 Two different Large-billed Terns were found almost simultaneously in Florida, creating 4 new records: a First State Record, a Second State Record, plus Fourth and Fifth North American Records! Resident across much of South America, this is obviously an extremely rare species to find in the United States (photo by Pete Morris, Birdquest Tours).
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Not one, but 2 super-rare sightings of birds from South America were made by birders in Florida last week: 2 Large-billed Gulls were documented almost simultaneously in separate areas of the state, not only creating the First State Record and Second State Record, but these birds are so rarely found in the states that they also established Fourth and Fifth North American Records! To the northwest, Minnesota birders documented 2 new Third State Records, a Chuck-will’s-widow and a Limpkin; while British Columbia birders found a Third Provincial Record Red-faced Cormorant and an Eleventh Provincial Record Orchard Oriole. Birders found many more rare birds that are reported below, including 4 more Asian species on St. Paul Island in Alaska.
NORTH AMERICAN RECORD
Fourth North American Record Large-billed Tern – Goodwin Wildlife Area, Florida
Fifth North American Record Large-billed Tern – Ave Maria, Florida
STATE & PROVINCIAL RECORDS
First State Record Large-billed Tern – Goodwin Wildlife Area, Florida
Second State Record Large-billed Tern – Ave Maria, Florida
Third State Record Chuck-will’s-widow – Rochester, Minnesota
Third State Record Limpkin – near Madelia, Minnesota
Third Provincial Record Red-faced Cormorant – offshore from Prince Rupert, British Columbia
Ninth State Record Fork-tailed Flycatcher – Point Mouillee, Michigan
Eleventh Provincial Record Orchard Oriole – Edgewood, British Columbia
NEW FINDS on ST. PAUL ISLAND, PRIBILOFS, ALASKA
Siberian Rubythroat – St. Paul Island, Pribilofs, Alaska
Taiga Flycatcher – St. Paul Island, Pribilofs, Alaska
Gray Wagtail – St. Paul Island, Pribilofs, Alaska
Common Rosefinch – St. Paul Island, Pribilofs, Alaska
NEW REALLY RARE BIRDS
Black-tailed Gull – Yakutat, Alaska
Ross’s Gull – Superior, Wisconsin
Ruff – Powell Marsh, Wisconsin
Curlew Sandpiper – Jones Beach, New York
Gull-billed Tern – Chicago, Illinois
Ferruginous Hawk – Erieau, Ontario
Acadian Flycatcher – Maizerets, Quebec
Tricolored Heron – Detroit, Michigan
Least Tern – near Cheboygan, Michigan
CONTINUING REALLY RARE BIRDS
Tundra Bean Goose – California
Common Pochard – Alaska
Hawfinch – Alaska
Berylline Hummingbird – Arizona
LaSagra’s Flycatcher – Florida
Brown Jays – Texas
For more information, you can refer to the American Birding Association’s Rare Bird Alert at Rare Bird Alert: June 2, 2023 - American Birding Association (aba.org) Special Thanks to the ABA, and Nate Swick, who does such a great job of compiling the ABA’s Rare Bird Alert, which we use to prepare this weekly replay.
You can often find more info about individual rare bird sightings from the state rare bird alert listserves that you can access at http://birding.aba.org/ or at https://www.facebook.com/groups/ABArare/