Along the northern coast of San Diego, birders observed a far off-course Lesser Frigatebird, which created the Fifth North American Record and the Second California State Record for the species (photo by Barbara Wise).
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Doubly exciting were 2 First State Records for Kansas, a Ross’s Gull and a Slaty-backed Gull, as were 2 Second State Records: A Lesser Frigatebird along the coast of San Diego, California and a Crested Caracara in Iowa. Now those are all seriously off course birds! But there’s more: How about a Swallow-tailed Gull in California, plus a Berylline Hummingbird, Rufous-backed Robin, and Crimson-collared Grosbeak in Texas; along with a Streak-backed Oriole in Arizona and a Spotted Towhee in Quebec.
NORTH AMERICAN RECORD
Fifth North American Record – Lesser Frigatebird – San Diego, California
STATE & PROVINCIAL RECORDS
First State Record Ross’s Gull – near Dodge City, Kansas
First State Record Slaty-backed Gull – Cheney State Park, Kansas
Second State Record Lesser Frigatebird – San Diego, California
Second State Record Crested Caracara – Fort Madison, Iowa
REALLY RARE BIRDS
Swallow-tailed Gull – Zuma Beach, California
Berylline Hummingbird – El Paso, Texas
Crimson-collared Grosbeak – Quinta Mazatlan, Texas
Rufous-backed Robin – near San Antonio, Texas
Streak-backed Oriole – Santa Cruz Flats, Arizona
Spotted Towhee – Lanaudiere, Quebec
CONTINUING REALLY RARE BIRDS
European Sparrowhawks (2) – Adak, Alaska
Yellow-headed Caracaras – Florida, Texas
Mottled Owl – Texas
Berylline Hummingbird – Arizona
American Flamingos – Florida, Texas
Northern Lapwings – Massachusetts, New York
White Wagtail – Wisconsin
Brown Jays – Texas
Cattle Tyrant – Texas
For more information, you can refer to the American Birding Association’s Rare Bird Alert at Rare Bird Alert: February 14, 2025 - American Birding Association (aba.org) 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