Green Jay (Cyanocorax yncas) at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park; 18 May 2006. US bird #355; Ecuador bird #99; world bird #535. By that last number, you can tell I hadn't traveled outside the US much. That changed the following year.To continue on the theme from before, I have my "most wanted" for North America as well.
For North America, there are about 750 regular occurring species. A good number of these only occur in the far corners of the country. These are known as "specialty birds" of a particular area, like Alaska, the Everglades, or southern Texas. My most wanted birds fall into one of four broad categories. They may be a "specialty bird" that I will have to go to a particular location or habitat to find (such as the Everglades). They perhaps are a bird that will help me "round out" my list of a particular group of birds (like seeing all the falcons). Or they are a bird that is just one that I would really like to see. Or they are a nemesis bird (see a previous post).
These most wanted, in no particular order, are as follows.
Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus). I talked about this bird in my previous post. This bird falls under the category of just wanting to see one. One of these winters, there should be an easily seen one near my home town in western New York. One of these winters...
In the last post, I also talked about the ptarmigans as well, Rock Ptarmigan (Lagopus muta); Willow Ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus); and the White-tailed Ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura). I expect to be in the Rocky Mountains again soon, so I aim to look for the White-tailed Ptarmigan in my travels there. Again, a bird that falls into the just wanting to see one.
Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolis). I talked about this species before as well. This falls in the category of rounding out a group, in this case, the falcons. Of the Snowy Owl, ptarmigan, and Gyrfalcon, the Gyrfalcon is perhaps the most difficult, until I get a chance to go to Alaska.
The American Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus) is somewhat of a specialty bird of south Florida. This bird shouldn't actually be all that difficult to see in the United States. It is somewhat common in Florida actually; though you have to be there in the breeding season. The reason I would like to see it is because I have it in four other countries already! Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, and Peru. It's one of those "you know, it is found in the US too, I should make sure I see it there as well now!" birds. I normally am working a summer field job when the bird is usually found in the US, so I may have to make a special trip sometime to a migration watch in Florida or south Texas to tick it off my list.
Also in Florida, an Everglades specialist, is the Limpkin (Aramus guarauna). So named for its "limping" style of walking. It is found in the Florida Everglades, and outside the US in the Caribbean and Central and South America. In other words, it's a tropical bird whose range just barely reaches that wonderful habitat in Florida. And to me, it represents the goal of making sure I get to the Everglades to make sure I see that wonderful habitat and all it has to offer.
Falling under the category of nemesis birds, are the Black-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus erythrothalmus) and the Barn Owl (Tyto alba). Found within a wide range of the US, I'm bound to see these sooner or later (preferably sooner).
Partly falling in the nemesis category are the longspurs: Lapland Longspur (Calcarius lapponicus), Chestnut-collared Longspur (Calcarius ornatus), McCown's Longspur (Calcarius mccownii), and Smith's Longspur (Calcarius pictus). Not quite to the full nemesis category yet, I did chase the Chestnut-collared Longspur last year in Wyoming. I have a good chance of seeing up to three of the longspur species on my current field job here in Texas, as they come down to overwinter in the grasslands here.
A couple of other birds that have some wide ranges, but I have not seen yet, are the Red-necked Grebe (Podiceps grisegena) and American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus). Both of these birds will also "wrap up" their respective groups. In the case of the former, it is the grebes, which is a group of duck-like birds found worldwide. In North America, we have 7 species. The bittern is the last of the "large waders" group of birds, which includes the herons and egrets. Both are relatively common, but the bittern is an elusive bird, that requires being in the right habitat and "stalking" the booming sound it makes to see the bird.
Back to some specialty birds, I would like to see either or both the Lesser (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) and Greater (Tympanuchus cupido) Prairie Chickens. I've seen many of the grouse species of birds in the US, but these two have eluded me so far. I would like to see one (or both) of them on their "booming" grounds, where the birds make lots of fun noise and displays to impress the ladies. Outside of the breeding season, they are most difficult to see. Both species are considered highly vulnerable, mostly due to habitat loss and degradation. I am actually currently near the habitat of the Greater Prairie Chicken at the moment; I may have a chance to try to see one before my work here is done.
Smew (Mergellus albellus). Seriously, that is the birds name. It's a pretty nifty looking duck, found in Alaska. And, you know, the funny name. And seeing one would "round up" my merganser ducks for North America. Plus, you know, the funny name. And it's a fine looking bird in its own right. And the funny name. And it means I finally got up to Alaska. Oh, and did I mention the funny name?
One of the clowns of the North American bird world, the Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica). I'm up to about 5 trips to Maine so far. And not a puffin has been seen. And I was SO close last time, just on the wrong side of an island. Just a "gaudy" looking bird (hence the clown nickname), and I need an excuse to go to the northeast again.
That about rounds them out. I had some past most wanted birds, and all were found on nearly one trip, to south Texas. South Texas has habitat that just makes it into the United States from Mexico, and as such has the birds that are common south of the border. Since the habitat comes across the border, the birds make it across the border. During that trip I saw over 30 species of new birds in just a couple of days. This was unusual for me to do in the United States, even at that point. Among the birds seen were the Green Jay (Cyanocorax yncas), pictured at the start of this post. Among the birds I saw that I had really wanted to see were the following:
Harris' Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus). I was not fully expecting to see this bird, but I had hoped to. There are many bird species that I have seen outside the United States first, during a trip to Mexico in 1997. I eventually hope to get all these birds in the United States. I first saw Harris' Hawk in San Pedro, Mexico, on 6 January 1998, which makes it world bird #104. I got my North American bird on 20 May 2006, at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Texas, where this picture was taken. This made it North America bird #385.
Plain Chachalaca (Ortalis vetula). The alarm clock of south Texas. Their name comes from their loud "cha cha la ca" calls made. This was on my "to see" list for that trip, and I was not disappointed. I saw it for the first time 19 May 2006, at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, Texas. It is North American bird #362; world bird #543. I later saw this bird in Costa Rica as well, on 25 May 2008, in Santa Rosa National Park. It is Costa Rica bird #150.
Ringed Kingfisher (Megaceryle torquatus). Again a specialty of the Rio Grande valley. In most of North America, you can only find the Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon). I had hopes to see both of the other kingfishers during the trip, and I did. I saw this species at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, Texas on 19 May 2006. It is North America bird #367; world bird #548. This picture was taken at Bosque del Rio Tigre Lodge in Costa Rica. In Costa Rica, it is bird #227. With my extensive travels in the Americas, I have also seen this bird in Peru as well, where it is #52 for that country.
Least Grebe (Tachybaptus dominicus). It is not often I get to take a picture of the ACTUAL LIFE BIRD, but I managed to do so with this one! I saw this one, along with the next bird, only a few minutes apart, on 19 May 2006. I saw this bird and took its picture at the Edinburgh Wetlands, Texas. It is North American bird #368, world bird #549. Once again, during my travels in the Americas, I managed to see this bird at Bosque del Rio Tigre Lodge, where it became Costa Rica bird #366 on 27 December, 2008.
The other kingfisher, the Green Kingfisher (Chloroceryle americana). Only a few minutes after the Least Grebe, on 19 May 2006 at the Edinburgh Wetlands, Texas. It is North America bird #369, world bird #550. I have also seen the bird in Costa Rica, where this picture was taken by "digiscoping", using my camera with a telescope. In Costa Rica, it is bird #92, seen for the first time there on 7 March 2008 at Parque Carara.
