Rare Bird Alert

Because of continuing COVID-19 cases in many states and provinces, the purpose of this report is to keep homebound birders caught up rare bird sightings across the ABA Area. The ABA encourages readers to respect state, provincial, and local suggestions with regard to non-essential travel. The ABA’s Recording Standards and Ethics Committee has released guidelines on how birders should approach this ongoing pandemic and we urge birders, whether they are members of the ABA or not, to consider traveling to see a rare bird. Stay safe and healthy, everyone. We’re almost through this. 

Continuing birds in the ABA Area include Northern Jacana (ABA Code 4) in Arizona, a few Tamaulipas Crows (4) in Texas, the Black-faced Grassquit (4) in Florida, and a Little Stint (4) in California.

We start this week in New Hampshire, where a Virginia’s Warbler in Rockingham represents a 1st for that state, but part of a growing pattern of vagrancy for this southwestern species in the east.

May always seems to be a good time for Garganey (4) in the ABA Area, and one in Neguac, New Brunswick slots into a nice pattern for this species.

In Quebec, a Fish Crow in Estrie is an outlier for this species.

Good for Connecticut, a Western Tanager was visiting a feeder in Simsbury.

Massachusetts had a Golden-crowned Sparrow on Martha’s Vineyard.

This week has been exciting for Pennsylvania birders, with a Bean-Goose sp in Lancaster. This bird seems different than the one that spent time in the Philadelphia area earlier this year, and is being tentatively identified as a Tundra Bean-Goose. Also in the state, a King Eider was discovered in Erie and a Swainson’s Warbler in Centre. 

Ohio also had a pair of nice birds in a Swainson’s Hawk in Ottawa and an Anhinga in Cuyahoga. 

Illinois’s 2nd record of Broad-billed Hummingbird was seen by many in Cook, especially noteworthy because the bird was not associated with a feeder.

Notable for Iowa, a California Gull was seen in Johnson. 

In Louisiana, a Yellow-green Vireo was seen in Cameron. 

Birders in far southwestern Morton, Kansas, found Williamson’s Sapsucker, Black-throated Sparrow, and Virginia’s Warbler this week.

In Texas, both a Flame-colored Tanager (3) and a Black-whiskered Vireo turned up on South Padre Island in Cameron. 

And in New Mexico, a Common Crane (4) was seen among the Sandhills in Socorro. 

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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.