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NYSARC
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Annual
Report - 2020 REPORT OF THE NEW YORK STATE AVIAN RECORDS COMMITTEE FOR 2020The New York State Avian Records Committee (hereafter “NYSARC” or the “Committee”) evaluated 67 submissions involving 48 occurrences of New York State review species from 2020. Additionally, the Committee received 13 submissions of New York State review species from previous years. Reports were received from 26 of the 62 counties (there were no reports from the pelagic zone). The number of reports accompanied by photographs remains high and naturally benefits the value of the archive. The Committee wishes to remind readers that reports submitted to listservs, local bird clubs, rare bird alerts (RBAs) and even the Kingbird Regional Editors are not necessarily passed along to NYSARC. Doing so, therefore, remains the responsibility of the observer(s). The best way to ensure a rarity is reviewed by NYSARC is to submit a formal report to the Committee, which would include written details and possibly photographs or audio recordings. Submitting an acceptable report to eBird also works, although NYSARC review of eBird reports may lag slightly behind reviews of formal submissions. As is well-known by now, the use of the Internet and mobile phones has had a very positive impact on the timely dissemination of rare bird sightings and has made it easier for birders to locate rarities found by others. The Committee has always held that receipt of multiple independent reports provides a much fuller documentation of the sighting and can in some cases increase the likelihood of acceptance. We therefore urge ALL observers, not just the finder, to submit written reports and/or photographs. The names of the 60 contributors that submitted materials for the formal submissions (written reports, photographs, video and audio recordings, and sketches) are listed alongside accepted reports and again at the end of the formal submissions section of this document. Where possible, the name(s) of the original finder(s) is (are) included in the narratives. Production of this Annual Report is a team effort. In addition to the contributors referenced above, some Kingbird Regional Editors and eBird reviewers have helped observers to prepare and submit documentation. HOW TO SUBMIT REPORTS Advice on how to prepare and submit a report is provided on the NYSARC pages within the New York State Ornithological Association (NYSOA) web site: http://nybirds.org/NYSARC/index.htm. Although it may go without saying that photographs and/or audio recordings of the reported bird(s) can be vitally important to getting a record accepted by the Committee, it cannot be emphasized enough that a thorough written description of the bird(s) and the circumstances of the observation, as well as other pertinent details, can also propel a record to acceptance. Unfortunately, eBird reports are frequently very short on details and when those reports also lack hard evidence, such as photos or audio recordings, it becomes difficult for the Committee to accept them. This highlights an important distinction between NYSARC and eBird. Some eBird reports are accepted by eBird reviewers in large part because the observer is considered experienced. While NYSARC may consider the observer’s experience, we require accepted records to have archived documentation that can be reviewed by anyone in the future. As such, some reports from very experienced observers that have few or no substantial details and which were accepted by eBird reviewers, will not be accepted by NYSARC. Gary Chapin, 125 Pine Springs Drive, Ticonderoga, NY 12883. HIGHLIGHTS There was one new addition to the state checklist in 2020—a Tropical Kingbird in Westchester County. This brought the state list to 497 species by the end of 2020. Perhaps a bigger surprise was the first inland record for New York of a Gull-billed Tern, which occurred at Iroquois NWR in Genesee County. Only the second record for the state, a Painted Redstart was a thrilling, if relatively brief, find in New York City. Also interesting was the third record of Sage Thrasher in two years, after a drought of 47 years with no records. Outstanding records from prior years included a Western Meadowlark, the first for Long Island, a Bar-tailed Godwit at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, and a state-record maximum nine Black- bellied Whistling Ducks in Brooklyn.
COMMITTEE NEWS The 2020 annual meeting was held via Zoom on 25 September 2021. Note that the annual meeting year refers to the latest reports reviewed at that meeting. After the first round of review, 18 formal submissions were left for additional discussion and voting, with one of those sent for opinion from an outside expert. These were all settled using email discussion and voting, prior to the meeting, in addition to discussion and voting during the meeting. During the meeting the Committee decided to remove Piping Plover from the Upstate review list. Thus, documentation for Piping Plover is no longer requested for anywhere in New York. We also discussed removing Western Sandpiper from the Upstate review list, outside of spring sightings. Although there had been an uptick in records in recent years, the consensus was that the species remains rare and is likely still declining. As such, it remains on the review list throughout the year for Upstate areas and in late winter and spring for Downstate areas.
The terms of Doug Gochfeld, Derek Rogers, and Jay McGowan expired at the end of 2021. At the Committee’s request, Jay agreed to stay on for another term but Doug and Derek decided that they should step down. Doug served on NYSARC for nine years. He is known as an incredible field birder and a sought- after birding guide, which is now his professional avocation with Field Guides. His world-wide experience and contacts aided the Committee with many difficult records. Derek served on NYSARC for five years. His field experience on Long Island, where many of New York’s rarities turn up, proved invaluable, along with his insightful observations on difficult records. Now living by Lake Champlain, he is gaining experience with a very different avifauna. We wish Doug and Derek the best in their future endeavors and we thank Jay for his continued service. Taking the empty slots left by Doug and Derek were Michael McBrien and Shane Blodgett. From his start as a young birder on Long Island, Mike has developed over the last 17 years into a highly accomplished birder, admired and respected statewide and beyond. His work ethic and clarity of thought, amply demonstrated during his first term on NYSARC, have made him a valuable member of the Committee. After Willie D’Anna stepped down as the Chair at the conclusion of 2023, Mike volunteered to fill his shoes and has proven extremely capable.
Shane Blodgett was one of the best of Brooklyn’s several outstanding birders and also one of the best-loved. He was known for his persistence and determination and also for his kindness and helpfulness to less experienced birders. He earned the nickname, “the gull whisperer”, due to his uncanny ability to turn up rare gulls in Brooklyn and elsewhere, with a particular affinity for finding Common and Short-billed Gulls. His efforts are probably the main reason that Brooklyn is now known as the Common and Short-billed Gull capital of New York State. Sadly, Shane passed away from cancer during the first year of his term, dealing an emotional blow to the Committee, as well as to so many birders in the state who knew him. The Committee extends its sincere condolences to Shane’s family, and to all those whose lives he touched. Although his time on this planet was shorter than we all would have liked, his spirit lives on in Brooklyn and elsewhere. Last but not least, Curt McDermott agreed to finish up the remainder of Shane’s term. Curt lives in Orange County and gets to experience a rather upstate avifauna, while at the same time enjoying many of the downstate rarities that turn up near the ocean, which is not all that far away.
The NYSARC remains caught up on formal submissions, reviewing reports within a year after the close of the previous year. We are also reviewing eBird records from the same year. Thus, this report covers formal submissions and eBird reports from 2020, as well as some formal submissions from prior years. At the time of this writing (June 2024), we have now reviewed 2019-2022 eBird records concurrently with formal submissions from the same year. In addition we have been evaluating eBird records prior to 2019, reviewing two to three additional years every year. Thus, up to now, we have completed the review of eBird records from 2010 through 2022. Accepted eBird records prior to 2019 that have been reviewed and accepted by NYSARC will appear in a special report(s) sometime in the future.
Since the annual reports have been lagging behind the reviews by a few years, readers may notice a discrepancy in the Committee members listed on the NYSARC web site and those listed at the end of this annual report. The current members of the Committee, as of August 2024, are Michael McBrien (Chair), Gary Chapin (Secretary), Tom Burke, Patricia Lindsay, Jay McGowan, Shawn Billerman, Curt McDermott, and Tim Healy. The lead authors of this report are Willie D’Anna and Gary Chapin, with Tim Healy preparing much of the Tropical Kingbird account. Even though Willie is currently off the Committee, he has agreed to continue working on the annual reports until they are caught up.
In other news, the Committee was stunned to learn of the passing of former NYSARC member, Thomas Brodie Johnson, in July of 2023. Tom was a giant in the birding community, an outstanding tour guide who worked for Field Guides, an identification expert—he did many photo-quizzes for Birding magazine, an incredible photographer whose bird photos have sparked inspiration and awe from so many birders, a pelagic pioneer, and he was just so knowledgeable about everything birds in both New York and his home state of Pennsylvania, as well as much farther afield. It seems especially hard to lose someone who was so young and to lose the phenomenal body of knowledge that he had accumulated and so willingly shared. The Committee extends its sincere condolences to Tom’s family and loved ones. The birding world is a much better place having had Tom Johnson in its midst. 2020 Formal Submissions Accepted Pink-footed Goose (Anser brachyrhynchus) 2020-37-A One, Malone, Franklin, 24 Nov (Stacy Robinson, ph S. Robinson). eBird 21, 24 Nov A little more than three years after Malone Recreation Park in Franklin County recorded a Pink-footed Goose, another was discovered at this small park by Janelle Hoh (now Janelle Jones). Or was it? That is to say, could it have been the same bird? Stacy Robinson was able to view the Pink-footed Goose in both years, and as she noted in her NYSARC report, the distinctive white markings at the base of the bill, shown clearly in her photographs, very strongly suggest that it was, indeed, the same goose! In both years, this rarity associated with Snow Geese, rather than the Canada Geese also there, and it was only seen over a four- day period each time. eBird reports for the 2017 sighting have been accepted by NYSARC and the record will be published in a future issue of The Kingbird. Two other Pink-footed Geese were reported to eBird in 2020 and accepted by the Committee. See the “2020 eBird Records Automatically Accepted by NYSARC” further on in this report.
 Rufous Hummingbird photo © Alayna Vreeland (click photo to enlarge) Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) 2020-29-A/B One, Greenwood Lake, Orange, 25-26 Oct (Kenneth M. McDermott, Linda Scrima, ph Alayna Vreeland, L. Scrima). eBird 25, 26 Oct 2020-47-A One, Kent, Putnam, 10 Oct - 17 Dec (Robert P. Yunick, ph Richard Jensen) 2020-48-A One, Baldwinsville, Onondaga, 14 Oct 2020 to 23 Jan 2021 (Robert P. Yunick, ph Christine Rydelek, Laurie Freeman). eBird 1-8, 11, 12, 14, 27 Dec, 3, 5-7, 9-13, 17 Jan 2021 A hummingbird appeared at the feeding station of Alayna Vreeland in late October in Greenwood Lake. After she posted photos of the bird to Facebook, the adult male Rufous Hummingbird was confirmed as this species and a few other birders were able to see it during its two-day stay. A long-staying hummingbird at the home of Susan and Richard Jensen in Putnam County was captured, banded, and measured by Robert Yunick on 20 Nov, allowing identification as a hatch- year female Rufous. Another long-staying hummer was in Baldwinsville, at the residence of Christine Rydelek. On 3 Dec, Yunick, with assistance from Laurie Freeman, was able to capture, band, and measure that individual as well. As with the Putnam bird, he identified this one as a hatch-year female. After the identification was made, many birders were able to see it. The Committee received expert opinions about two other reported Rufous Hummingbirds in eBird. Both were aged and sexed as juvenile females. One was accepted by the Committee but the other was only accepted as the species pair, Rufous/Allen’s Hummingbird. We thank Sheri Williamson and Fred Bassett for their thoughts on these records. See the “Other 2020 eBird Records Accepted by NYSARC” further on in this report.
Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinicus) 2020-13-A/C One, East Moriches, Suffolk, 4-27 Jun (Eileen Schwinn, George Wm. Fisher, Michael Higgiston, ph E. Schwinn, G. Fisher). eBird 22-25, 27, 29 Jun This adult Purple Gallinule spent over three weeks at Walden Ponds in East Moriches. It was discovered by George Engel, a resident of the gated community where it was found. George Fisher, also a resident of the community, alerted Eileen Schwinn to the bird’s presence and she, in turn, alerted the birding community. It was one of two adult Purple Gallinules on Long Island at the same time, the other being at Twin Lakes Preserve in Nassau County. No formal submission was received for the Twin Lakes gallinule but the record in eBird was also accepted by the Committee. See the “2020 eBird Records Automatically Accepted by NYSARC” further on in this report. The Twin Lakes gallinule was actually discovered by a dogwalker in a tree at night in Long Beach, Nassau County. A local bird rehabilitator, Bobby Horvath, caught the bird but found nothing wrong with it. It was released the next day at Twin Lakes. The Committee expresses its appreciation to Horvath, who made a Facebook post with photos of the bird, and to the late Arie Gilbert, who alerted birders to the release location. Normally a fall and early winter rarity, these are the first June records that have been accepted by NYSARC.
South Polar Skua (Stercorarius maccormicki) 2020-18-A/C One, Manhattan, New York, 4 Aug (Jordan Spindel, Adrian Burke, Ryan Zucker, ph R. Zucker). eBird 4 Aug While watching the lower Hudson River in Manhattan following the passage of Tropical Storm Isaias, these observers saw a South Polar Skua fly north up the river, with the wind. Ryan Zucker was able to obtain distant but still quite good photos. Onshore records of this species are quite rare in New York and this appears to be the furthest away from the ocean that a bird has ever been documented in the state, even though it was only a mere ten miles or so (eBird Dec 2023, NYSARC Online Database, Askildsen 1998). There was another of this species reported on the same day from the Delaware River in Philadelphia, PA (eBird Dec 2023), which was believed by the observers to be a first for that state.
Common Gull (Larus canus) 2020-44-A One, Brooklyn, Kings, 17, 19 Dec (Peter Paul, ph P. Paul). eBird 11, 17, 19 Dec Although this bird was viewed before Mew Gull was split by the American Ornithological Society into Common Gull (Larus canus) and Short-billed Gull (Larus brachyrhynchus), observers identified it correctly to the proper subspecies at the time. This bird in formative plumage was discovered by Andrew Baksh on 7 Dec and relocated by the late great “gull whisperer”, Shane Blodgett, on 11 Dec. It was nicely documented for NYSARC by Peter Paul.
 Sooty Tern photo © Patrick Shure (click photo to enlarge) Sooty Tern (Onychoprion fuscatus) 2020-20-A Two, Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary, Westchester, 4 Aug (Sean Camillieri). eBird 4 Aug 2020-22-A/B One to five, Manhattan, New York, 4 Aug (Adrian Burke, Patrick Shure, ph P. Shure). eBird 4 Aug (up to eight individuals) Tropical Storm Isaias brought Sooty Terns to a remarkable seven counties in New York. The two birds in Westchester County, documented by Sean Camillieri, were the only terns that were not seen along the Hudson River. Although one to five birds are listed for New York County from Adrian Burke’s and Patrick Shure’s formal submissions, eight individuals were reported to eBird on the same day. All of the eBird records from that county are lumped under record 2020-22 and thus are not shown with the eBird records further along in this report. See the “Other 2020 eBird Records Accepted by NYSARC” further on in this report for seven additional records from 2020.
Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica) 2020-9-A One, Iroquois NWR, Genesee, 25 May (Sharon Skelly). eBird 25 May Late in the day on 24 May, Peter Yoerg noted a mid-sized tern at Cayuga Pool on the Iroquois NWR that he was struggling to identify. The bird was distant in the marsh and obscured by cattails. This experienced observer assumed a Common Tern at first, as that seemed to be the most likely species, other than the very different Black Tern. Since the bill appeared black, he thought that it was likely covered with mud. Eventually, the bird came a bit closer and while still viewing through a small gap in the cattails, he realized that the bill was not muddied and he identified it as an alternate-plumaged Gull-billed Tern, which he knew would be new for the study area of the Buffalo Ornithological Society. His post to a local birding listserv prompted Josh Ketry to get to the site early the next morning. Ketry found the bird, confirmed Yoerg’s identification, and made a post to the local text alert, allowing dozens of birders the opportunity to see this outstanding rarity on that one day. This remarkable record is the first Gull-billed Tern documented away from the coastal region in the state (Bull 1974, Skelly 1998, eBird Dec 2023, NYSARC Online Database). In addition to Sharon Skelly’s formal submission, there are many excellent photos in eBird that fully document this unusual record.
Band-rumped Storm-Petrel (Hydrobates castro) 2020-19-A/B One, Fire Island Inlet, Suffolk, 4 Aug (Patricia Lindsay, Shaibal S. Mitra). eBird 4 Aug Although this species has been documented in warm offshore waters of New York on multiple occasions, now seeming to be regular in summer, onshore sightings are still exceptionally rare. As is normally the case with sightings from shore, this one was associated with the passage of a tropical storm, in this case, Tropical Storm Isaias, previously a hurricane. This bird occurred with Wilson’s Storm- Petrels, all of which were heading into the wind, inside of and flying toward the entrance to Fire Island Inlet, just after the wind had switched from south to southwest. Lindsay and Mitra were watching the inlet from the partial shelter afforded by a building. Noting a dozen Wilson’s Storm-Petrels plus the bird documented here, they studied it carefully to rule out both Wilson’s and Leach’s Storm-Petrels.
 Magnificent Frigatebird photo © Gregg Dashnau (click photo to enlarge) Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) 2020-40-A One, Fair Haven State Park, Cayuga, 27 Oct (Gregg D. Dashnau, ph G. Dashnau). eBird 27 Oct (Cayuga and Wayne) Always a super rarity in New York, inland sightings such as this one are even more exceptional. Gregg Dashnau obtained relatively close photos of the bird as it flew into the bay at Fair Haven State Park. Some Committee members believed that the photos of this juvenile bird ruled out both Great and Lesser Frigatebirds. Combined with the much greater likelihood of this species, reviewers had no problem accepting the record. Dashnau submitted eBird reports for both Cayuga and Wayne Counties. Though it must be considered unconfirmed, Dashnau noted in his submission that a resident of Fair Haven reported the bird on 2 Nov, six days after he observed it.
Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) 2020-23-A/B One, Ashokan Reservoir, Ulster, 30-31 Aug (Andrew Block, Ken McDermott, ph A. Block). 30 Aug - 13, 15 Sep 2020-25-A One, Port Jefferson – Long Island Sound, Suffolk, 31 Jul (Virginia Martin, ph V. Martin) 2020-31-A One, East Quogue, Suffolk, 29 Oct (Eileen Schwinn, ph E. Schwinn). eBird 29, 31 Oct, 1 Nov 2020-49-A One, Inwood Hill Park, New York, 22 Nov (Nathan O’Reilly, ph N. O’Reilly). eBird 22 Nov Records of this southern species in New York have been on the increase, with two more inland records in 2020, including one from the Adirondacks in eBird. The addition of the four above, plus another six records in eBird, makes 2020 a banner year for Brown Booby in the state! The Ashokan Reservoir bird was an adult, discovered by Andrew Block, while the East Quogue individual, discovered by Eileen Schwinn, was a juvenile. The Inwood Hill Park booby was also a juvenile, picked up by Nathan O’Reilly as it flew down the Hudson River. The bird on Long Island Sound flew up to and landed on Virginia Martin’s sailboat, staying for about 15 minutes before flying off. It was a subadult, with brown spotting on the mostly white belly. In all four formal submissions, the Brown Booby was clearly photographed. Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) 2020-41-A/C One, Churchville, Monroe, 14-15 Dec (Jerri Lynn Sparks, Mike Wasilco, Arie Gilbert, ph J. Sparks, M. Wasilco, A. Gilbert). eBird 13-18 Dec Although this was the thirteenth occurrence of this species submitted to NYSARC, less than half have been accepted. The low rate of acceptance almost certainly is due to several reported birds being observed only in flight. Brief views, especially at considerable distance, and the lack of photographs make it difficult to secure documentation which is sufficient for the Committee to accept. This was not an issue for the adult male bird seen in Churchville, as it stayed along a creek for its entire stay, allowing lengthy and often easy study and photographs. The bird was discovered by Pam Inzinna, who reported it to Facebook. As the creek began to freeze due to increasingly cold temperatures, birders became concerned about the Anhinga’s well-being and it was captured and taken in by a rehabilitator (Randi Minetor, personal communication). Unfortunately, it was already in bad shape and did not survive. This sad ending illustrates the importance of acting sooner rather than later in such situations. The stress of capture can be considerable, so it is best undertaken before the bird becomes very weak. Determining when that should be can be difficult and it can also be contentious, with birders desiring to see the bird in the wild before it is captured.
 Neotropic Cormorant photo © Dominic Sherony (click photo to enlarge) Neotropic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus) 2020-24-A/B One, Batavia WWTP, Genesee, 6, 10 Sep (Dominic Sherony, Arie Gilbert, ph D. Sherony, A. Gilbert). eBird 5-11 Sep The adult Neotropic Cormorant at the renowned Batavia Wastewater Treatment Plant is just the fifth record for the state (records through 2020). All five records have been in the upstate region with none further east than Monroe County, prior to the end of 2020. Incredibly, these records have occurred within a seven-year span, causing birders to speculate that more are surely on the horizon. The Batavia cormorant was discovered by Kyle Gage who quickly texted out his find to alert other birders. It was an adult, still sporting obvious white at the base of the gular, as well as some white on the ear coverts.
White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi) 2020-15-A One, Captree Island, Suffolk, 3 Jul (Patrick Shure, ph P. Shure). eBird 15 Apr - 11 Jul (intermittent) John Gluth discovered this adult White-faced Ibis at Captree Island, which was reported over a three-month period. The species has become an annual though still very rare visitor to Long Island, with birders now expecting it to show up somewhere. Upstate records are never expected, so birds in Monroe and Genesee Counties in 2020 (in eBird) were a welcome surprise. See the “2020 eBird Records Automatically Accepted by NYSARC” further on in this report.
 Swallow-tailed Kite photo © Kathy Habgood (click photo to enlarge) Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus) 2020-17-A Two, Town of Hamlin, Monroe, 2-3 Aug (Kathy Habgood, ph K. Habgood). eBird 9-16 Aug (Monroe and Orleans) These two Swallow-tailed Kites were discovered by Vaughn Bates. He told Kathy Habgood about the birds, and after viewing them, she submitted the record to NYSARC. It was not until about a week later that word got out to birders, who of course were thrilled to see them and reported the kites daily to eBird for an additional week. This was the third record for Monroe County accepted by NYSARC, with the other two being flyovers at the renowned spring hawkwatch at Braddock Bay State Park. And since these birds were seen along Countyline Road, it is not surprising that eBird shows checklists in both Monroe and Orleans Counties, providing a first record for the latter county (Bull 1974, Dodge 1998, eBird Jun 2024, NYSARC Online Database).
Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) 2020-12-A One, Central Park, New York, 31 May (Deborah Allen, ph D. Allen). eBird 31 May 2020-16-A One, Hunt-Parker Sanctuary, Westchester, 9 Jun (Kristen Johnson, ph K. Johnson). eBird 9 Jun The Mississippi Kite that flew over Central Park in New York City was a first cycle individual that was nicely documented by Deborah Allen. The bird in Westchester County was also photographed as it flew over Kristen Johnson but plumage details are somewhat difficult to discern in the underexposed photos. Still, the distinctive shape of this species can be seen well. It was called an “immature” by the observer but showed a contrasting off-white color in the upper secondaries, suggesting that it may have been an adult. There were two eBird records of this species that were also accepted, one in Brooklyn (Kings County) and one in Erie County. See the “Other 2020 eBird Records Accepted by NYSARC” further on in this report.
Ash-throated Flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens) 2020-39-A One, Forest Park, Queens, 28-29 Nov (Karlo Mirth, ph Alison Mirth). eBird 28-29 Nov As many birders are well aware, this species is most likely to occur in the downstate region. In fact, NYSARC has only accepted one formal submission of an upstate record, that being in Monroe County in 2004. In addition, all of the accepted records have occurred during fall and early winter. The uniformity of these records, both in time and place, is remarkably consistent. The bird in Forest Park found by Karlo Mirth, provided yet another record for New York City. There were six other eBird records of this species in 2020 that were also accepted, all in the downstate region, including three in New York City! See the “Other 2020 eBird Records Accepted by NYSARC” further on in this report.
 Tropical Kingbird photo © Carena Pooth (click photo to enlarge) Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus) 2020-30-A/C One, The Landing, Dobbs Ferry, Westchester, 28 Oct (Carena Pooth, Richard Guthrie, John Gaglione, ph C. Pooth, R. Guthrie, J. Gaglione). eBird 27-29 Oct While birding near the Hudson River at The Landing in Dobbs Ferry, Tom Warren noted a yellow-bellied kingbird. His brief views reminded him of the Western Kingbird (T. verticalis) that he saw the year previous at Croton Point Park, a few miles north along the Hudson River. His eBird checklist with photos attracted the attention of another birder, Julien Amsellem, who was interested in seeing the bird and who headed to the site a few hours later. Upon finding the kingbird, he realized that it was not a Western but a much rarer Tropical or Couch’s Kingbird. His study of the visual field marks made him suspect Tropical but it was when he heard the twittering call that he knew that it could only be that species. This first record for New York lingered in the vicinity throughout the following day but periodically went missing as it moved about the area, requiring some legwork on behalf of the assembled searchers to relocate it in the chilly, drizzly weather that day. After a brief sighting on the morning of 29 Oct by the original observer, the kingbird disappeared and was not seen again. An omnipresent and conspicuous component of the avifauna throughout the Neotropics, where birders often note its presence with the words, “another TK”, Tropical Kingbird has shown a steady increase in vagrancy records across North America in recent years. Many sightings have been documented up the west coast as far north as Alaska, with fewer records along the east coast up to the Canadian Maritimes, and a smattering of observations strewn throughout the interior of the continent. This species can be distinguished from Western Kingbird by the more extensive yellow plumage on the underparts reaching further up the breast, as well as the larger bill and the lack of white edges to the outer rectrices. Cassin’s Kingbird (T. vociferans) shows darker gray plumage on the head and breast compared to Tropical Kingbird, with a prominent white terminal band on the tail. The most visually similar confusion candidate in this genus is Couch’s Kingbird (T. couchii), another Neotropical species that has occurred in New York just once, in the Greenwich section of Manhattan, during the winter of 2014-2015. The overall plumage aspects of both birds are strikingly similar, but the bill of Couch’s Kingbird averages slightly shorter and stouter than that of Tropical Kingbird. Other subtle visual distinctions, like minor differences in the structure of the primaries, can be useful under specific circumstances, but the most consistently reliable means of discerning between these two species is by voice. The vocalizations of Couch’s Kingbird have a burry, whistled quality, often given as single notes, while Tropical Kingbird’s most common call is a rapid series of shrill and metallic twitters.  Fork-tailed Flycatcher photo © John Haas (click photo to enlarge) Tropical Kingbird has been considered rather long overdue to occur in New York and was presumed to be much more likely than Couch’s Kingbird, despite that species landing within the state’s borders some years prior. Indeed, Doug Gochfeld’s compilations of predicted next species to be added to the state checklist by the most knowledgeable birders in and around New York State, indicate that Tropical Kingbird was third most likely on the list in 2010 and third again in 2015 (Gochfeld 2023). The Dobbs Ferry kingbird opened the floodgates, so to speak, for sightings in New York, with subsequent observations at Mount Loretto Unique Area, Richmond County, in September 2021 and Breezy Point, Queens County, in October 2022, both accepted by NYSARC. The string of consecutive years with Tropical Kingbird occurrences may have been kept up by a July 2023 report in Prospect Park, Kings County, which is currently under review by the Committee.
Fork-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus savana) 2020-27-A/B One, Ashokan Reservoir, Ulster, 18 Oct (John H. Haas, John Gaglione, ph J. Haas, J. Gaglione). eBird 17-18 Oct This stunning adult Fork-tailed Flycatcher is only the seventh record for New York that has been reviewed and accepted by NYSARC. Apparently found independently by multiple observers on 17 Oct, it was last detected around mid- morning the following day, a typically brief stay for this vagrant to New York.
 Western Flycatcher photo © Michael Zito (click photo to enlarge) Western Flycatcher (Empidonax difficilis) 2020-32-A One, Kissena Park, Queens, 3 Nov (Michael Zito, ph M. Zito). eBird 31 Oct, 2-7, 11 Nov The taxonomy of Western Flycatcher is complex. In the continental United States and Canada, only one species was originally recognized. In 1989, a split by the American Ornithologists Union (now American Ornithological Society) led to two species—Pacific-slope Flycatcher and Cordilleran Flycatcher. Alas, in 2023, we are back to a single species, Western Flycatcher. The reasons for this reverse are beyond the scope of this report. Suffice to say that with this lump, there are now at least five subspecies recognized. eBird conveniently separates these into two—the Pacific-slope group and the Cordilleran group (Lowther, et al., 2023). Despite this distinction, it cannot be assumed that anything identified previously as a Pacific-slope Flycatcher belongs to the Pacific-slope group. Similarly, anything identified previously as a Cordilleran Flycatcher cannot be assumed to belong to the Cordilleran group. Like we said, it is complex! The record under discussion, a bird found at Kissena Park in Queens County, was submitted and accepted by NYSARC as a Pacific-slope Flycatcher, based in large part on what was thought at the time to be a diagnostic character—the position call note. With the new information that accompanies the lumping back to a single species, it seems that this distinction may not be possible. As a result, this record is not accepted to the subspecies level, until such time as the Committee feels that such a determination can be confidently made. The bird was discovered by Michael Gottlieb, who posted a photo to “What’s this bird?” on Facebook. Two days later it was relocated at the park. Brendan Fogarty collected a fecal sample as well as recordings. As with this record, the 2015 record of Pacific-slope Flycatcher at Central Park is now changed to Western Flycatcher. The first record of Western Flycatcher for New York occurred in 1995, a bird submitted as Cordilleran Flycatcher but accepted as Cordilleran/Pacific-slope.
Say’s Phoebe (Sayornis saya) 2020-33-A One, Candor, Tioga, 23 Sep (Adam Troyer). eBird 23 Sep Birdsong Meadows Farm is the name that Adam Troyer gave his family’s property in rural Tioga County. The name seems appropriate due to the wonderful diversity of bird species that he has documented there (see Troyer 2022). On 23 Sep, Troyer found this Say’s Phoebe on his farm, which lingered for only two hours. Amazingly, this was the second of this species that Troyer has found there. The first, a year previous, stayed for only a brief twenty minutes and even used the same fencepost (Troyer 2022, D’Anna, et al., 2023)! Naturally, Troyer wonders if the same individual graced Birdsong Meadows Farm two years in a row, something we will never know for sure.
Cave Swallow (Petrochelidon fulva) 2020-35-A Two, Floyd Bennett Field, Kings, 18 Nov (John Gaglione, ph J. Gaglione). eBird 17, 18 Nov The first record of Cave Swallow in New York did not occur until spring 1990. The second was in fall 1999. Since the second record, the species has become a near annual fall visitor, usually occurring after a weather system with strong southwest winds followed by northwest. The great majority of records involve birds seen only in flight, which is perhaps expected for an aerial insectivore. The two birds documented by John Gaglione, however, were found roosting on a hangar at Floyd Bennett Field. An eBird checklist by Doug Gochfeld documents three birds roosting at this location on the same date. On 17 Nov, Gochfeld found at least one bird flying around the hangar, causing him to correctly surmise that it might roost in the hangar that night. He also alerted other birders, giving them a chance to see this rare southern species of swallow. NYSARC accepted seven other records in eBird, three from downstate and four from upstate. One of these was a very rare spring record, occurring at Braddock Bay, Monroe County, on 12 Apr. See the “2020 eBird Records Automatically Accepted by NYSARC” and the “Other 2020 eBird Records Accepted by NYSARC” further on in this report.
 Varied Thrush photo © Mark Hollenbeck (click photo to enlarge) Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius) 2020-1-A/C One, Candor, Tioga, 1, 4, 5 Jan (Mark Hollenbeck, Dennis Anderson, Neal Reilly, ph M. Hollenbeck, Kevin McGann, N. Reilly). eBird 1-7 Jan Being in the habit of checking for birds in the apple tree on his property, Mark Hollenback was surprised when he noted one with bright orange in its plumage. An admitted casual birder, he thought perhaps it was a robin or an oriole but that did not seem quite right to him. He snapped some photos, posted them to a birding group on Facebook, and soon got an answer. It was not long before birders descended upon Candor in Tioga County to enjoy this lovely adult male Varied Thrush, which lingered at the location for a week.
Sage Thrasher (Oreoscoptes montanus) 2020-34-A/B One, Chatham, Columbia, 5, 9 Nov (Carena Pooth, Scott Stoner, ph C. Pooth, S. Stoner). eBird 4-11, 13-18 Nov This Sage Thrasher was discovered by Barbara Sylvester at Ooms Conservation Area, where birders were able to enjoy it for two weeks. After a drought of records from 1973 to 2019, this is the second consecutive year that a Sage Thrasher has been found in the state. The now seven records in New York have occurred in Apr, May, and Oct to Jan. The Columbia County bird is the third upstate record. “Greater” Common Redpoll (Acanthis flammea rostrata) 2020-38-A One, Braddock Bay, Monroe, 19 Nov (Dominic Sherony, ph D. Sherony) This report involved a “Greater” Common Redpoll, photographed with a Hoary Redpoll by Dominic Sherony, on the barrier island at Braddock Bay in Monroe County. It is not clear if the observer noticed this bird in the field or only after reviewing photographs at home but the report appears to be based solely upon this single photo. The photo shows a larger and quite dark redpoll, with a thicker and longer bill. Sherony sent his photo to finch experts, Matt Young and Ron Pittaway. Young called the bird a “dead ringer” for “Greater” Common Redpoll but Pittaway was more circumspect, implying that it is easier to compare bird sizes in life than it is in photos. Although some on the Committee agreed with this cautious approach, most still believed the bird to be larger. Along with the very dark plumage and large bill exhibited by this redpoll in direct comparison with a Hoary Redpoll, which itself was stated to be slightly larger than the Common Redpolls present, the Committee decided that there was enough to support the record.
“Gambel’s” White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii) This adult “Gambel’s” White-crowned Sparrow, discovered and nicely photographed by Linda Scrima, provides another well-documented record for the state. Two other well-photographed birds were documented in the upstate region in 2020. See the “Other 2020 eBird Records Accepted by NYSARC” further on in this report.
Harris’s Sparrow (Zonotrichia querula) 2020-6-A One, Buckingham Pond, Albany, Albany, 1 Apr (Thomas Williams). eBird 22, 29, 31 Mar, 1-7, 9-15, 17, 18 Apr, 6-9 May Brian Hardiman and Sara Hart discovered this Harris’s Sparrow in our state’s capital city. The bird was seen by many as it stayed until 9 May, by which time it was sporting breeding plumage. When first discovered, however, it appeared to be molting out of subadult plumage. One other Harris’s Sparrow was reported to eBird in 2020, a bird in Niagara County. See the “2020 eBird Records Automatically Accepted by NYSARC” further on in this report.
 Painted Redstart photo © Mike Yuan (click photo to enlarge) Painted Redstart (Myioborus pictus) 2020-26-A/B One, Floyd Bennett Field, Kings, 18 Oct (Mike Yuan, John Gaglione, ph M. Yuan, J. Gaglione). eBird 18 Oct This stunning find is actually the second record for New York, with the first being in Livingston County in the winter of 1979-1980. This sprightly warbler is a rare vagrant in the Eastern US and it is as stunningly beautiful as it is rare. It was discovered by Richard Payne in mid-afternoon on 18 Oct. While he knew immediately what he was seeing, understandably he could not quite believe it! Unfortunately for many birders, the Painted Redstart was not seen after this day. eBird shows only eight records in the northeastern US and Canada (eBird, accessed Jan 2024).
Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris)
Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) 2020-3-A/B One, Wappingers Falls, Dutchess, 15, 17 Jan (Melissa Fischer, Kenneth M. McDermott, ph Stephen Fischer). eBird 15-20, 22, 28, 29 Jan, 22 Feb, 5, 6 Mar Melissa and Stephen Fischer discovered this bird at their feeding station. Melissa initially thought it was a Scarlet Tanager but after discussion on the Ralph T. Waterman Bird Club Facebook page, it was determined from Stephen’s photos to be a female-type Summer Tanager. It was seen off and on for about six weeks. Due to a great increase in the number of records of this species, it has been removed from the upstate review list and thus, documentation is no longer requested for it anywhere in New York.
Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) 2020-36-A One, Green-Wood Cemetery, Kings, 17-18 Nov (John Gaglione, ph J. Gaglione). eBird 13, 14, 16-23, 25 Nov 2020-42-A One, Carl Schurz Park, New York, 16 Dec (Jordan Spindel, ph J. Spindel). eBird 16-18, 20, 22-27, 29, 30 Dec 2020, 1-6, 11-14, 16-19, 21, 22, 30, 31 Jan, 2, 3, 8, 12-15, 18, 21, 23, 26 Feb, 2, 6-9, 11, 14, 17-24, 26, 29, 31 Mar, 2, 4, 7, 10, 12, 17, 18 Apr The Western Tanager at the historic Green-Wood Cemetery was an adult male, documented for NYSARC by John Gaglione, and it stayed for eight days. It represents the fourth record accepted by the Committee for Brooklyn, all in a seven-year span. Tom Fiore alerted the birding community to the presence of a Western Tanager at Carl Schurz Park in Manhattan on 15 Dec. The following day, Jordan Spindel and others were able to find this female. It proved to be long- staying, with the last sighting on 18 Apr! Three other Western Tanager records in 2020 were accepted by the Committee, including two in upstate regions, where the species is decidedly rarer. One of the upstate sightings was on 30 Jun, making for an exceptional summer record which, while surprising, is not unprecedented for the state. See the “2020 eBird Records Automatically Accepted by NYSARC” further on in this report.
Blue Grosbeak (Passerina caerulea) 2020-8-A One, Seneca Meadows Landfill, Seneca, 7 May (Alyssa Johnson, ph A. Johnson). eBird 6, 9-14 May The Montezuma Audubon Center in Savannah was alerted to this bird’s presence at the restricted access Seneca Meadows Landfill in Seneca County. Alyssa Johnson, who worked at the Center, was allowed to enter the site and photograph this very rare species for upstate New York. Permission was also granted to several other birders over the course of the bird’s eight-day stay. Johnson and several of the other observers were able to document this adult male bird attacking its reflection in the side-view mirrors of vehicles parked at the site! One other Blue Grosbeak record from 2020 was reviewed and accepted by the Committee. A first-summer male was photographed on 12 May in the Adirondacks, providing an exceptional record for this northerly location. Although the observer was unable to upload his photos to the eBird checklist, the Committee was able to view them. See the “Other 2020 eBird Records Accepted by NYSARC” further on in this report.
Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris) 2020-5-A One, Canarsie Park, Kings, 16 Feb (Peter Paul, ph P. Paul). eBird 16 Feb 2020-11-A One, Marcellus, Onondaga, 14 May (Dennis Anderson, ph D. Anderson). eBird 14-16 May Birding alone at Canarsie Park in Brooklyn, Peter Paul found and photographed a female-type Painted Bunting on 16 Feb. Unlike so many rarities in heavily birded New York City, this bird was not to be seen again. Katie Fenlon also discovered a female-type Painted Bunting, this one at her feeding station in Onondaga County, where she allowed birders to come and see it over a three-day period. Four other records in eBird from 2020 were accepted by the Committee, an outstanding year for this species in New York, as well as several other east coast states and Pennsylvania. See the “2020 eBird Records Automatically Accepted by NYSARC” and the “Other 2020 eBird Records Accepted by NYSARC” further on in this report.
2019 Formal Submissions Accepted Say’s Phoebe (Sayornis saya) 2019-164-A One, Lydonville, Orleans, 28-29 Nov (Alice Stauffer) This report came from Alice Stauffer, who wrote that she and her husband were not “optics and field guide birders”. Despite this, it was difficult for them to ignore the bird first seen on their porch, and then in the workshop the following day. Seizing the opportunity, Levi Stauffer closed the door to his shop and soon was able to capture the bird, in order to help them figure out its identity. Not even knowing where to start, they slowly paged through their Peterson field guide, finally reaching Say’s Phoebe. The likeness seemed very close to them but they were surprised to see that it was so far out of range. Wanting another opinion, Levi hopped on his bicycle and took the bird to show his sister, Kathryn, who was a birder. After Kathryn confirmed their identification, Levi released the bird and they watched it land on a utility wire, where it was bobbing its tail, a characteristic of phoebes that Kathryn immediately noted. Although the bird was not photographed and the description focused somewhat less on the bird itself than the circumstances surrounding it, the report seemed believable to the Committee and the consensus was that there was enough to accept the record. This is the first record for Orleans County.
Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) 2019-166-A One, Northport, Suffolk, 9 Nov (Taylor Sturm, ph T. Sturm, audio T. Sturm). eBird 9 Nov While scoping Long Island Sound at Crab Meadow Beach, Taylor Sturm heard an unfamiliar call some distance away. After putting his spotting scope in the car, he walked toward the sound, guessing that perhaps he was hearing a Northern Mockingbird, which is why he did not bother to bring along his camera. While walking along a sandy trail, he accidentally flushed the bird, which upon seeing, he immediately recognized as a meadowlark. After a moment of reflection, he realized that the call was not one that he had ever heard from an Eastern Meadowlark. Now suspecting that this could be a vagrant Western Meadowlark, Sturm checked vocalizations in the Sibley application on his cell phone and found one to be a very close match. Knowing the significance of the record, he immediately began the process of documenting it, first obtaining recordings of the bird’s call, and then taking cell phone images through his binoculars. After only about a minute from when he flushed the bird, the meadowlark flew off and out of sight, never to be located again. In the report submitted to the Committee, in addition to the recording and photographs he obtained in the field, Sturm included a spectrogram of the call, as well as spectrograms of calls made by both Western and Eastern Meadowlarks. His report also discusses how he arrived at the Western Meadowlark identification and why it was unlikely to be an Eastern. The Committee admires and applauds Sturm and considers his report and his efforts in the field to be models of how one should document a rare bird. This is the first record for Long Island (Lanyon 1998, NYSARC Online Database, eBird Jun 2024).
2017 Formal Submissions Accepted Clark’s Grebe (Aechmophorus clarkii) 2017-9-H One, Oswego, Oswego, 27 Feb (Neal Reilly, ph N. Reilly) This submission provides additional documentation for the first-state-record Clark’s Grebe in Oswego Harbor. See D’Anna, et al., 2021 for a full account of this record.
Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa) 2017-8-B One, Massena, St. Lawrence, 22 Feb (Neal Reilly, ph N. Reilly) This submission provides additional documentation for this record, which involved two birds at nearby Robert Moses State Park on 11 Feb. See D’Anna, et al., 2021 for a full account of this record.
2016 Formal Submissions Accepted Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygnaautumnalis) 2016-60-A Nine, Marine Park, Kings, 28 May (Shaibal S. Mitra, ph S. Mitra). eBird 28 May These nine Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks were found by a photographer, Charlie Spinnato, and the identification was made by Brooke Skelly. Phil Hore got the word out to birders, allowing them to race to the site for a view of the birds, which were not seen after this day. Nine individuals is a new maximum for New York State. Pink-footed Goose (Anser brachyrhynchus) 2016-61-A One, Riverhead, Suffolk, 17 Jan (Shaibal S. Mitra, ph S. Mitra). eBird 17 Jan Although now somewhat regular on Long Island during the winter months, there had not been any reports of Pink-footed Goose in the Riverhead area for two months, when Shai Mitra and Patricia Lindsay came upon this bird. Mitra considered whether this was the same bird from two months earlier (see the 2015 Pink-footed Goose entry, below) but he did not feel that his photos were sufficient to distinguish between individuals. There were no more reports in the area for the remainder of the winter and spring.
2002 Formal Submission Accepted Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygnaautumnalis) 2002-97-A One, Water Mill, Suffolk, 18 May (Shaibal S. Mitra). eBird 9, 18 May
2020 Formal Submissions Not Accepted Long-tailed Jaeger (Stercorarius longicaudus) 2020-28-A One, Hamlin Beach State Park, Monroe, 16 Oct Lake-watchers at Hamlin Beach saw two jaegers flying west together, providing good size comparisons. They assumed that the larger bird was a Parasitic Jaeger and the smaller a Long-tailed. The viewing angle made observations of plumage marks difficult, so the identification was mainly based upon apparent size. Although not unprecedented in the state, Committee members were concerned that this was a relatively late date for a Long-tailed Jaeger, as well as with the difficult viewing conditions and the lack of consideration for these being Pomarine and Parasitic Jaegers. After discussion, the Committee voted that the record could not be supported.
Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) 2020-14-A One, Charles Memorial Park, Queens, 28 Jun 2020-21-A One, Lakeshore Marshes WMA, Wayne, 28 May Despite considerable discussion in the report for the bird in Queens, Committee members were concerned by some conflicting details. Although there was some initial support for this record, after discussion it was not accepted. The bird in Wayne County was identified mainly based upon the size and shape, as the bird flew overhead in backlit conditions, which proved insufficient for the Committee to accept the record. Reports of Mississippi Kite are difficult for the Committee to accept, as they are aware of the many challenges that raptors in flight can present.
American Three-toed Woodpecker (Picoides dorsalis) 2020-45-A One, Oneida Castle, Oneida, 28 Dec This species has become exceptionally rare in New York, including in what is considered the most likely place for it to occur—boreal regions of the Adirondacks. Sightings outside of there would need especially strong documentation, such as photos, which were not provided by the observer. Some reviewers believed the bird was much more likely to be a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.
Crested Caracara (Caracara cheriway) 2020-7-A One, Clinton Corners, Dutchess, 7 Apr This was a brief observation of a bird seen only in flight. Important field marks for this species, such as white in the wings and tail, were not noted and some reviewers believed this was more likely to be a Bald Eagle or even a leucistic raven with a white head and neck.
Hoary Redpoll (Acanthis hornemanni) 2020-43-A One, Prospect Park, Kings, 19 Dec 2020-46-A One, Jones Beach State Park, Nassau, 30 Dec The bird at Prospect Park was photographed and while it was relatively pale on the underside, shots of the upperside were not available. The rosy wash on the breast indicated a male and there was a single thick streak on the undertail coverts. Due to considerable variation in Common Redpoll, which can show all of these features, and despite some initial support for the identification, the record was not accepted. The Jones Beach redpoll was also photographed. It was appropriately pale on the underside and appeared as though it might have a pushed-in bill that the species is known for. However, the upperparts were darker than expected and some photos suggested multiple streaks on the undertail coverts, a feature that is at odds with a Hoary Redpoll. The record was not passed after two rounds of review.
Blue Grosbeak (Passerina caerulea) 2020-10-A One, Stillwater, Saratoga, 5 Jun Although photos were included with this report of a male Blue Grosbeak, they are from a distance and somewhat soft. Perhaps as a result, rufous wingbars cannot be seen in them and some reviewers felt that this was more likely to be an Indigo Bunting. However, the report did receive some support from reviewers who noted that the bird seemed to have a stocky bill and body, but this was not enough for the record to be accepted by the Committee.
2019 Formal Submission Not Accepted “Snyder’s” Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus scalariventris) 2019-165-A One, New Hampton, Orange, 1 Dec 2019 to 29 Jan 2021 B. v. scalariventris is not recognized as a valid subspecies by eBird, Birds of the World (Artuso, et al. 2022), or the Clements Checklist (Clements, et al. 2023). However, some Canadian authorities recognize it as distinct from both the nominate subspecies, which is the expected form in New York and much of Ontario, Canada, as well as the far northern and western subspecies, subarcticus (Pittaway 2014, James 1991). Snyder (1961) first described this subspecies. Pittaway (2014) indicates that it breeds in northern Ontario from the Manitoba border eastward to the Quebec border, south to approximately Thunder Bay, Sault St. Marie, and North Bay, where it intergrades with nominate virginianus. In winter it wanders to southern Ontario. Classic individuals of scalariventris are distinguished from virginianus by their distinctive gray coloration and general lack of rufous tones in the plumage. It is distinguished from the whiter subarcticus by its darker coloration and broader more regular and darker bars ventrally (Pittaway 2014, Snyder 1961). Being geographically quite close to New York, it would not seem that surprising for this form to arrive in the state. The interesting owl in this report from Orange County was reported over a 14-month period, from 1 Dec 2019 to 29 Jan 2021. It appeared paler and grayer than virginianus but showed a browner face than typical scalariventris in some photos. Although one photo showed the face as quite gray with minimal rufous, the Committee felt that the photo was overexposed and may not show the true color. Photos were sent to the late Ontario expert, Ron Pittaway, who felt that a subspecies determination could not be made from the available photos. As a result, the Committee decided that the record could not be supported.
1985 Formal Submission Not Accepted Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus) 1985-49-A One, Greenville, Greene, 11 Jan This old record involved a towhee that came to a feeding station between Dec 1984 and Feb 1985. Being considered a subspecies of Rufous-sided Towhee at the time, the latter now known as Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus), this bird attracted little interest among birders. The few who did go to see it noted white spotting on the back, a feature of P. maculatus, but they did not note the pattern of white in the wings and specifically, whether or not it showed white at the base of the primaries. Unfortunately, without knowing this critical detail, it is impossible to rule out a hybrid. Eastern x Spotted Towhee hybrids have occurred multiple times in the Eastern US with eBird (Jun 2024) showing records in New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Ontario.
1985 Formal Submission Re-review 1983-35-A Common Eider (Somateria mollissima), One, Montezuma NWR, Seneca, 28 Apr 1983 This old record, which was accepted by NYSARC many years ago, involved a single-observer report of an adult male Common Eider, viewed only in flight at Montezuma NWR. The request to reopen this record was based in part on the argument that we know so much more about vagrancy of this large sea duck. Although common on the Atlantic Ocean, records from the interior of the United States are very rare, with occurrences almost always restricted to deep water lakes, reservoirs, and rivers, especially the Great Lakes. The relatively shallow waters available at the Montezuma NWR are certainly not the typical habitat of this species. The request to reopen this record received the three votes necessary, which triggered the re-review. Some Committee members did not agree with the rationale used to reopen the record, believing that the Committee members who accepted the record did, indeed, understand how exceptional this record was for this location and that their original review comments reflected this. Since the record was originally accepted, it would require four Committee members voting to not accept for it to be overturned. The description in the report of the plumage and bare parts was extremely detailed and some Committee members were skeptical that such detail could be observed on a bird viewed only in flight. Others argued that without photos or multiple observers, the Committee would likely not accept such a record today. However, at the time of the original review of this record, the Committee relied heavily upon the veracity of observers, as photographic evidence rarely accompanied reports of this era. As such, the Committee accepted many records in the past that might require photos today. Recognizing this and also understanding that the original Committee members might have had a better knowledge of the observer than the current members, there were not enough votes to overturn the original decision.
Formal Submission Contributors: Deborah Allen, Dennis Anderson, Susan Beaudoin, Gail Benson, Andrew Block, Adrian Burke, Sean Camillieri, Gregg D. Dashnau, Melissa Fischer, Stephan Fischer, George Wm. Fisher, Laurie Freeman, John Gaglione, Arie Gilbert, Susan Glover, Richard Guthrie, John H. Haas, Kathy Habgood, Michael Higgiston, Mark Hollenbeck, Richard Jensen, Alyssa Johnson, Kristen Johnson, Susan Joseph, Patricia J. Lindsay, Virginia Martin, Kenneth M. McDermott, Kevin McGann, Jim Miles, Alison Mirth, Karlo Mirth, Shaibal S. Mitra, Karen O’Hearn. Nathan O’Reilly, Peter Paul, Carena Pooth, Neal Reilly, Stacy Robinson, Christine Rydelek, Eileen Schwinn, Linda Scrima, Ryan Serio, Dominic Sherony, Patrick Shure, Sharon Skelly, Marc Sole, Jerri Lynn Sparks, Jordan Spindel, Alice Stauffer, Scott Stoner, Taylor Sturm, Adam Troyer, Alayna Vreeland, Mike Wasilco, Thomas Williams, Glenn Wolford, Mike Yuan, Robert P. Yunick, Mike Zito, Ryan Zucker.
2020 eBird Records The Committee began to review accepted eBird records for the first time in 2020. The 2019 eBird records were reviewed concurrently with the 2019 formal submissions in 2020 and published together in the 2019 annual report (see D’Anna, et al., 2023), marking the first time that the Committee has published eBird records that we reviewed and accepted. Due to the much greater number of reviews that are necessary with the addition of eBird records, we have developed some time-saving procedures. The “auto-accept list” is a list of species reported to eBird which we will automatically accept, if the record includes an unambiguous photo, usually determined by the secretary, Gary Chapin. The species on this list are usually ones that are straightforward to identify in a photo and are not extreme vagrants. Records accepted in this manner are listed in this report under “2020 eBird Records Automatically Accepted by NYSARC”. For the remaining eBird records, we have developed a procedure whereby each member only reviews three-sevenths of the records. Every eBird record is reviewed by three Committee members. If all three members vote to accept, the record is thereby accepted. Although this may seem like a lower standard than we use for reviewing formal submissions, it should be remembered that the record has already been reviewed and accepted by an eBird reviewer. In addition, if just one member or more votes not to accept, the record is then adjudicated by the entire Committee, using the same voting procedures as for formal submissions. And finally, any decisions on eBird records can be challenged and reviewed by the entire Committee at any time, should a member request it. Records accepted in this manner are listed in this report under “Other 2020 eBird Records Accepted by NYSARC”. This is the second annual report that includes decisions on eBird records. Only eBird records which we decided to accept are included. For eBird records for which we also reviewed a formal submission, the record is only listed with the formal submissions. Unlike with a formal submission, where an observer voluntarily submits a report to NYSARC, observers of an eBird record have not requested that NYSARC review their report. Therefore, to avoid possible embarrassment, eBird records which we did not accept are not shown. Also, to save time and space, the observers’ names for the accepted eBird records have been left out. As with formal submissions, eBird records are given a unique NYSARC number. The number refers to all the accepted eBird reports at all of the locations and dates where and when that individual bird or birds occurred. An “e” at the end of the number distinguishes eBird records from formal submission records. Unlike formal submission reports, which may have eBird reports that also support the same record, there are no formal submissions supporting these eBird records. The Committee would like to know about any errors and omissions found by the reader. This will enable us to keep a more accurate and complete database. Sightings can be added to eBird or removed from eBird at any time after the sighting, even years afterward. The records listed here were captured at one moment in time and may differ from the current eBird record shown online. There could be discrepancies between the dates of accepted records listed and those that currently appear in eBird. If a record does not appear here but shows in eBird, it could be because it was accepted by an eBird reviewer but not accepted by NYSARC. It is also possible that the record was added to eBird after records from that year were reviewed by the Committee. Also, if you notice a record listed here that does not show in eBird, it could be because the checklist was deleted by the observer or hidden from public view. For any of these, we would greatly appreciate hearing about them—please email the NYSARC secretary, Gary Chapin, at: nysarc44@nybirds.org.
2020 eBird Records Automatically Accepted by NYSARC Note: These are eBird records that were accepted on the basis of an unambiguous photograph.
2020-52e Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Four, Montezuma NWR, Seneca, 9, 11 Sep 2020-53e Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Three, Hanley Biological Field Preserve, Canoga, Seneca, 28, 31 Oct. Due to proximity in location to the record of 2020-52e, these could involve the same birds but with a six-week gap in sightings, the Committee decided to review this as a separate record. 2020-54e Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, One, Dryden, Tompkins, 6-11, 13-17, 19-29 Sep, 1 Oct 2020-55e Pink-footed Goose, One, Woodman Pond, Madison, 15, 16 Dec 2020-56e Pink-footed Goose, One, Old Fly Marsh Nature Preserve, Onondaga, 15-17, 20, 21 Nov 2020-58e Barnacle Goose, One, Three Rivers WMA, Onondaga, 10 Jun 2020-59e Barnacle Goose, One, Camel Farm, Black Dirt Region, Orange, 24- 30 Nov, 2-4, 6 Dec 2020, 2 Jan 2021 2020-63e Tufted Duck, One, Little Sodus Bay, Cayuga, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 22, 23, 25 Feb, 2, 4 Mar 2020-64e Tufted Duck, One, Conesus Lake, Livingston, 4, 19, 20 Mar 2020-65e Tufted Duck, One, Cayuga Lake, Tompkins, 11, 17-22, 29 Jan 2020-66e Tufted Duck, One, Port Henry overlook, Essex, 5 Jan 2020-67e Tufted Duck, One, Port Kent, Essex, 25, 26, 29 Feb, 1, 3, 5, 7 Mar 2020-68e Tufted Duck, One, Crown Point State Historic Site, Essex, 14 Apr 2020-74e Eurasian Collared-Dove, One, Rome, Oneida, 31 Aug, 1, 2, 5, 6 Sep 2020-75e White-winged Dove, One, Portland, Chautauqua, 4-15 Dec 2020-83e Purple Gallinule, One, Franklinville, Cattaraugus, 23 Oct 2020-84e Purple Gallinule, One, Twin Lakes Preserve, Nassau, 24-29 Jun 2020-87e Piping Plover, One-five, Sandy Pond Outlet, Oswego, 23 Apr, 2, 6, 11, 13, 16, 18, 22, 25, 28-30 May, 1, 3, 5-7, 12, 13, 15-17, 19-21, 25, 26 Jun, 6, 11, 18, 20, 22, 25, 27, 29, 30 Jul 2020-101e Thick-billed Murre, One, Pelham Bay Park, Bronx, 26 Jan 2020-102e Thick-billed Murre, One, Jones Beach State Park, Nassau, 1 Feb 2020-105e Thick-billed Murre, One, Montauk Point, Suffolk, 2, 9, 16, 17, 19, 21, 22, 24, 29 Feb, 1-3 Mar 2020-140e White-faced Storm-Petrel, One, Pelagic (39.54, -72.453), Suffolk, 9 Aug 2020-147e Brown Pelican, One, Dunkirk Harbor, Chautauqua, 27, 29 Aug 2020-149e Brown Pelican, One, Thousand Islands, Hammond, St. Lawrence, 31 Aug, 1, 2 Sep 2020-150e White-faced Ibis, One, Iroquois NWR, Genesee, 3 May 2020-151e White-faced Ibis, One, Braddock Bay-Salmon Creek, Monroe, 7 Oct 2020-154e Mississippi Kite, One, Clymer, Chautauqua, 22 Jun. This is the first record for Chautauqua County. 2020-170e Say’s Phoebe, One, Crown Point State Historic Site, Essex, 24, 25, 29, 30 Apr, 2, 6, 8 May 2020-171e Say’s Phoebe, One, Crown Point State Historic Site, Essex, 15 Nov, 26-28, 30, 31 Dec 2020, 1, 2, 4 Jan 2021. Very rare in the state, spring and fall/winter records of Say’s Phoebe at the same site suggest the possibility of a returning migrant. A Say’s Phoebe was first found in Vermont on 15 Mar 2020, directly across Lake Champlain from this site, presumably the same bird seen here over a month later. And again, along with the fall and winter sightings at Crown Point, a Say’s Phoebe was seen on the Vermont side of the lake on 1, 3 Jan 2021. 2020-180e Western Kingbird, One, Braddock Bay-East Spit, Monroe, 26 May 2020-182e Cave Swallow, One, Braddock Bay-East Spit, Monroe, 12 Apr. This is an exceptionally rare spring record of this species. 2020-184e Cave Swallow, One, Krull County Park, Niagara, 8 Nov 2020-185e Cave Swallow, One, Almond Lake, Steuben, 1 Nov 2020-186e Cave Swallow, One, Jones Beach State Park, Nassau, 19 Nov 2020-187e Cave Swallow, One, Breezy Point and Fort Tilden, Queens, 17, 18 Nov 2020-189e Townsend’s Solitaire, One, Robert G, Wehle State Park, Jefferson, 12 Mar 2020-190e Townsend’s Solitaire, One, Three Mile Harbor, East Hampton, Suffolk, 9, 10, 12, 15-19, 21, 22 Feb, 1, 14, 21, 24 Mar 2020-200e Lark Sparrow, One, West Barrier Bar County Park, Cayuga, 22 May 2020-201e Lark Sparrow, One, Pulaski, Oswego, 7-13, 15-21, 24-28, 31 Jan, 1-12, 14, 15, 18-23, 25, 26, 28, 29 Feb, 1, 2, 5-9, 14-18, 21-23, 25-30 Mar, 1-12 Apr 2020-208e Harris’s Sparrow, One, Lockport, Niagara, 10 May 2020-213e Black-throated Gray Warbler, One, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Queens, 4 Sep 2020-214e Western Tanager, One, Point Gratiot, Chautauqua, 3 May 2020-215e Western Tanager, One, Henderson, Jefferson, 30 Jun 2020-216e Western Tanager, One, Clement Clarke Moore Park, New York, 6- 8, 10-14, 16, 17, 28 Dec, 8 Jan, 24 Feb 2020-218e Painted Bunting, One, Plumb Beach, Kings, 19 Mar 2020-219e Painted Bunting, One, Salt Marsh Nature Center at Marine Park, Kings, 7 Apr
2019 eBird Record Automatically Accepted by NYSARC 2019-165e White-faced Ibis, One-two, Heckscher SP, Suffolk, 30 Apr, 1, 2, 13-20 May
Other 2020 eBird Records Accepted by NYSARC Note: These are records, other than automatically accepted records, that were accepted after being reviewed according to the procedures outlined above under “2020 eBird Records”.
2020-57e “Black” Brant, One, Floyd Bennett Field, Kings, 30 Jan 2020-69e Tufted Duck, One, Crown Point State Historic Site, Essex, 24 Dec 2020-70e Common Eider (Northern), One, Robert Moses State Park, Suffolk, 16 Dec, and Jones Beach State Park, Nassau, 30 Dec. This record pertains to the borealis subspecies, for which there are very few records in the state. 2020-71e Western Grebe, One, Fort Niagara State Park, Niagara, 6-8 Mar. This bird spent the great majority of its time on the Canadian side of the Niagara River, near the river mouth at Lake Ontario. All of the eBird reports from Fort Niagara were of the bird on the Canadian side. However, it was sometimes seen by observers on the Canadian side close to the Fort Niagara breakwall, which would put it in New York waters. 2020-72e Western Grebe, One, Seneca Lake State Park and Geneva, Seneca, 23, 24 May 2020-73e Western Grebe, One, Point Lookout, Nassau, 1 Jan 2020-77e Chuck-wills-widow, One, Mountain View Drive, Coxsackie, Greene, 4, 5 Jun 2020-78e Rufous Hummingbird, One, Clarence, Erie, 17-28, 30, 31 Oct, 1 Nov 2020-79e Rufous Hummingbird, One, Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park, Suffolk, 31 Oct, 1, 3-8, 10, 11, 13-15, 17, 20, 22, 24, 25 Nov. Opinions provided by hummingbird experts, Fred Bassett and Sheri Williamson, led the Committee to accept this record. 2020-80e Rufous/Allen’s Hummingbird, One, Georgica Cove Hollow, Suffolk, 3, 23, 24 Dec 2020, 19, 24, 27, 28 Jan 2021. Reviewed checklists submitted this as Rufous Hummingbird. However, opinions provided by hummingbird experts, Fred Bassett and Sheri Williamson, led the Committee to accept this record in the revised form listed here. 2020-225e Rufous Hummingbird, One, Glenwood, Erie, 24, 27 Oct, 4 Nov 2020-81e King Rail, One, Conesus Inlet WMA, Livingston, 12 Jun 2020-86e Piping Plover, One, Braddock Bay-East Spit, Monroe, 18 May 2020-88e Western Sandpiper, One, Allegheny Reservoir at Bone Run Road, Cattaraugus, 16 Sep 2020-89e Western Sandpiper, One, West Barrier Bar County Park, Cayuga, 3 Sep 2020-90e Western Sandpiper, One, West Barrier Bar County Park and Fair Haven Beach State Park, Cayuga, 13 Sep 2020-91e Western Sandpiper, One, Sandy Pond Outlet, Oswego, 16, 17, 19 Sep. 2020-92e Western Sandpiper, One, Nickerson Beach, Nassau, 15, 20, 30 Mar 2020-93e South Polar Skua, One, Robert Moses State Park, Suffolk, 10 Jul 2020-94e Long-tailed Jaeger, One, Buffalo State Great Lakes Field Station, Erie, 30 Sep 2020-95e Long-tailed Jaeger, One, Buffalo State Great Lakes Field Station, Erie, 7 Oct 2020-96e Long-tailed Jaeger, One, Hamlin Beach State Park, Monroe, 4 Sep 2020-97e Long-tailed Jaeger, One, Derby Hill Hawk Watch, Oswego, 25 Aug 2020-98e Long-tailed Jaeger, One, Derby Hill Hawk Watch, Oswego, 7 Oct 2020-99e Long-tailed Jaeger, One, Lansing and Ithaca, Tompkins, 8 Sep 2020-100e Long-tailed Jaeger, One, Robert Moses State Park, Suffolk, 23 Oct 2020-103e Thick-billed Murre, One, Port Jefferson Marina, Suffolk, 25 Jan 2020-106e Thick-billed Murre, One, Robert Moses State Park, Suffolk, 25 Nov 2020-108e Atlantic Puffin, One, Pelagic (39.8160,-72.7687), Suffolk, 11 Jan 2020-109e Atlantic Puffin, One, Pelagic (39.9377,-73.1431), Suffolk, 9 Feb 2020-110e Atlantic Puffin, One, Pelagic-Top of the Claw, Suffolk, 27 May 2020-111e Short-billed Gull, One, Bush Terminal Piers Park, Kings, 16 Dec 2020-112e Iceland Gull (Thayer’s), One, Hamlin, Monroe, 18 Apr 2020-130e Iceland Gull (Thayer’s), One, Canandaigua Lake, Ontario, 3 Feb 2020-131e Iceland Gull (Thayer’s), One, Point Breeze, Orleans, 9 Feb 2020-133e Slaty-backed Gull, One, Goat Island, Niagara Falls, Niagara, 22, 25, 26, 28-31 Dec 2020, 2, 7, 10, 14, 17-19 Jan 2021 2020-134e Sooty Tern, One, Hudson River, Columbia, 4, 5 Aug 2020-135e Sooty Tern, One, Dockside Park, Putnam, 5 Aug 2020-136e Sooty Tern, One, Caesar’s Bay Bazaar, Kings, 4 Aug 2020-223e Sooty Tern, One, Coney Island Creek Park, Kings, 4 Aug 2020-224e Sooty Tern, One, John Paul Jones Park, Kings, 4 Aug 2020-137e Sooty Tern, One, USMMA-Kings Point, Nassau, 4 Aug 2020-138e Sooty Tern, One, Oak Beach, Suffolk, 4 Aug 2020-141e Brown Booby, One, Jacob Riis Park, Queens, 10 Jul 2020-142e Brown Booby, One, Gilgo Beach, Suffolk, 1 May 2020-143e Brown Booby, One, Robert Moses State Park, Suffolk, 28 May 2020-144e Brown Booby, One, Robert Moses State Park, Suffolk, 4 Jul 2020-145e Brown Booby, One, Moriches Bay and Inlet, Suffolk, 9 Aug 2020-146e Brown Booby, One, Indian Lake, Hamilton, 14-16, 19-22 Aug 2020-148e Brown Pelican, One, Golden Hill State Park, Niagara, 21 May 2020-155e Mississippi Kite, One, Beaver Island State Park, Erie, 12 Sep 2020-156e Mississippi Kite, One, over Brooklyn (40.63446, -74.03637), Kings, 6 Jun 2020-159e Swainson’s Hawk, One, Hamburg Hawk Watch, Erie, 15 Apr 2020-160e Swainson’s Hawk, One, Crittenden, Erie, 25 May 2020-161e Swainson’s Hawk, One, Derby Hill Hawk Watch, Oswego, 1 May 2020-162e Swainson’s Hawk, One, Governors Island, New York, 26 Sep 2020-163e Swainson’s Hawk, One, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Queens, 19 Sep 2020-165e Gyrfalcon, One, Seneca Falls to Romulus, Seneca, 2-5, 10, 12, 15, 17, 19-23 Jan, 1, 9, 19 Feb 2020-166e Gyrfalcon, One, North Hoster Road, Fayette, Seneca, 25, 27-29 Nov, 3, 5, 17-20, 24, 26, 27, 29, 31 Dec 2020-167e Gyrfalcon, One, Cornell Botanic Gardens, Tompkins, 29 Nov 2020-168e Gyrfalcon, One, Shawangunk Grasslands NWR, Ulster, 22 Jan 2020-172e Ash-throated Flycatcher, One, Green-Wood Cemetery, Kings, 14, 17-22, 24, 25, 27-29 Nov, 1, 2, 6, 13 Dec 2020-174e Ash-throated Flycatcher, One, Lido Beach Passive Nature Area, Nassau, 15 Nov 2020-175e Ash-throated Flycatcher, One, Jones Beach State Park, Nassau, 13 Dec 2020-177e Ash-throated Flycatcher, One, Bayswater Park, Queens, 2, 3 Dec 2020-178e Ash-throated Flycatcher, One, Conference House Park, Richmond, 29, 30 Nov, 4 Dec 2020-179e Ash-throated Flycatcher, One, Nissequogue River State Park, Suffolk, 4-7, 9 Dec 2020-181e Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, One, Conference House Park, Richmond, 23 Aug 2020-183e Cave Swallow, Two, Hamlin Beach State Park, Monroe, 6 Nov 2020-188e Cave Swallow, One, Robert Moses State Park, Suffolk, 14 Apr. Along with 2020-182e, listed with the auto-accept records, this is an exceptionally rare spring record of this species. 2020-192e Bicknell’s Thrush, One, Normanskill Farm, Albany, 18 May 2020-195e Bicknell’s Thrush, One, Prospect Park, Kings, 16 May 2020-198e Common Redpoll (rostrata/islandica), One-eight, Christian Road, Essex, 30 Dec 2020, 2, 3, 25, 26 Jan, 13 Feb 2021 2020-199e Common Redpoll (rostrata/islandica), Two, Angier Hill Rd, Essex, 30 Dec 2020-202e Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon), One, Union Springs, Cayuga, 18, 19, 30 Jan 2020-205e White-crowned Sparrow (Gambel’s), Two, Flint (Casella) Landfill, Ontario, 11 Oct 2020-206e White-crowned Sparrow (Gambel’s), One, King Road, Seneca Falls, Seneca, 16, 18, 22, 23 Feb 2020-207e Golden-crowned Sparrow, One, Soncody Road, North Winfield, Herkimer, 6, 10 Mar 2020-209e LeConte’s Sparrow, One, Conference House Park, Richmond, 25- 27 Oct 2020-210e LeConte’s Sparrow, One, Wolfe’s Pond Park, Richmond, 19, 23, 28- 31 Dec 2020, 2 Jan 2021 2020-211e LeConte’s Sparrow, One, Croton Point Park, Westchester, 20-22 Dec 2020-212e Bullock’s Oriole, One, Sutton Road, Lyons, Wayne, 8, 9 Apr 2020-217e Blue Grosbeak, One, Inlet, Hamilton, 12 May 2020-220e Painted Bunting, One, Cemetery of the Resurrection, Richmond, 16 Feb 2020-222e Painted Bunting, One, Culloden Point, Suffolk, 18, 19 Dec
2020 eBird Record Accepted But Origins Unnatural 2020-196e European Greenfinch, One, Floyd Bennett Field, Kings, 27 Dec.
Submitted on behalf of the New York State Avian Records Committee: Willie D’Anna (Chair), Gary Chapin (Secretary), Shawn Billerman, Thomas W. Burke, Doug Gochfeld, Jay McGowan, Patricia J. Lindsay, Derek H. Rogers
LITERATURE CITED Artuso, C., C. S. Houston, D. G. Smith, and C. Rohner (2022). Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus), version 1.1. In Birds of the World. N. D. Sly, ed. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.grhowl.01.1 Askildsen, J. P. 1998. South Polar Skua. In Bull’s Birds of New York State. E. Levine, ed. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY. p. 272-273. Bull, J. 1974. Birds of New York State. Doubleday, Garden City, NY, 655 pp. Clements, J. F., P. C. Rasmussen, T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, A. Spencer, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2023. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2023. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/ D’Anna, W., G. Chapin, S. Billerman, T. W. Burke, D. Gochfeld, P. Lindsay, J. McGowan, J. Pawlicki, D. Rogers. 2021. Report of the New York State Avian Records Committee for 2017. The Kingbird. Vol. 71(2): 102-120. D’Anna, W., G. Chapin, S. Billerman, T.W. Burke, D. Gochfeld, P. Lindsay, J. McGowan, D. Rogers. 2023. Report of the New York State Avian Records Committee for 2019. The Kingbird. Vol. 73(3): 166-180. Dodge, J. 1998. Swallow-tailed Kite. In Bull’s Birds of New York State. E. Levine, ed. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY. p. 180-181. eBird. An online database of bird sightings created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, and launched in 2002. https://ebird.org/home Gochfeld, D. 2023. What’s it gonna be? Predicting the next new additions to the avifauna of New York – v. 6.0. The Kingbird 73(2):95-96). James, R.D. 1991. Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Ontario. Second Edition. Life Sciences Miscellaneous Publications, Royal Ontario Museum, Ontario. Lanyon, W. E. 1998. Western Meadowlark. In Bull’s Birds of New York State. E. Levine, ed. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY. p. 547-548. Levine, E. 1998. Bar-tailed Godwit. In Bull’s Birds of New York State. E. Levine, ed. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY. p. 247. Lowther, P. E., D. A. McCallum, P. Pyle, and W. A. Hopping (2023). Western Flycatcher (Empidonax difficilis), version 1.0. In Birds of the World. B. K. Keeney and S. M. Billerman, eds. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.wesfly.01 NYSARC Online Database. An online database of rare bird sightings in New York State. https://nybirds.org/NYSARC/RecordsSummary.htm Accessed Jun 2024 Pittaway, R. 2014. Subspecies of Great Horned Owl in Ontario. http://www.jeaniron.ca/Owls/2014/ghorned.htm Skelly, S. 1998. Gull-billed Tern. In Bull’s Birds of New York State. Cornell University Press. Ithaca, NY. p. 294. Snyder, L.L. 1961. On an unnamed population of the Great Horned Owl. Life Sciences Division, Royal Ontario Museum, Contribution No. 54:1-7. Troyer, A. 2022. Patch Birding: Birdsong Meadows Farm. In The Kingbird Vol. 72(3):224-227. |
