A Sixth Provincial Record Redwing, a Eurasian thrush, was photographed among American Robins in Charlevoix, Quebec (photo by Laurent Bedard).

Near the far western limits of Alaska, birders on Adak Island in the Aleutian Islands found and took videos of a male Hen Harrier, only the Second North American Record and the Second State Record. Birders also were surprised to find a First State Record Purple Gallinule on their snowy deck near Lincoln, Vermont. Just as snowy was Arcadia, Michigan where a Second State Record Anna’s Hummingbird is visiting a nectar feeder, and an interesting coincidence was finding a Fourth State Record MacGillivray’s Warbler and a Sixth State Record Harris’s Sparrow near one another in Dover, New Hampshire – and there’s more.

In addition to the Hen Harrier, another Eurasian bird was photographed among American Robins – a Sixth Provincial Record Redwing in Quebec – and there’s more:

NORTH AMERICAN RECORD

Second North American Record Hen Harrier – Adak Island, Aleutians, Alaska

STATE & PROVINCIAL RECORDS

First State Record Purple Gallinule – near Lincoln, Vermont

Second State Record Anna’s Hummingbird – Arcadia, Michigan

Second State Record Hen Harrier – Adak Island, Aleutians, Alaska

Fourth State Record MacGillivray’s Warbler – near Dover, New Hampshire

Fifth State Record Purple Sandpiper – Nashville, Tennessee

Sixth Provincial Record Redwing – Charlevoix, Quebec

Sixth State Record Harris’s Sparrow – near Dover, New Hampshire

REALLY RARE BIRDS

Painted Bunting – Kingston, Massachusetts

Varied Thrush – Lexington, Kentucky

Say’s Phoebe – Hinton, Virgina

CONTINUING REALLY RARE BIRDS

European Sparrowhawk – Alaska

Yellow-headed Caracaras – Texas, Florida

Mottled Owl – Texas

American Flamingos – Florida, Texas

Cattle Tyrant – Texas

Brown Jays – Texas

Berylline Hummingbird – Arizona

White Wagtail – Wisconsin

Northern Lapwing – Massachusetts

For more information, you can refer to the American Birding Association’s Rare Bird Alert at Rare Bird Alert: January 17, 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