Starting with 14 First Records, among many standouts was the First Canadian Record Tree Pipit, documented by birders in British Columbia. But the biggest surprise may have been observations of 3 species of Storm Petrels found in northern Utah that were apparently displaced from the Pacific Ocean to far inland lakes by Tropical Storm Rachel. These seabirds included Wedge-rumped Storm Petrels, Least Storm Petrels, and a Black Storm Petrel – all constituting First State Records. Other outstanding rare bird sightings included a Blyth's Reed Warbler and Red-backed Shrike in western Alaska, a Gray Heron in Maine, and a Yellow-browed Warbler in California, along with many more rare birds reported here:
NORTH AMERICAN RECORD
Fourth North American Record Blyth's Reed Warbler – Shemya Island, Aleutians, Alaska
Sixth North American Record Red-backed Shrike – St. Paul Island, Pribilofs, Alaska
CANADIAN RECORD
First Canadian Record Tree Pipit – Campbell River, British Columbia
LOWER 48 STATES RECORDS
Third Lower 48 States Record Gray Heron – Cape Elizabeth, Maine
Fifth Lower 48 States Record Yellow-browed Warbler – Moss Beach, California
STATE & PROVINCIAL RECORDS
First Provincial Record Tree Pipit – Campbell River, British Columbia
First State Record Yellow Grosbeak – Henderson, Nevada
First State Record Gray Heron – Cape Elizabeth, Maine
First State Record Piratic Flycatcher – Cumberland Island, Georgia
First State Record Wedge-rumped Storm Petrels – Hyrum Reservoir, Utah
First State Record Black Storm Petrel – Saratoga Springs, Utah
First State Record Least Storm Petrels – Saratoga Springs, Utah
First Territorial Record Costa's Hummingbird – Haines Junction, Yukon
First Territorial Record Black-throated Blue Warbler – Whitehorse, Yukon
First State Record Groove-billed Ani – Ohio River Islands Refuge, West Virginia
First Provincial Record Sharp-tailed Sandpiper – South Interlake, Manitoba
First State Record Hermit Warbler – Salvo, North Carolina
First State Record Gray-headed Swamphen – Avon, North Carolina
First State Record Tropical Kingbird – Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Second State Record Red-shouldered Hawk – Yellowstone Park, Wyoming
Second State Record Yellow-browed Warbler – Moss Beach, California
Second State Record Broad-billed Hummingbird – Driggs, Idaho
Third State Record Mexican Violetear – Colorado Springs, Colorado
Third State Record Purple Gallinule – York, Nebraska
Third State Record Elegant Tern – Cape Point, North Carolina
Third State Record Hammond's Flycatcher – Big Woods, Pennsylvania
Fourth State Record Blyth's Reed Warbler – Shemya Island, Aleutians, Alaska
Fourth State Record Tropical Kingbird – Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Fifth State Record Red-backed Shrike – St. Paul Island, Pribilofs, Alaska
Nineth State Record Louisiana Waterthrush – Beatty, Nevada
Tenth State Record Chestnut-collared Longspur – Mima Mounds, Washington
REALLY RARE BIRDS
Northern Jacana – Santa Ana Refuge, Texas
Roadside Hawk – Mission, Texas
Painted Whitestart – St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana
Kelp Gull – Princeton, Texas
Little Gull – Johnson Lake, Nebraska
Purple Gallinule – East Lansing, Michigan
Broad-billed Hummingbird – Lake Apopka, Florida
Fork-tailed Flycatcher – Neebing, Ontario
Vermilion Flycatcher – Everett, Washington
Gray Kingbird – Long Point, Ontario
Tropical Kingbird – Hearst, Ontario
Tropical Kingbird – Tybee Island, Georgia
Western Wood Peewee – Key West, Florida
Black-throated Gray Warbler – Canso, Nova Scotia
Evening Grosbeak – San Angelo, Texas
Shemya Island, Alaska Rare Birds
Blyth's Reed Warbler
Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler
Middendorf's Grasshopper Warbler
Yellow-browed Warbler
Willow Warbler
Gray-streaked Flycatcher
For more information, you can refer to the American Birding Association's Rare Bird Alert at Rare Bird Alert: October 30, 2026 - American Birding Association. Special Thanks to the ABA for permitting us to use the Rare Bird Alert as the basis to prepare this replay.
You can often find more information about individual rare bird sightings from the ABA regional and state rare bird alert listserves that you can access at Birding News brought to you by American Birding Association - (aba.org) or at ABA Rare Bird Alert | Facebook.