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. 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 not, to consider them when deciding whether to travel to see a rare bird. Stay safe and healthy. everyone.

Migration is fully on now, and the numbers of rare and unusual birds in the ABA Area are increasing alongside the ranks of migratory birds pouring into the US and Canada. And Southeastern Arizona is currently seeing a pretty amazing influx of  Crescent-chested Warblers (ABA Code 4) in Cochise, with three individuals hanging around a trailhead offering pretty spectacular looks to the social-distancing birders visiting.

Also in Cochise, Arizona, this week, a Berylline Hummingbird (4) is visiting a feeder in Cochise. 

Good for California, a Yellow-throated Warbler turned up in San Francisco. 

British Columbia had a Black Phoebe this week in Nelson.

Noteworthy birds for Texas include a Greater Pewee in Houston, and a Black-whiskered Vireo among the migrating warblers at Sabine Woods, Jefferson. 

Iowa had a Black-necked Stilt in Johnson. 

Minnesota’s 7th record of Townsend’s Warbler in Washington is the latest of this species to turn up far east of its range.

A Worm-eating Warbler in Winnipeg, Manitoba, is the province’s 2nd record.

Michigan’s 2nd record of Hooded Oriole, a striking male, was seen in Ann Arbor, and a Ruff (3) was seen in Kent. 

Good for Maine was a Louisiana Waterthrush on Mount Desert Island and the return of at least one Little Egret (4) to Cumberland. 

Notable for Connecticut was a Tricolored Heron near Sikorsky.

West Virginia’s 2nd record of White-faced Ibis was seen this week in Cabell. 

Virginia’s 2nd record of Bell’s Vireo was photographed in Montgomery. 

In North Carolina, a Black-whiskered Vireo was discovered in Dare. 

And in Florida, a Yellow-green Vireo was seen by many in Okaloosa. 

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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.