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

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I've seen a high proportion of 'ABA area' birds but there are a few I'd still really like to get. Here's an approximate top 30:

1. Spectacled Eider
2. Montezuma Quail
3. Mountain Quail
4. Sage Grouse (either species)
5. Spruce Grouse
6. Ruffed Grouse
7. Black Rail
8. Mountain Plover
9. Bristle-thighed Curlew
10. Hudsonian Godwit
11. Rock Sandpiper
12. American Woodcock
13. Whiskered Auklet (and probably any of the Pacific alcids I've not seen)
14. Aleutian Tern
15. Black-capped Petrel
16. California Condor
17. Spotted Owl
18. Northern Saw-whet Owl
19. Black-backed Woodpecker
20. Grey Vireo
21. Grey-crowned and/or Brown-capped Rosy-finch
22. Smith's Longspur
23. McKay's Bunting
24. Black-chinned Sparrow
25. Five-striped Sparrow
26. Baird's Sparrow
27. Henslow's Sparrow
28. Nelson's or Saltmarsh Sparrow
29. Connecticut Warbler
30. Kirtland's Warbler

I guess I still have a few reasons to go back!

 

[hookem2010]

I mean, if you're comparing the US to Central/South American birding, they are just on two different planes. Having spent some time in the Yucatan about 6 weeks ago, the warblers that light up our forests in the spring are background noise compared to the toucans, motmots, parrots, hummers etc., at least to someone used to seeing the former.
Good point though, I bet staging in the Yucatan this time of year is pretty crazy.

 

[Frank van Drogen]

While living the the US, I saw quite a few birds. However, nothing made me happier than the humming birds that visited our balcony. I had other issues to deal with, so never took the time to make photos, or even identify the different species. However, I still vividly remember the sheer pleasure of seeing them.

Just the simple joy of some, probably very common, humming birds visiting the flowers on plants I grew (well, actually just watered occasionally), not many things surpassed that.




Edit to add: also saw some awesome eagle (probably golden?), and actually had a chat with a photographer that followed it up and down the coast for weeks. 'T was a life time ago, did he really work for NG, or is that a false memory?

 

[Farnboro John]

I've seen quite a few of the species people have named and I enjoy North American birding but have a long way to go! Nevertheless I'll keep this to five species rather than the obverse of my NA "seen list"

California Condor
Tufted Puffin
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Spectacled Eider
Whooping Crane

I'm concerned that I may have just set a target I'll have to pay attention to.

John

 

[Paul Chapman]

Most of my main desires from a North American perspective were viewed from the perspective of vagrancy in a European context.

But now I have either seen these as vagrants (eg Red-breasted Nuthatch, Golden-winged Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, Parula Warbler, Varied Thrush, Yellow-throated Vireo, etc) or elsewhere as winterers or in the States (eg Prothonotary Warbler, Hooded Warbler, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Philadelphia Vireo, etc) so like many in this thread, I am now various alcids (particularly Tufted Puffin and Rhinocerous Auklet), various grouse, Whooping Crane and California Condor.

All the best

Paul

 

[DMW]

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)

That's rather like saying why go to Europe when you can see most of the migrants in Africa, plus lions and gorillas. The one region I would agree with this sentiment is the Sonoran zone in SE Arizona, which is basically western Mexico lite.

 

[01101001]

That's rather like saying why go to Europe when you can see most of the migrants in Africa, plus lions and gorillas.

Actually, there is some merit to it if you think about it.

 

[DMW]

Actually, there is some merit to it if you think about it.

No, there really isn't.

 

[Paul Chapman]

That's rather like saying why go to Europe when you can see most of the migrants in Africa, plus lions and gorillas. The one region I would agree with this sentiment is the Sonoran zone in SE Arizona, which is basically western Mexico lite.

Actually, there is some merit to it if you think about it.

More than some merit. Arguably a world birder would only go to Europe or North America for resident or wintering bird spectacles or summering visitors which cannot be seen in more biodiverse areas.

All the best

Paul

 

[THE_FERN]

No, there really isn't.

The point (and my question) was really about density and ease of view. It's easy to see lots of Nearctic migrants in breeding dress in South/Central America. I'm not sure how true this is in Africa (say), and I'm not sure how density/ease of view compares in the North America migration hotspots. If there's little difference then I'd go further South

 

[DMW]

More than some merit. Arguably a world birder would only go to Europe or North America for resident or wintering bird spectacles or summering visitors which cannot be seen in more biodiverse areas.

All the best

Paul

The premise of the thread is which American bird you would most like to see, not which bird would you travel to America specifically to see. I think it's unlikely that anybody will travel to the US solely to see Black-throated Blue Warbler, just as I think it's unlikely anybody will travel to Europe to see a Wheatear.

 

[DMW]

The point (and my question) was really about density and ease of view. It's easy to see lots of Nearctic migrants in breeding dress in South/Central America. I'm not sure how true this is in Africa (say), and I'm not sure how density/ease of view compares in the North America migration hotspots. If there's little difference then I'd go further South

I can't speak from deep personal experience, but during trips to Mexico and South America I've never seen anything close to the diversity of migrant warblers I had on High Island in April, but there may well be equivalents further south.

 

[Paul Chapman]

That's rather like saying why go to Europe when you can see most of the migrants in Africa, plus lions and gorillas. The one region I would agree with this sentiment is the Sonoran zone in SE Arizona, which is basically western Mexico lite.

The premise of the thread is which American bird you would most like to see, not which bird would you travel to America specifically to see. I think it's unlikely that anybody will travel to the US solely to see Black-throated Blue Warbler, just as I think it's unlikely anybody will travel to Europe to see a Wheatear.

I was responding to your paragraph having merit - why go to Europe? - not the premise of the thread....

I am going ro North America (Pelee) in May primarily to see things like Black-throated Blue Warbler in breeding plumage on migration. I have seen that species before and I have seen a number of my other targets as wintering species in Costa Rica. Some potential ticks for me but not really a focused trip for additional lifers.

Edit - whilst typing we have made the same point...

All the best

Paul

 

[SlowLowFlyingTurkey]

Surprised no one's picked Ivory-billed Woodpecker yet.

 

[Scott98]

I'm learning more every day here, as an American I had no idea Europe did not have hummingbirds! That's a tough blow, they are very cool little creatures. Not only beautiful but also social animals with a lot of personality. I have a couple resident families that are buzzing over my garden plants all summer. You can tell them apart by their behavior and flying style. Every spring I anticipate seeing how many made it back here OK from Central America.

We only have 1 species here in the northeast USA, but there are lodges the Southwest (Arizona and New Mexico) where they have feeders set up and you can see a half-dozen or more species in one sitting, that is defintely on the list of things I'd like to do.

 

[Kirk Roth]

I'm learning more every day here, as an American I had no idea Europe did not have hummingbirds!

Not since about 30 million years ago!

The Origins of Hummingbirds Are Still a Major Mystery

There is a dazzling diversity of the tiny birds in the Americas, but recent discoveries trace their evolution back to Europe—where today there are no nectar-feeding species.

www.audubon.org

 

[dantheman]

I'm setting my sights a bit lower with Passenger Pigeon then ...

 

[opisska]

Surprised no one's picked Ivory-billed Woodpecker yet.

I was contemplating bringing it up but didn't want to detail the thread

Honestly speaking, I find the whole thing fascinating and I have been thinking a little bit about putting my inflatable canoe to action in some appropriate places. I know it's very unlikely to succeed, but the idea is just very fun and the habitat is so interesting. But maybe I would rather put all this effort towards some of the "lost" but more likely to be found species elsewhere.

 

[delia todd]

I've just remembered the bird that I really, really would like to see and that's a skimmer in feeding mode.

 

[jurek]

I'm learning more every day here, as an American I had no idea Europe did not have hummingbirds!

So why you have a Swiss flag in the avatar?