ABA Mega Rarities!

Upon seeing the Terek Sandpiper earlier this week in Rhode Island, I realized I had no list of the Mega Rarities I have seen in the United States/ABA area. I have been birding 28 years and had the opportunity to see some of the rarest birds to have occurred in this area. I thought it might be of interest to some of you to hear of some of the birds and when I have seen them. All of the birds in the list below can be found in Steven N. G. Howell’s “Rare Birds of North America”. The European Storm-petrel I had the privilege of seeing with Steve on a great pelagic out of Cape Hatteras. Early in my birding years I didn’t have a camera, so many of the birds have no photos. I’ve included photos of birds that I was able to photograph once I started taking photos. Birds with an asterisk after their name I have seen more than once, and the photo may be of the second sighting. I hope you enjoy this page.

  1. Bananaquit – Hugh Taylor Birch Park Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 11/8/99
  2. Kelp Gull – Sandgates, Maryland 12/10/00
  3. Long-billed Murrelet – Stewart Park Ithaca, New York 12/19/01
  4. Blue Mockingbird – Frontera Audubon Sanctuary Weslaco, Texas 3/5/03
  5. Golden-crowned Warbler – Edinberg, Texas 3/6/03
  6. Red-footed Falcon – Martha’s Vineyard Massachusetts’s 8/21/04
  7. Crimson-collared Grosbeak* – Frontera Audubon Weslaco, Texas 2/14/05DSCN2551CCGB2
  8. White-throated Thrush – Frontera Audubon Weslaco, Texas 2/16/05
  9. Streak-backed Oriole – Brazos Bend, Texas 2/24/05
  10. Pink-footed Goose *- Enfield, Connecticut 2/7/05IMG_2862
  11. Black-tailed Gull -Lake Champlain, Vermont 10/23/05
  12. Gray-crowned Yellowthroat – Sabal Palm, Texas 2/17/06
  13. Fork-tailed Flycatcher* – Mooresville, Pennsylvania 6/5/06 
  14. Masked Duck – Viera Wetlands, Florida 11/10/06
  15. Flame-colored Tanager – Madera Canyon, Arizona 6/29/07
  16. Berylline Hummingbird – Ramsey Canyon, Arizona 7/1/07
  17. Western Reef Heron* – New Castle, New Hampshire 8/19/07
  18. Little Egret* – Bombay Hook, Delaware 6/11/08dscn2610LittleEgrettwo
  19. Gray-hooded Gull – Coney Island, New York 8/3/11DSCN3996GHGU4
  20. European Storm-petrel – Cape Hatteras Pelagic,  North Carolina 5/31/12
  21. Northern Lapwing *- Montauk Long Island, New York 11/14/12DSCN1343lapwings9
  22. Fieldfare – Carlisle, Massachusetts 3/21/13
  23. Garganey* – Ethan Allen Homestead, Vermont 5/1/14dscn6771Gargany4
  24. Whiskered Tern – Cape May, New Jersey 9/15/14dscn9175whiskeredtern12
  25. Redwing – Hollis High School, New Hampshire 3/15/16dscn6542RW223
  26. Cuban Vireo – Key West, Florida 4/21/16dscn7143CV2
  27. White-winged Tern – Nessmuk Lake, Pennsylvania 8/12/17IMG_7289 (2)
  28. Corn Crake – Gilgo Beach, Long Island, New York 11/8/17IMG_9838
  29. Antillean Palm-swift – Sombrero Key, Florida 11/12/19IMG_3945 (2)
  30. Terek Sandpiper – Napatree Point, Rhode Island 6/30/20IMG_2704
  31. Little Stint – Ninigrit NWR, Rhode Island 7/8/20IMG_2885.JPG

32. Wood Sandpiper – DeKorte Sanctuary, New Jersey 9/21/00 (bird on right, facing left).

Wood Sandpiper on right.
Common Cuckoo

33. Common Cuckoo – Snake Den Farm Rhode Island 11/5/2020

34. Tundra Bean-Goose – Media, Pennsylvania 12/19/20

35. Gray-breasted Martin – Prospect Park, Brooklyn, New York 4/3/21

Gray-breasted Martin

36. Common Ringed Plover – Fire Island Old Inlet, Suffolk County, New York 8/28/23

37. Red-flanked Bluetail – Manchester Township Ocean County, New Jersey 12/9/23 This bird was my 760th ABA bird!

Fork-tailed Flycatcher – this bird was actually the third I have seen.