The sighting of a young Gray Gull created a rush of birders to Brownsville, Texas to see the bird that established a Second North American Record and First State Record for the species (photo by Justin LeClaire).
|
It seems that birders across the continent have zeroed in on rare gulls recently, with the First State Record Gray Gull documented in Brownsville, Texas, which is only the Second North American Record for the species! A Kelp Gull also continues to thrill birders in Texas, while a Second State Record Western Gull was recorded on the isle of Oahu in Hawaii, as was a Second State Record Glaucous Gull near Mobile, Alabama. Three other First State Records were documented too, including a Taiga Bean Goose in New York, a Lazuli Bunting at a feeder in Ohio, and a Thick-billed Longspur in northern Alabama – and there’s more:
NORTH AMERICAN RECORD
Second North American Record Gray Gull – Brownsville, Texas
STATE & PROVINCIAL RECORDS
First State Record Gray Gull – Brownsville, Texas
First State Record Taiga Bean Goose – near Fort Miller, New York
First State Record Lazuli Bunting – near Albany, Ohio
First State Record Thick-billed Longspur – Decator, Alabama
Second State Record Western Gull – northwest Oahu, Hawaii
Second State Record Glaucous Gull – Foley, Alabama
Third State Record Varied Thrush – Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, Oklahoma
REALLY RARE BIRDS
Tufted Duck – near Toronto, Ontario
Spotted Towhee – Prince Edward Island
CONTINUING REALLY RARE BIRDS
Yellow-headed Caracaras – Texas, Florida
Mottled Owl – Texas
American Flamingos – Florida, Texas
Kelp Gull –Texas
Cattle Tyrant – Texas
Brown Jays – Texas
Berylline Hummingbird – Arizona
White Wagtail – Wisconsin
For more information, you can refer to the American Birding Association’s Rare Bird Alert at Rare Bird Alert: January 10, 2025 - American Birding Association (aba.org) the ABA for permitting us to use the ABA’s Rare Bird Alert to prepare this 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