Among a concentration of Fork-tailed and Ashy Storm Petrels, the sighting of a Tristram's Storm Petrel during a pelagic birding trip offshore from Bodega Bay created a Fourth State Record for California and the Fourth North American Record for this species (photo by Rachel Lawrence).

A Tristram’s Storm Petrel photographed during a pelagic birding trip offshore from Bodega Bay established a Fourth State Record for California, as well as the Fourth North American Record for the species. Other recent rare sightings included a Second State Record Royal Tern in Iowa, and a Third State Record Hermit Warbler in Alaska. British Columbia birders were especially lucky, documenting the Third Provincial Record of a Masked Booby and a Fifth Provincial Record Arctic Loon – and there is a memorable list of continuing rare birds too.

NORTH AMERICAN RECORD

Fourth North American Record Tristram’s Storm Petrel – offshore Bodega Bay, California

STATE & PROVINCIAL RECORDS

Second State Record Royal Tern – near Saylorville, Iowa

Third Provincial Record Masked Booby – Winter Harbour, British Columbia

Third State Record Hermit Warbler – Skagway, Alaska

Fourth State Record Tristram’s Storm Petrel – offshore Bodega Bay, California

Fifth Provincial Record Arctic Loon – Sooke, British Columbia

REALLY RARE BIRDS

Curlew Sandpiper – Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland

Terek Sandpiper – Buldir Island, the Aleutians, Alaska

Great Knot – St. Paul Island, the Pribilofs, Alaska

Rufous Hummingbird – La Haute-Cote-Nord, Quebec

CONTINUING REALLY RARE BIRDS

Steller’s Sea Eagle – Newfoundland

Mottled Owl – Texas

Kelp Gull – Wisconsin

White-winged Tern – California

Cattle Tyrant – Texas

Berylline Hummingbird – Arizona

Yellow Grosbeak – Colorado

Flame-colored Tanager – Arizona

For more information, you can refer to the American Birding Association’s Rare Bird Alert at Rare Bird Alert: August 1, 2025 - American Birding Association (aba.org) Special Thanks to the ABA for permitting us to use the ABA’s 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