The First State Record of a Short-tailed Shearwater was documented in flight over Lake Michigan at Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary in north Chicago, a first for Illinois and the first sighting of the species at Lake Michigan (photo by Demond McDonald).

Adding to a string of interior sightings of a seabird species, Illinois birders documented a First State Record Short-tailed Shearwater in Chicago off Montrose Point on the edge of Lake Michigan. For a second week in a row, Georgia birders found another First State Record, this time a Hooded Oriole in Atlanta. There was also a Second Provincial Record Carolina Wren photographed in Labrador, a Third State Record Bullock’s Oriole in Vermont, a Fourth State Record Whooper Swan in Washington, a Seventh State Record Scarlet Tanager in Oregon – and the missing Steller’s Sea Eagle has been sighted again.

STATE & PROVINCIAL RECORDS

First State Record Short-tailed Shearwater – Chicago, Illinois

First State Record Hooded Oriole – Atlanta, Georgia

Second Provincial Record Carolina Wren – English Point, Labrador

Third State Record Bullock’s Oriole – Brattleboro, Vermont

Fourth State Record Whooper Swan – Sumas, Washington

Seventh State Record Scarlet Tanager – Yaquina Bay, Oregon

REALLY RARE BIRDS

Snow Bunting – Merritt Island Refuge, Florida

Townsend’s Warbler – near Pictou, Nova Scotia

CONTINUING REALLY RARE BIRDS

Steller’s Sea Eagle – Newfoundland

Yellow-headed Caracara – Florida

Mottled Owl – Texas

Taiga Bean Goose – California

Large-billed Tern – Florida

Cattle Tyrant – Texas

Berylline Hummingbird – Arizona

Brown Jays – 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 13, 2024 - 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