Wednesday, June 20, 2018

ABA'S Rare Bird Alert

Roseate Spoonbills continue to keep birders’ pulses fluttering at many northern locations. Normally found along the Atlantic Coast of Florida and the entire Gulf Coast, more of these resplendent waders have been showing up in surprising locations farther north, the result of post-fledging dispersal.

First spotted by a non-birder on June 10, an immature Roseate Spoonbill been seen repeatedly in Lorain County, Ohio. Lucas Bobay reported an immature on June 13 in Kent County, Delaware, which is potentially the first in that state since 2009. On June 13, Joel Hildreth spotted two immature spoonbills in Preston County, West Virginia, which appears to be first record of this impressive species for the state.

Common Cuckoo was found on June 10 by Michael Richardson, on his farm on Graham Island, British Columbia, feeding in the farm pasture among cattle. This is the first record for the province and only the second record for Canada. Nesting to Europe, Asia and wintering in Africa, this migratory species sometimes strays to western Alaska islands, but to see one so far south is a treat, and a huge record for western Canada. 

On June 7, a Mexican Violetear was photographed by Noah Arthur at Quinta Mazatlan in McAllen, Texas. Although individuals of this spectacular hummingbird sometimes stray north to Texas and rarely farther north from their native highland range that stretches from Nicaragua to Mexico, any sightings are guaranteed to excite American birders.

Fork-tailed Flycatcher was photographed on June 3 by Andy Weinrauch in Genesee County, Wisconsin. This South American species is a fairly regular vagrant to North America, and ornithologists speculate that the individuals that show-up in North American originate in southern South America, indicating some major miscalculations in their migration!

     For more information, see the American Birding Association’s website: www.ABA.org