Europeans, which American bird would you most like to see? (1 Viewer)

[hookem2010]

Piggy-backing off the other thread, I have no idea which birds most attract Europeans to the states. Is it our common and widespread, yet still beautiful cardinals? The impossibly colorful painted bunting? Our national bird, the bald eagle? Something rare with a bizarre ritual, like sage grouse or prairie chicken?
Also, if anyone wants to share cool vagrants found across the pond, I have no idea which birds are twitching inspirations for y'all, despite being commonplace for us.

 

[Jos Stratford]

I think, broadly, most Europeans get enthused by the New World warblers, both as vagrants in Europe and then, in all their glory of adult spring plumage, etc, in North America.

On top on these, many other attractions, but I think a common theme is often the lure of species that are rare vagrants this side of the water. And, I guess, hummingbirds.

Whooping Crane and Spectacled Eider were my last main targets in the US.

 

[hookem2010]

Well then we agree on that! The three or so weeks from about 4/20-5/10 are my favorite time of year to bird, primarily because of our warblers.

 

[Welsh Peregrine]

I am heading to Arizona next month primarily to see Olive Warbler, the last North American family I need. Best vagrant American bird I have seen over here - probably Belted Kingfisher, with runner up prizes for Northern Oriole and Golden-winged Warbler.

 

[Mysticete]

I helped host a marine mammal related conference in San Diego, and the Aussie researcher attending was endlessly fascinated by the hummingbirds on campus.

 

[hookem2010]

Wow, golden-winged warbler is a great bird most places here in the states! Is Northern oriole what we refer to as Baltimore oriole?

 

[DMW]

Spectacled Eider. Not strictly American, but the only reasonably accessible place to see it.

 

[Welsh Peregrine]

Northern Oriole was the lump which included Baltimore Oriole.

 

[Xenospiza]

Piggy-backing off the other thread, I have no idea which birds most attract Europeans to the states. Is it our common and widespread, yet still beautiful cardinals? The impossibly colorful painted bunting? Our national bird, the bald eagle? Something rare with a bizarre ritual, like sage grouse or prairie chicken?
Also, if anyone wants to share cool vagrants found across the pond, I have no idea which birds are twitching inspirations for y'all, despite being commonplace for us.

The grouse are high up on my list (seen a few, but not displaying). I am far from "cleaning up" in North America – I think other major targets are some of the woodpeckers that have escaped me, American Woodcock and the alcids of the Pacific.

Based on previous trips: Golden-cheeked Warbler was my first target after arrival in TX (I spent a few months studying there, not helped by not having a driving licence). I was very happy to see Scissor-tailed Flycatcher almost immediately too. Northern Cardinal is common but awesome! Another must-see bird is Greater Roadrunner.
I also really wanted to see Plain Chachalaca. Spending a day at Santa Ana NWR in mid-summer (after an 8 mile walk just to get there!) may be an experience not to be repeated, but it was my first "neotropical experience" and included Masked Duck – a really good bird for my US list. Many years later I went to TX in winter to see Whooping Crane and Harris's Sparrow.
I've also made at trip to MN/ND because that looked like the place to be for warblers and sparrows. I extended a lay-over in Florida to complete my set of USA Scrub Jays.

 

[opisska]

Prairie Chicken for sure. If nothing than the name is awesome I also really like Evening Grosbeak, just how it looks like. But I have already seen a lot of bird in the US.

 

[vergan]

First time I came to the US for a conference, we had bird trip on the last day (bird-related conference). I was not very excited about seeing hummingbirds (just because I knew they are way more diverse south), rather I was excited to see any known potential vagrant from an european perspective, but I was stoned by them. Closest thing we have in Europe are some large moths!
Now I am planning to place a hummingbird feeder in my backyard

 

[earlytorise]

One scene I remember from Bill Oddie's episode on American birding is where he finds a sparrow. America truly has a diversity of sparrows unmatched in Europe.

 

[Dortmundbirder]

I have been to FLorida and some places in Latin America, so not a complete new experience.
I think one of my top missing birds is certainly Burrowing Owl, which I always wanted to see and managed to have missed yet, as well as Black Skimmer.

 

[delia todd]

I've a few of course, but pretty high in my list is any hummingbird, a roadrunner and Burrowing Owl.

Not going to get there though; at least very doubtful.

 

[Sangahyando]

Lots of species come to mind; currently it would probably be Acorn Woodpecker, Painted Bunting, Burrowing Owl, Ferruginous Hawk, and some of the hummingbirds and New World warblers.

 

[JWN Andrewes]

Roadrunner, Lewis's Woodpecker, Yellow-billed Magpie off the top of my head.

 

[jurek]

For me: California Condor, Whooping Crane and Gyrfalcon.

Others: Spectacled Eider, Sage Grouse, Prairie Chicken, Ivory Gull, Roadrunner, some crazy Pacific alcids like Rhinoceros Auklet or Least Auklet, colorful wood warblers like Golden-winged or Cerulean. I had also soft spot for Williamson's Sapsucker, Steller's Jay and Elegant Quail.

An average European birder would probably love waders and songbirds which are vagrants to Europe and hummingbirds.

 

[01101001]

All available wood-warblers (and allies*) and woodpeckers. Then, depending on location, one of these:
1) Scissor-tailed Flycatcher,
2) Chestnut-backed Chickadee,
3) one of the rosy-finches,
4) Boreal Canada Jay,
5) one of the hummingbirds in a natural setting (not on a feeder),
6) more than decent views of one of the larger hawks (Buteo and allies*).

Wood-warblers because of their colours; woodpeckers because of their colours and diversity; larger hawks because of their diversity; others just because they're charismatic.

*if that's what they're called

EDIT: I think I might well borrow
7) Yellow-billed Magpie
from one of the proposals above.

 

[opisska]

For me: California Condor, Whooping Crane and Gyrfalcon.

Others: Spectacled Eider, Sage Grouse, Prairie Chicken, Ivory Gull, Roadrunner, some crazy Pacific alcids like Rhinoceros Auklet or Least Auklet, colorful wood warblers like Golden-winged or Cerulean. I had also soft spot for Williamson's Sapsucker, Steller's Jay and Elegant Quail.

An average European birder would probably love waders and songbirds which are vagrants to Europe and hummingbirds.

But Gyrfalcon is also present in Europe, don't go for it to America The alcids are a good point, interesting we haven't thought of them before!

 

[THE_FERN]

So many of these things can also be seen in central or South America: perhaps more easily. And then there's all the quetzals etc you don't get further north...

How much more of a spectacle is warbler passage in the us?

(I imagine Yucatan is pretty lively about now)