Wednesday, December 10, 2025

The ABA Rare Bird Alert’s Highlights

An especially surprising Pyrrhuloxia has been visiting a feeding station near Sterling, North Dakota, establishing a First State Record. It has been observed by many enthusiastic birders, including our editor (photo by Paul Konrad).

 

With an impressive 18 Record Birds reported, we begin with 2 Third North American Records found on Adak Island in the Aleutians of Alaska – an Asian Rosy Finch and a Eurasian Sparrowhawk! There were also 7 First Records, including a First State Record Pyrrhuloxia in North Dakota, a First Provincial Record Common Shelduck in Nova Scotia, a Common Cuckoo in New Hampshire, a Blue Rock Thrush in Hawaii, a Cooper’s Hawk in Newfoundland, a Limpkin in Massachusetts, and a First State Record Cassin’s Kingbird in Connecticut – and there are many more!

 

NORTH AMERICAN RECORDS

Third North American Record Asian Rosy Finch – Adak Island, Aleutians, Alaska

Third North American Record Eurasian Sparrowhawk – Adak Island, Aleutians, Alaska

 

STATE & PROVINCIAL RECORDS

First State Record Pyrrhuloxia – near Sterling, North Dakota

First Provincial Record Common Shelduck – Guysborough, Nova Scotia

First State Record Common Cuckoo – Portsmouth, New Hampshire

First Provincial Record Cooper’s Hawk – Codroy Valley, Newfoundland

First State Record Limpkin – Scituate, Massachusetts

First State Record Cassin’s Kingbird – Woodbury, Connecticut

First State Record Blue Rock Thrush – northwest Oahu, Hawaii

Second State Record Brambling – St. Louis, Missouri

Second Provincial Record Prairie Warbler – Lethbridge, Alberta

Second State Record Western Flycatcher – near Taylorville, Illinois

Third State Record Asian Rosy Finch – Adak Island, Aleutians, Alaska

Third State Record Eurasian Sparrowhawk – Adak Island, Aleutians, Alaska

Third State Record Common Crane – near Fuller, Washington

Third State Record Western Flycatcher – Fairport Harbor, Ohio

Fourth State Record MacGillivray’s Warbler – Lake Norman, North Carolina

Sixth State Record Whooper Swan – Olympia, Washington

Seventh State Record Arctic Loon – Ocsta, Washington

Nineth State Record Common Eider – Bemidji, Minnesota

 

REALLY RARE BIRDS

Common Shelduck – Codroy, Newfoundland

Common Pochard – Kenai, Alaska

Fork-tailed Flycatcher – Seaside Park, New Jersey

Crimson-collared Grosbeak – Edinburg, Texas

White Wagtail – Lower Elwha, Washington

Scarlet Tanager – Reno, Nevada

Summer Tanager – Surrey, British Columbia

Prairie Warbler – Surrey, British Columbia

Limpkin – Sheldon Marsh, Ohio

 

CONTINUING REALLY RARE BIRDS

Steller’s Sea Eagle – Newfoundland

Yellow-headed Caracara – Texas

Mottled Owl – Texas

Eurasian Bullfinch – Yukon

Brown Jay – Texas

Gray Gull – Florida

Cattle Tyrant – Texas

American Flamingos – Florida & Texas

 

For more information, you can refer to the American Birding Association’s Rare Bird Alert at Rare Bird Alert: December 5, 2025 - American Birding Association. Special Thanks to the ABA for permitting us to use the Rare Bird Alert as the basis to prepare this weekly or bi-weekly replay.

You can often find more information about individual rare bird sightings from the ABA 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.