Wednesday, January 13, 2021

The ABA Rare Bird Alert’s Weekly Highlights

The First State Record Lesser Goldfinch has been visiting a feeder in Mobile, Alabama.

Two First State Records were recorded last week: a Lesser Goldfinch was identified as it visited a backyard feeder in Alabama, and a Sprague’s Pipit was found in Wisconsin. Also, Connecticut birders found the Fifth State Record Black Guillemot. Rare birds from beyond this continent included another Siberian Accentor in Alaska, a Eurasian Skylark in California, a Lesser Black-backed Gull in Nova Scotia, and a Smew in Michigan. A Red-billed Tropicbird was mighty exciting for Maryland birders, and there are more exciting birds to report.

 

STATE & PROVINCIAL RECORDS

First State Record Lesser Goldfinch – Mobile, Alabama

First State Record Sprague’s Pipit – near Belgium, Wisconsin

Fifth State Record Black Guillemot – Groton, Connecticut

 

REALLY RARE SIGHTINGS

Lesser Black-backed Gull (Heuglin’s race) – New Glasgow, Nova Scotia

Siberian Accentor – Seward, Alaska

Eurasian Skylark – Loleta, California

Smew – near Allegan, Michigan

Red-billed Tropicbird – Ocean City, Maryland

Townsend’s Warbler – Derry, New Hampshire

Spotted Towhee – Baldwin Harbor, New York

White-tailed Kite – Puget Island, Washington

 

CONTINUING RARE BIRDS

Hawfinch – Yukon

Common Shelduck – Newfoundland

Spotted Rail – Texas

Crimson-collared Grosbeaks – south Texas

Blue Buntings – south Texas

Cuban Pewee – Florida Keys

Red-legged Thrush – Florida Keys

Black-faced Grassquit – Florida Keys

Northern Jacana – southern Arizona

Garganey – Salton Sea, California

 

For more information, refer to the American Birding Association’s Rare Bird Alert at https://www.aba.org/rare-bird-alert-january-8-2021/ Special Thanks to the ABA, and Nate Swick, who does such a great job of compiling the ABA’s Rare Bird Alert, which we use to prepare this weekly replay.

You can often find more information about individual rare bird sightings from the state rare bird alert listserves that you can access at http://birding.aba.org/ or at https://www.facebook.com/groups/ABArare/