27th Annual Report

TWENTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE MASSACHUSETTS AVIAN RECORDS COMMITTEE

by by Marshall J. Iliff, Sebastian Jones, and Jeremiah Trimble

originally published in Bird Observer

For its 27th report, the Massachusetts Avian Records Committee (MARC) evaluated 125 records involving 43 species. The committee accepted 124 and did not accept one. This report covers records from 1995 through early 2024. Two species are added to the state list based on new records: American Flamingo and Western Wood-Pewee. Taxonomic changes result in the addition of Scopoli’s Shearwater and the loss of Hoary Redpoll; see below for more information on these and other changes to taxonomy and nomenclature affecting the state list. After these changes, the state list totals 519 species.

Additional highlights include the state’s third accepted—and first photographed—Anhinga, the third accepted Garganey record, the fourth and fifth Cassin’s Kingbird, the eighth and ninth Hammond’s Flycatcher, and a notable influx of Western Tanagers and Ash-throated Flycatchers during the fall of 2023. Additional context is provided for these and other selected species below.

Species taxonomy, nomenclature, and sequence follow the eBird/Clements Checklist (v2024), which closely follows the seventh edition of the American Ornithological Society (AOS, formerly American Ornithologists’ Union) Check-list of North American Birds (AOU 1998) and its supplements, up to and including the one published this year (Chesser et al. 2024). Taxonomic revisions in 2024 included (* = not yet adopted by AOS):

There is one lump this year:

• Common Redpoll (Acanthis flammea) and Hoary Redpoll (Acanthis hornemanni) are lumped as Redpoll (Acanthis flammea).

Four splits affect the state list this year:

• Cory’s Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea) is split into Cory’s Shearwater (Calonectris borealis) and Scopoli’s Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea).
• American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus)* replaces Herring Gull (Larus argentatus), due to a four-way split implemented by eBird/Clements. European Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) and Vega Gull (Larus vegae) are known from other East Coast states and should be watched for (the MARC is currently reviewing a Cape Cod report of Vega Gull). This split has yet to be adopted by AOS, but is expected in 2025.
• American Barn Owl (Tyto furcata) replaces Barn Owl (Tyto alba).
• Northern House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) replaces House Wren (T. aedon).

Scientific name changes:

• Least Bittern: Ixobrychus exilis changes to Botaurus exilis.
• Cooper’s Hawk: Accipiter cooperii changes to Astur cooperii*.
• American Goshawk: Accipiter atricapillus changes to Astur atricapillus*.
• Eurasian Jackdaw: Corvus monedula changes to Coloeus monedula*.

English name changes:

• Audubon’s Shearwater changes to Sargasso Shearwater.
• Black-crowned Night-Heron changes to Black-crowned Night Heron.
• Yellow-crowned Night-Heron changes to Yellow-crowned Night Heron.
• Western Cattle Egret changes to Western Cattle-Egret.

The statistics in brackets for each species or taxon show the number of records accepted in this report, followed by the total number of accepted records; note that some species have a large number of reports that the MARC has yet to review (e.g., Scissor-tailed Flycatcher). Below, we present data for all records covered, formatted as follows: Record identification number, count of individuals, location, range of observation dates, original observers, and observers submitting documentation. We credit the discoverer with an asterisk (*). We indicate whether the evidence provided was photographic (ph), video (v), audio (au), or a written description (†). We use m.ob. for many observers; many people in addition to the listed observers provided much additional documentation for the bird to eBird/Macaulay Library. When records from other regions are cited, all are discoverable in eBird unless otherwise stated (eBird 2024).

ACCEPTED RECORDS

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis) [1 record accepted in this report, 17 total]

• 2023-013: 2 at Silver Lake Park, Athol, Worcester, 7/11/2023 [Joe Fanelli*, James P. Smith (ph), m.ob.].

The number of records in Massachusetts continues to grow and the surge in vagrancy in this species shows no signs of abating. Remarkably, the species was found breeding in Delaware (https://ebird.org/checklist/S148348168) in 2023 and 2024 and Virginia (https://ebird.org/checklist/S194933724) in 2024, representing a large extension of its breeding range and a further sign that more Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks are on their way. Conversely, Fulvous Whistling-Duck—which was a semi-regular vagrant to the mid-Atlantic and Northeast from the mid-1950s to late 1980s and was the only species known for the Bay State until 2007—has not been recorded in Massachusetts since 1989 (Veit and Petersen 1993).

Ross’s Goose (Anser rossii) [2, 39]

• 2023-022: 1 at Milestone Cranberry Bogs, Nantucket, 2/22/2023 [Emily Jew* (ph), Valerie Burdette*].
• 2023-023: 6 at The Kittansett Club, Marion, Plymouth, 2/27/2023 to 3/10/2023 [Mike Mauer*, Carol Baird Molander (ph), m.ob.].

Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus) [4, 14 since 2017]

• 2020-125: 12 at Horseneck Beach, Bristol, 11/28/2020 [Matthew Eckerson* (ph), Joel Eckerson*].
• 2020-126: 1 at Cambridge Reservoir, Middlesex, 12/19/2020 to 12/22/2020 [Jason Forbes* (ph), m.ob.].
• 2023-021: 1 at Heard Farm Conservation Area, Middlesex, 2/7/2023 to 2/20/2023 [Kathy Cronin* (ph), m.ob.].
• 2023-024: 1 at Lake Rohunta North Basin, Worcester, 3/21/2023 [David Small* (ph), m.ob.].

 

Garganey (Spatula querquedula) [1, 3]

• 2024-003: 1 at Kamon Farm (Essex County Greenbelt Association), Essex, 4/21/2024 [Reinhard Vehring* (ph), m.ob.].

There are just two prior accepted records of Garganey, both from Essex County at Parker River NWR: May 4–25, 1968, and August 4–11, 2000. Veit and Petersen (1993) include two additional occurrences: a subadult male at Parker River NWR May 11 to July 1, 1985, and one at Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary, Marshfield, Plymouth County, April 1–18, 1978.

American Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) [1, 1]

• 2024-004: 1 at Chapin Memorial Beach, Dennis, Barnstable, 6/2/2024 [Sam Roth* (ph), Richard Gifford* (ph), m.ob.] and 7/15/2024 (2024-005) [Mary Jo Foti* (ph), m.ob.].

Although over a month apart, the two records from different dates pertained to an individually identifiable second-calendar-year American Flamingo, which had a remarkable tale (see below); the MARC formally considers these records to pertain to the same individual.

The occurrence of American Flamingo outside its regular range in the United States—essentially, away from South Florida and the Gulf coast—has always been a subject of debate: we know escapees occur, but do occasional birds stray north? Given that some records seem to be associated with hurricanes, does their passage explain some of the extralimital records on the East Coast (Veit and Petersen 1993)? Uncertainty about the potential for hurricanes to transport American Flamingos evaporated in August and September 2023, as Hurricane Idalia crossed between the Yucatan Peninsula and Cuba and entrained a large number of American Flamingos that were presumably making their regular movement between those areas. It made landfall in the Florida Panhandle around dawn on August 30 and tracked inland to the Carolinas before heading out to sea. While lackluster for seabird vagrants, the storm remarkably transported flamingos to 18 U.S. states, many of which established first records (Davis and Ramírez-Garofalo 2024). The pattern was undeniable and some birds remained well into late fall as far north as Cape Hatteras, with others overwintering in Texas, South Carolina, and Georgia and on Florida’s northeast coast.

When one appeared on Long Island, New York, on May 31, 2024, it was immediately presumed to be a holdover from the previous fall. That bird stayed on Long Island for a few days, moving between a couple of sites, and then went missing on June 3, last seen flying east. It appeared on Cape Cod the same day, but was gone the next day, with two reports from Connecticut of flamingos in flight in subsequent days. The bird subsequently returned to New York for parts of June and early July, with a short absence, during which time there was a credible American Flamingo sighting in Delaware, and then was back in New York up until July 14. So its reappearance in Massachusetts—the very next day—was not wholly unexpected, and Rhode Island birders were thrilled when the bird finally settled down at Briggs Marsh, Newport County, cooperating for birders from July 18 to August 12. It has not been seen since, but American Flamingo numbers in the southern United States remain at modern record levels.

American Flamingo is moved to the Main List from the Provisional List (species that have occurred in the state but have reasonable doubt that the records represent escapees from captivity). The MARC reviewed two prior records with photos, accepting both as American Flamingo, but treating both as likely escapees, in part because of a known escapee event in that time frame (Iliff and Garvey 2010).

Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) [1, 12]

• 2023-007: 1 at Winthrop Beach, Winthrop, Suffolk, 1/28/2023 to 4/2/2023 [Justine Hanson* (ph), m.ob.].

Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinica) [2, 23]

• 2023-039: 1 at 365 Baker Street, West Roxbury, Suffolk, 10/19/2023 [Mike McCarthy* (ph)].
• 2023-041: 1 at Winslow Drive, Orleans, Barnstable, 10/23/2023 [Keegan Burke* (ph)]

Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea) [2, 8]

• 2023-011: 1 at Nauset Bay (Tomahawk Trail), Eastham, Barnstable, 5/16/2023 [Philip Kyle* (ph)].
• 2023-014: 1 at Plymouth Beach, Plymouth, Plymouth, 7/12/2023 to 7/13/2023 [Lisa Schibley* (ph), Soheil Zendeh* (ph), m.ob.].

 

 

South Polar Skua (Stercorarius maccormicki) [4, 18]

• 2021-119: 1 at Race Point Beach, Provincetown, Barnstable, 8/12/2021 [David Sibley*, m.ob.].
• 2021-120: 2 offshore 42 miles SSE of Nantucket (40.648926, -70.3061827), Nantucket, 8/17/2021 [Doug Gochfeld* (ph)].
• 2021-121: 1 offshore 48 miles SSE of Nantucket (40.736703, -69.286582), Nantucket, 8/17/2021 [Doug Gochfeld* (ph)].
• 2023-029: 1 offshore 100 miles SSW of Nantucket (39.880219, -70.814082), Dukes, 8/29/2023 [Liam Waters*, Keenan Yakola*, Peter Flood*, m.ob.].

Franklin’s Gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan) [7, 45]

• 2021-109: 1 at Little Nahant, Nahant, Essex, 7/22/2021 [Chris DeGusto* (ph)].
• 2021-116: 1 at King’s Beach, Lynn and Swampscott, Essex, 10/17/2021 [Suzanne Sullivan* (ph), John Keeley*].
• 2022-092: 1 at Quaboag Pond, Brookfield, Worcester, 11/7/2022 [David Lusignan* (ph)].
• 2023-008: 1 at Bristol County Agricultural High School, Dighton, Bristol, 4/22/2023 [Joel Eckerson*, Matt Eckerson* (ph)].
• 2023-009: 1 at Wachusett Reservoir: Gate 40, Clinton, Worcester, 4/23/2023 to 4/24/2023 [Valerie Burdette* (ph)].
• 2023-012: 1 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 6/9/2023 [Ted Bradford* (ph)].
• 2023-016: 1 at Allens Pond, Westport and South Dartmouth, Bristol, 8/5/2023 [Matt Eckerson* (ph)].

Sandwich Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis) [1, 17]

• 2023-015: 1 at South Monomoy Powder Hole, Chatham, Barnstable, 8/3/2023 [Peter Flood*, Ian Davies* (ph), Peter Trimble*, Nick Bonomo*].

Scopoli’s Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea) [23, 24]

• 2008-054: 2 offshore (38 miles S of Nantucket), Nantucket, 7/19/2008 [Jeremiah Trimble* (ph), m.ob.].
• 2012-162: 12 offshore (18 miles S of Martha’s Vineyard), Nantucket, 7/21/2012 [Jeremiah Trimble* (ph), m.ob.].
• 2012-163: 2 offshore (35 miles SE of Nantucket), Nantucket, 8/25/2012 [Marshall Iliff* (ph), Tom Johnson*, m.ob.].
• 2014-083: 1 offshore (100 miles SE of Nantucket), Nantucket, 7/19/2014 [Tom Johnson* (ph), m.ob.].
• 2014-084: 1 offshore (65 miles SE of Nantucket), Nantucket, 7/19/2014 [Jeremiah Trimble* (ph), m.ob.].
• 2014-086: 1 offshore (16 miles SE of Nantucket), Nantucket, 8/23/2014 [Jeremiah Trimble* (ph), m.ob.].
• 2014-087: 1 offshore (East of Chatham), Barnstable, 8/30/2014 [Peter Flood* (ph), Blair Nikula*].
• 2015-083: 1 offshore (100 miles SE of Nantucket), Nantucket, 8/23/2015 [Nick Bonomo* (ph), m.ob.].
• 2015-084: 1 offshore (East of Chatham), Barnstable, 9/20/2015 [Peter Flood* (ph), m.ob.].
• 2017-147: 1 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 8/19/2017 [Peter Flood* (ph), Jeremiah Trimble* (ph), m.ob.].
• 2017-148: 1 at Manomet Bird Observatory, Plymouth, Plymouth, 10/10/2017 [Alan Kneidel* (ph)].
• 2017-149: 1 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 10/14/2017 [Peter Flood* (ph), m.ob.].
• 2020-119: 1 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 7/4/2020 [Peter Flood* (ph)].
• 2020-120: 1 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 7/5/2020 [Peter Flood* (ph)].
• 2020-121: 1 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 7/10/2020 [Peter Flood* (ph)].
• 2021-108: 1 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 7/9/2021 [Peter Flood* (ph)].
• 2021-110: 2 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 7/25/2021 [Peter Flood* (ph)].
• 2021-111: 1 offshore (170 miles SE of Nantucket), Nantucket, 8/10/2021 [Tom Johnson* (ph)].
• 2021-113: 1 offshore (The Dump, about 27 miles south of Cuttyhunk), Dukes, 9/21/2021 [Mike Sylvia* (ph)].
• 2022-079: 1 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 7/9/2022 [Peter Flood* (ph)].
• 2022-081: 1 at Jeremy Point, Wellfleet, Barnstable, 7/24/2022 [Joey Negreann* (ph)].
• 2022-085: 1 offshore (waters east of Nantucket), Nantucket, 8/27/2022 [Lily Morello* (ph), Sam Zhang* (ph), Will Sweet* (ph), m.ob.].
• 2022-087: 1 offshore (Nantucket Shoals), Nantucket, 8/30/2022 [Severin Uebbing* (ph), m.ob.].

The long-anticipated split finally happened this year. While Cory’s is by far the commoner in the state, Scopoli’s Shearwater reaches its northern limit here and is a rare, annual visitor in small numbers to pelagic waters of Massachusetts. It occurs primarily in the warmer waters south of Cape Cod but occasionally also in Provincetown and Cape Cod Bay; it has yet to be found in Maine or New Hampshire and there is just one accepted record to date from Atlantic Canada. Since its identification is very fraught and its status still needs to be fully elucidated, the MARC will review all reports from the state going forward. Observers are cautioned to review carefully the identification criteria laid out in Flood and Gutiérrez (2021) and to focus on the extent of pale color on the tenth (outermost) primary, which is by far the most important identification feature. Other features overlap with Cory’s but are important supportive traits: overall structure, bill width and size, and extent of markings on underwing coverts.

 

 

Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) [1, 3]

• 2024-006: 1 at Burrage Pond WMA, Hanson and Halifax, Plymouth, 6/29/2024 [Brian Vigorito* (ph), Kim Wylie*, Mike Nolan*, Mary Julius*, m.ob.].

This female Anhinga represented the first photographed record for Massachusetts, with the two previous records—from 1987 and 1991—both pertaining to sight records. Vagrancy to New England seems to be on the upswing, and recent breeding in Maryland for the first time (June 2022; https://ebird.org/atlasmddc/checklist/S112481092) indicates that range expansion is part of the equation. About a month after this record, another bird was photographed in Norfolk County—the MARC will report on this record in its next report.

American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) [1, 34]

• 2021-112: 1 at Acoaxet, Westport, Bristol, 9/3/2021 to 10/17/2021 [Paul Champlin*, Arthur Rainville (ph), m.ob.].

Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) [2, 26]

• 2022-082: 1 at Muskeget Island, Nantucket, 7/27/2022 [Sam Kefferstan* (ph)].
• 2022-089: 1 at New Bedford Harbor, Bristol, 10/22/2022 [Matt Eckerson* (ph), m.ob.].

White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi) [1, 35]

• 2023-026: 1 at Route 1A Salt Pannes, Parker River NWR, Essex, 4/27/2023 to 5/23/2023 [Ian Pepper* (ph), m.ob.].

Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus) [1, 26]

• 2023-025: 1 at Marblehead Neck Wildlife Sanctuary (Mass Audubon), Marblehead, Essex, 4/15/2023 [Andy Sanford* (ph), m.ob.].

Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) [5, 43]

• 2021-117: 1 at Arnold Arboretum, Boston, Suffolk, 6/19/2021 [Richard George* (ph)].
• 2022-080: 2 at Provincelands Visitor Center, Provincetown, Barnstable, 7/16/2022 [Anne Piccolo*, M. Piccolo* (ph)].
• 2022-099: 2 at Bearberry Hill, Truro, Barnstable, 5/22/2022 [Vin Zollo*, Dan Burton* (ph)].
• 2022-100: 1 at Kingston, Plymouth, 5/22/2022 [Dan Furbish* (ph)].
• 2022-101: 1 near Ashland Reservoir, Ashland, Middlesex, 5/23/2022 [Nevine Jacob* (ph)].

 

 

Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) [3, 12]

• 2022-098: 1 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 4/13/2022 [Josh Jones* (ph)].
• 2023-033: 1 juvenile at Waltham Street Fields, Lexington, Middlesex, 9/24/2023 [Jason Forbes* (ph)], and at Walnut Street Field, Halifax, Plymouth, 10/14/2023 to 10/16/2023 (2023-038) [Judd Carlisle* (ph), m.ob.].
• 2023-046: 1 juvenile at Beech Forest Trail, Provincetown, Barnstable, 11/4/2023 [M. Lambert* (ph)].

The plumage of the Lexington and Halifax birds are nearly identical and the MARC has voted to treat both records as pertaining to the same individual (the Cape Cod one from November 2023 was certainly a different individual).

Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) [2, 9]

• 2012-159: 1 in Hadley area (e.g., Model Airplane Airfield, Honey Pot Road, East Hadley Road, etc.), Hampshire, 12/13/2012 to 2/25/2013 [Michael Delesantro* (ph), m.ob.].
• 2015-082: 1 at Salisbury State Reservation, Salisbury, Essex, 3/18/2015 [Margo Goetschkes*, Steve Grinley*].

The dark morph in Essex County was the southernmost sighting of an individual that wandered the New England coast and was also seen January 7, 2015, in Stafford County and January 23–26, 2105, in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, and in various York County, Maine, sites January 10–March 28 (and at Scarborough Marsh in Cumberland County, Maine, on April 1).

 

 

Western Wood-Pewee (Contopus sordidulus) [1, 1]

• 2024-007: 1 at Tuckernuck Island, Nantucket, 6/9/2024 [Richard Veit* (ph, au), Joe Clark*, Tom Brown*, Lucinda Zawadzki*].

The Tuckernuck bird was singing and audio recorded, finally providing a conclusively documented record to support an occurrence in Massachusetts. The species surely has occurred before: Veit and Petersen (1993) listed four records including singles “mist-netted and collected at Monomoy 29 August and 11 September 1966 (Baird)” and sight records of birds heard singing at Monomoy May 28, 1976 (Goodrich, Bailey), and Morris Island, Chatham, May 23, 1980 (Bailey). No documentation of any of these is known; although the specimens were examined and confirmed by flycatcher expert W. Lanyon, they were destroyed by beetles (too bad the remnants were not preserved, since DNA perhaps could have been extracted!). The MARC voted 7–2 in 2008 (Rines 2008) to remove the species from the state list given the difficult identification involved and the lack of extant documentation. The coincidence in date and location between the Tuckernuck bird and the two other sightings of singing birds is notable!

Elsewhere in New England, state records committees have accepted one record of an individual observed on Star Island, New Hampshire, October 1, 2017, and four in Maine: one from June 12, 2018 (its first), and three in the years since, all between September 7 and October 26.

 

Hammond’s Flycatcher (Empidonax hammondii) [2, 9]

• 2022-091: 1 at Peterson Farm, Falmouth, Barnstable, 11/5/2022 to 11/27/2022 [Greg Hirth*, Mike Tucker (ph), m.ob.].
• 2023-050: 1 at Crane Swamp Conservation Area, Southborough, Worcester, 11/15/2023 [Tim Spahr* (ph), m.ob.].

These records mark the eighth and ninth for the state (seven of those records since 2016) and represent new records for Worcester and Barnstable counties. All state records fall between November 1 and January 8, with six records being first found in January. The Worcester County bird was notable for being found by an astute rarity seeker along the margins of a sewage plant, since such locations create warm microclimates harboring flying insects even as the temperatures drop. Both records include audio recordings of the diagnostic calls, along with photos; please get audio recordings whenever possible for all rarities, especially flycatchers.

Say’s Phoebe (Sayornis saya) [4, 19]

• 2021-114: 1 at Pittsfield Airport, Pittsfield, Berkshire, 10/1/2021 [Rene Wendell*, Zach Adams*, Jonathan Pierce* (ph)].
• 2021-115: 1 at McGovern Farms, Dunstable, Middlesex, 10/11/2021 [Robert Gervais* (ph)].
• 2023-040: 1 at Parker River NWR, Essex, 10/23/2023 [T. Beland*, L. Luby*, D. Luby* (ph), m.ob.].
• 2023-063: 1 at Uxbridge Community Gardens and Soccer Fields, Uxbridge, Worcester, 12/27/2023 [Mary Ess-Why* (ph)].

 

 

Ash-throated Flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens) [9, 43]

• 2022-095: 1 at Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm, Newbury, Essex, 12/28/2022 [Jo-Anne Bagley* (ph)].
• 2023-031: 1 at Sunny Meadow Farm, Chelmsford, Middlesex, 9/10/2023 to 9/15/2023 [S. Sweeney* (ph), m.ob.].
• 2023-043: 1 at High Head, Pilgrim Heights, Truro, Barnstable, 10/29/2023 [Jeremiah Trimble*, Peter Trimble*, Tim Spahr* (ph)].
• 2023-045: 1 at Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, Essex, 11/3/2023 to 1/1/2024 [Sam Zhang* (ph), m.ob.].
• 2023-051: 1 at Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary—Meadows Conservation Area (Mass Audubon), Easthampton, Hampshire, 11/18/2023 [Nate Marchessault* (ph), Chris Liazos*].
• 2023-052: 1 at Cuttyhunk Island, Dukes, 11/19/2023 [Sam Zhang*(ph), m.ob.].
• 2023-055: 1 at Danehy Park, Cambridge, Middlesex, 11/25/2023 to 12/20/2023 [K. Hartel*, J. Forbes (ph), m.ob.].
• 2023-057: 1 at Laurel Street Powerline and Bogs, Halifax, Plymouth, 12/12/2023 to 1/13/2024 [Judd Carlisle* (ph), Elizabeth Vacchino*, m.ob.].
• 2023-061: 1 at Squibnocket Pond, Aquinnah and Chilmark, Dukes, 12/17/2023 to 12/25/2023 [Nancy Nordin* (ph), m.ob.].

The eight accepted records in fall 2023, with several more yet to be reviewed, marked a banner year for the species in the state. Especially notable was the fresh juvenile—with completely juvenile rectrices—in Middlesex County September 10–15, which established the second earliest fall record for the state (accepted records from Belmont, Middlesex County, August 30, 2001, and Plum Island, Essex County, September 27, 2011).

Cassin’s Kingbird (Tyrannus vociferans) [2, 5]

• 2022-039: 1 at Tuckernuck Island (restricted access), Nantucket, 10/7/2022 [Richard Veit* (ph), Simon Perkins*].
• 2022-049: 1 at Community Farm Institute at the Walter F. Ballinger Educational Community Farm, Nantucket, 11/3/2022 [Chris Duffy* (ph), Burton Balkind (ph)].

There are just three prior records (October 21–January 10) and these two records represent a new species for Nantucket County and a new early date for the state. It was considered whether these two Nantucket records pertained to the same individual, and although that is a possibility that the MARC could not discount, the majority felt that the long distance between sightings and especially the pattern of short stays by most passerine vagrants in September and October meant that on balance, the two-bird theory was at least equally probable here.

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus) [2, 17]

• 1995-025: 1 at Cumberland Farm Fields, Halifax, Plymouth, 10/29/1995 to 10/31/1995 [Susan Shapiro*, m.ob.].
• 2023-054: 1 at Madaket, Nantucket, 11/23/2023 to 11/29/2023 [Trish Pastuszak* (ph), m.ob.].

 

 

Bell’s Vireo (Vireo bellii) [2, 17]

• 2023-048: 1 at Black Point, Chilmark, Dukes, 11/6/2023 [Charles Morano* (ph), Bob Shriber*, Nancy Nordin*].
• 2023-059: 1 at Webb Memorial State Park, Weymouth, Norfolk, 12/14/2023 to 1/5/2024 [Sally Avery*, Josh Bock (ph), Mike Perrin (ph), m.ob.].

Continuing to be a regular—almost annual—fall vagrant in the state since 2010. This year’s records include a first for Norfolk County and a second for Dukes. The first Bell’s was found in 2005.

Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) [2, 10 since being added to review list]

• 2022-037: 1 at Jumptown Spectator Parking, Orange, Franklin, 7/19/2022 [Bill Lafley* (ph), m.ob.].
• 2022-048: 1 at Bear Creek Sanctuary (restricted access), Saugus, Essex, 12/4/2022 to 2/5/2023 [Soheil Zendeh].

Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides) [2, 12]

• 2016-062: 1 at Turners Falls Airport, Montague, Franklin, 11/13/2016 to 11/16/2016 [James P. Smith (ph)].
• 2020-123: 1 at Race Point, Provincetown, Barnstable, 11/5/2020 [Peter Trull* (ph)].

Townsend’s Solitaire (Myadestes townsendi) [1, 33]

• 2022-090: 1 at Rose Kennedy Greenway and Winthrop Greenway, Boston, Suffolk, 10/28/2022 to 10/30/2022 [A. Laquidara* (ph), m.ob.].

An overdue first for Suffolk County, this individual apparently moved approximately four miles from downtown Boston (October 28) to a more coastal location in Winthrop (October 29–30). We usually expect the reverse from fall vagrants, which often make landfall close to the coast and presumably move inland.

Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) [1, 15]

• 2023-035: 1 at Plymouth Beach, Plymouth, Plymouth, 9/27/2023 to 9/30/2023 [Shilo McDonald* (ph), m.ob.].

 

 

Smith’s Longspur (Calcarius pictus) [1, 3]

• 2022-094: 1 at Honey Pot, Hadley, Hampshire, 12/12/2022 to 2/1/2023 [Scott Surner* (ph), m.ob.].

Hampshire County scored a new species with a cooperative Smith’s Longspur, representing the state’s third record. Note that the only other modern record pertains to sightings across three years and two locations in Essex County that the MARC has voted to treat as pertaining to the same bird: Nahant on November 9, 2014 [2014-020], and Bear Creek Sanctuary from December 21, 2015, to January 20, 2016 [2015-025], and again from March 15 to April 9, 2017 [2017-004].

Lark Bunting (Calamospiza melanocorys) [1, 13]

• 2023-019: 1 at Wing Island, Brewster, Barnstable, 11/13/2023 [Susan Finnegan* (ph), m.ob.].

LeConte’s Sparrow (Ammospiza leconteii) [5, 23]

• 2022-097: 1 at Wachusett Reservoir: Gate 37, Clinton, Worcester, 10/14/2022 to 10/31/2022 [Bette Robo* (ph), m.ob.].
• 2023-036: 1 at Longmeadow Flats, Longmeadow, Hampden, 10/4/2023 [Ted Gilliland* (ph), m.ob.].
• 2023-037: 1 at Plumbush Marshes, Newbury, Essex, 10/10/2023 [Miles Brengle* (ph), Zachary Peterson* (ph)].
• 2023-042: 1 at Passanageset Park at Broad Meadows Marsh, Quincy, Norfolk, 10/26/2023 to 10/29/2023 [Dan O’Brien* (ph), m.ob.].
• 2023-044: 1 at Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, Essex, 11/2/2023 [Martin Ray* (ph)].

Bullock’s Oriole (Icterus bullockii) [2, 17]

• 2022-041: 1 hatch-year male at 26 Morningview Drive, Pittsfield, Berkshire, 10/25/2022 [Lynne O’Connell* (ph)].
• 2022-047: 1 hatch-year male at Kaveski Farm Conservation Land, Concord, Middlesex, 11/10/2022 [Janice Strong* (ph)].

Both accepted records were immature males; separation of females and immatures from Baltimore Orioles is extremely challenging and surely the reason that most records in Massachusetts have involved males.

Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) [3, 15 since 2017]

• 2023-030: 1 at 3 Ring Road, Scituate, Plymouth, 9/5/2023 [Rob Copeland* (ph)].
• 2023-032: 1 at Eastern Point Wildlife Sanctuary (Mass Audubon), Gloucester, Essex, 9/15/2023 [Andy Sanford* (ph)].
• 2023-034: 1 at UMass Dartmouth Campus, Dartmouth, Bristol, 9/26/2023 [Joel Eckerson*].

Swainson’s Warbler (Limnothlypis swainsonii) [1, 7]

• 2022-096: 1 at Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, Wellfleet, Barnstable, 5/12/2023 [James Junda* (ph), Valerie Bourdeau*, Tod Christie*, m.ob.].

This seventh state record also marked a third for Barnstable County, and as for most state records, came in May.

 

 

MacGillivray’s Warbler (Geothlypis tolmiei) [3, 20]

• 2022-019: 1 at McLaughlin Woods, Boston, Suffolk, 12/13/2022 to 1/12/2023 [Roy Golan*, Jeff Offermann (ph), m.ob.].
• 2023-064: 1 at 235 New State Highway, Raynham, Bristol, 12/31/2023 to 1/15/2024 [Vincent Zollo* (ph), m.ob.].
• 2024-001: 1 at Millennium Park, West Roxbury, Suffolk, 1/4/2024 [Michael Bryant* (ph)].

Perhaps a sign of increasingly warm winters, these three records all extended into January. The Millennium Park bird was first reported as a Nashville Warbler and correctly identified only when photos surfaced days later, by which point it seemed to no longer be present.

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon’s) (Setophaga coronata auduboni) [1, 16]

• 2023-006: 1 at Yirell Beach, Winthrop, Suffolk, 1/7/2023 to 2/13/2023 [Tim Eardley*, Sebastian Jones (ph), m.ob.].

We add one to the 15 accepted state records from the last report, but there are still many more to be reviewed. We welcome well-documented records for this and other rare subspecies, especially those on the MARC Review List

Black-throated Gray Warbler (Setophaga nigrescens) [1, 22]

• 2021-107: 1 at 71 Ford Road, Sudbury, Middlesex, 9/28/2021 [Natalie Massarotti* (ph)].

The 2021 Black-throated Gray predated another nearby—an already accepted record from Chestnut Hill Reservoir, Boston—by just six days, making for two records in a remarkably small area.

Townsend’s Warbler (Setophaga townsendi) [2, 29]

• 2022-093: 1 at Boston Public Garden, Boston, Suffolk, 11/19/2022 to 12/10/2022 [Annette Pasek*, Sebastian Jones (ph), m.ob.].
• 2023-047: 1 at Gay Head, Martha’s Vineyard, Dukes, 11/5/2023 [Nancy Nordin*, Cynthia Bloomquist* (ph), m.ob.].

 

 

Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) [9, 35]

• 2022-088: 1 at Arnold Arboretum, Boston, Suffolk, 10/18/2022 to 10/19/2022 [Ted Bradford*, Sebastian Jones (ph), m.ob.].
• 2023-049: 1 at Manomet Bird Observatory, Plymouth, Plymouth, 11/12/2023 to 11/13/2023 [Jim Sweeney* (ph), m.ob.].
• 2023-066: 1 at Manomet Bird Observatory, Plymouth, Plymouth, 11/15/2023 to 11/20/2023 [Trenton Voytko* (ph), m.ob.].
• 2023-053: 1 at Sutton Street, Northbridge, Worcester, 11/22/2023 [Mary Ess-Why* (ph), m.ob.].
• 2023-056: 1 at Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, Essex, 11/25/2023 to 11/27/2023 [Mike Baird* (ph), m.ob.].
• 2023-058: 1 at Christopher Columbus Park, Boston, Suffolk, 12/14/2023 to 12/21/2023 [David Peterson*, Anne Piccolo (ph), m.ob.].
• 2023-060: 1 at Stodders Neck, Hingham, Plymouth, 12/17/2023 to 12/21/2023 [Dan Burton*, Rachel Baum*, Will Sweet* (ph), m.ob.].
• 2023-065: 1 at Low Beach, Siasconset, Nantucket, 12/31/2023 to 1/1/2024 [Jeremiah Trimble* (ph), Jeffrey Offermann*, Henry Farrell*].
• 2024-002: 2 at Sandwich Marina and Scusset Beach State Reservation, Sandwich, Barnstable, 1/6/2024 to 2/6/2024 [Kristen Johnson* (ph), Sheryl Johnson*, Peter Trimble*, m.ob.].

Fall 2023 was a banner season for Western Tanagers, and the records accepted here are a subset of the total the MARC plans to review. Some were initially reported as other tanager species, especially Scarlet, so any tanagers seen in late fall should be carefully identified and documented and all possibilities should be considered. Maine hosted a state and New England first Hepatic Tanager (Piranga flava) December 2023 to February 2024. Note that Manomet Bird Observatory hosted two different Western Tanagers within a week, with the November 11–12 record involving a hatch-year female and a second, brighter bird (a hatch-year male) present November 15–20. The two birds at Scusset Beach and Sandwich Marina flew back and forth across the Cape Cod Canal; both were bright hatch-year males, but they were individually identifiable because one had messy molt in the right wing, and they were seen frequently on each side: the first bird (with messy wing) was present January 6–18 and the second bird was present January 8 to February 4. The MARC voted on these together and did not opt to split these as two separate records since they so often were seen flying and feeding together.

NOT ACCEPTED RECORDS

Mottled Duck (Anas fulvigula) [0, 0]

• 2014-082: 1 at Barton Cove, Gill, Franklin, 10/28/2014 [James P. Smith* (ph)].

An Anas duck was recognized as interesting at the time but not identified as a Mottled Duck until a series of photos was analyzed almost a decade later. Once it had been submitted as Mottled Duck to eBird, the MARC undertook a review of the record, which challenged the committee and took three rounds to be resolved. The photos only show the bird at rest, so helpful wing pattern field marks could not be assessed. In the end, the MARC unanimously agreed that the characters visible in the photos conformed better with an adult male American Black Duck x Mallard hybrid, or more specifically, a hybrid backcrossed with an American Black Duck. Key traits that led the committee to this conclusion were: (i) the photos are distant but the bird appears to lack a dark spot at the gape; (ii) the bird lacks the internal markings on the scapulars and flanks that almost all pure Mottled Ducks of both subspecies appear to show; and (iii) some adult male hybrids show a bright yellow bill, like this bird.

This species has been expanding its range, and vagrant records have accumulated in recent years from Virginia, Maryland, and New York. Its potential to reach Massachusetts is highlighted by a April 27, 2024, record (https://ebird.org/checklist/S170632461) from Block Island, Washington County, Rhode Island.

Changes to review list: Three species— American Flamingo, Scopoli’s Shearwater, and Western Wood-Pewee— were added.

Corrigenda: The 26th Report listed the state species total as 518; however, the correct tally at that time was 517. This discrepancy was one of several errors going back to 2001 as outlined in Table 1, most recently with the addition of Great-tailed Grackle without removing Boat-tailed/Great-tailed Grackle in the 25th Report.

Thanks to: Dexter Hunneman, who caught the species total error after the 26th Annual Report, and to Chris Dalton, who has helped the MARC with analyses using the open programming code R to help keep up with the large number of rarities being reported through eBird.

Literature Cited

• American Ornithologists’ Union. 1998. Check-list of North American Birds, seventh edition. Lawrence, Kansas: American Ornithologists’ Union.
• Chesser, R. T., S. M. Billerman, K. J. Burns, C. Cicero, J. L. Dunn, B. E. Hernández-Baños, R. A. Jiménez, O. Johnson, A. W. Kratter, N. A. Mason, P. C. Rasmussen, and J. V. Remsen Jr. 2024. Check-list of North American Birds (online). American Ornithological Society. https://checklist.americanornithology.org/taxa/
• Clements, J. F., P. C. Rasmussen, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, A. Spencer, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2024. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2024. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
• Davis, A. and J. R. Ramírez-Garofalo. 2024. American Flamingos in the United States Before and After Hurricane Idalia. North American Birds 75 (1):4–17.
• eBird. 2024. eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance [web application]. eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Available: http://www.ebird.org. (Accessed: December 2, 2023).
• Flood, R. L. and R. Gutiérrez. 2021. Field separation of Cory’s Calonectris borealis and Scopoli’s C. diomedea Shearwaters by underwing pattern. Marine Ornithology 49:311–320.
• Iliff, M. J. and M. P. Garvey. 2010. Fourteenth Report of the Massachusetts Avian Records Committee. Bird Observer 38 (2):82–101. Expanded web version, with additional content and images: https://maavianrecords.com/annual-reports/14th/
• Rines, M. 2008. Twelfth Report of the Massachusetts Avian Records Committee. Bird Observer 36 (2):90–98. Expanded web version, with additional content and images: https://maavianrecords.com/annual-reports/12th/
• Veit, R. R. and W. R. Petersen. 1993. Birds of Massachusetts. Lincoln, Massachusetts: Massachusetts Audubon Society.