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ABA Big Year 2016 (1 Viewer)

I dunno...I think Little Gull makes sense as Code 3, but Barnacle Goose is almost certainly best treated as a code 3 bird, not a code 4; Long Island had at least 4 individuals alone this year, and they seem to be annual

Glad he finally got some NE birds...shame no Manx though. However the Great Skua is probably the most important of those two seabirds to nab.
 
Well maybe it's local bias, but Little Gull is fairly readily seen in small numbers at most times of year wherever Bonaparte's Gulls gather in the eastern great lakes, with triple digit numbers passing through in spring (the high count last year was 158 at one site), all of which almost certainly breed around Hudson's Bay somewhere. From eBird it looks like it is reasonably regular on the eastern seaboard too.

Just looking at the list quickly, it seems like the population is comparable with code 2 Whooping Crane, and some of the other code 2 species seem like they also have similar status (e.g. Himalayan Snowcock, Yellow-footed Gull, some of the seabirds? My knowledge of ABA birds isn't good enough to really say though)

Looking at the code definitions and list though makes me realise that the classification is even more arbitrary than I thought, so I guess it doesn't really matter! In particular, there seems to be somewhat of a bias against northern birds - e.g code 2 King Eider, Sharp-tailed Grouse and particularly White-winged Crossbill seem to have much broader ranges and larger populations than many code 1 birds. I know their range might be less accessible, but it seems like this isn't supposed to be factored into the codes (e.g. Common Ringed Plover and Gray-headed Chickadee)
 
Reuven_M said:
In particular, there seems to be somewhat of a bias against northern birds - e.g code 2 King Eider, Sharp-tailed Grouse and particularly White-winged Crossbill seem to have much broader ranges and larger populations than many code 1 birds.
Click to expand...
Or even a bias against birds with distributions primarily in Canada rather than the US...? :eek!:;)
 
yeah...the differences between code 1 and 2 birds is often a matter of how restricted the range is. There are certainly plenty of code 2 birds that are easy to see, but only if you go to a few specific spots. Little Gull might be a comparable example; over most of the ABA area its a pretty rare bird
 
This is pretty impressive stuff - has he missed any key vagrants yet or are they things he can get back at the end of the year?

cheers, alan
 
Newfoundland Yellow-legged Gull could be soon? I also don't think he's gone to Ohio for the Brambling yet. Maybe not necessary if he plans on spending time offshore Alaska. I'm not totally sure of its status out there.
 
Reuven_M said:
Newfoundland Yellow-legged Gull could be soon? I also don't think he's gone to Ohio for the Brambling yet. Maybe not necessary if he plans on spending time offshore Alaska. I'm not totally sure of its status out there.
Click to expand...

In the ABA area, Yellow-legged Gull is known only from the northeast Atlantic coast. It would not be expected in Alaska as they are a Southern Europe species.
Andy
 
Kratter said:
In the ABA area, Yellow-legged Gull is known only from the northeast Atlantic coast. It would not be expected in Alaska as they are a Southern Europe species.
Andy
Click to expand...

I meant Brambling in Alaska. I figure its pretty expected up there but I don't know for sure.
 
lewis20126 said:
Morgan - when do you think he will overtake your ABA life list total?! ;)

cheers, alan
Click to expand...

Spring migration should do the trick!

I am just happy there are still some local lifers ahead of me this spring and summer. My list stagnated in Wyoming and Michigan. NYC area gets no shortage of rare birds, plus some NE NA specialties I still need to round up
 
Reuven_M said:
Newfoundland Yellow-legged Gull could be soon? I also don't think he's gone to Ohio for the Brambling yet. Maybe not necessary if he plans on spending time offshore Alaska. I'm not totally sure of its status out there.
Click to expand...

There have been two separate Kelp Gulls...Don't think he has gone after either.

but yeah I think he has pretty much nailed every single vagrant of note. The real test is going to be how he does on vagrants in Alaska in late spring and early summer as well as fall. That can make or break a big year
 
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