way split while eBird/Clements went further and accepted a five-way split. All ABA Area records of this species are presumed to be the farthest east subspecies, called Asian Stonechat by the NACC (including the so-called Siberian Stonechat, Saxicola maura) and Amur Stonechat by eBird/Clements (excluding S. maura).
Local birders are arranging opportunities to visit the restricted part of the refuge to see the bird and more information can be found through Friends of Anhuac Refuge.
In Colorado, a Crested Caracara in Pueblo Co is the state’s 9th.
Notable for British Columbia was a Great-tailed Grackle in Chemainus earlier this month.
Minnesota’s 2nd record of Pygmy Nuthatch in Ramsey Co finally removes the asterisk from the species on the state list, the lingering effects of some playback shenanigans for the first record decades ago.
In Quebec, a Spotted Towhee was seen in Lavaltrie.
Connecticut’s 4th Green-tailed Towhee is visiting a feeder in Mystic.
In North Carolina, a Townsend’s Warbler in Mecklenberg Co is one of few records away from the coast.
And in South Carolina a stunning male Vermilion Flycatcher is a nice find at Santee NWR.
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.
