You can also send reports and digital image files via email to nysarc44 (at)nybirds{dot}org.
If electronic submission is not possible, hardcopy reports and photos or sketches are welcome. Hardcopy documentation should be mailed to:
Gary Chapin - Secretary NYS Avian Records Committee (NYSARC) 125 Pine Springs Drive Ticonderoga, NY 12883
Hotline: New York City Area Rare Bird Alert Number: (212) 979-3070
Compiler: Tom Burke Coverage: New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
Transcriber: Ben Cacace
BEGIN TAPE
Greetings. This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for *Friday, April 17th, 2026*, at 11 pm. The highlights of today's tape are SWALLOW-TAILED KITE, an extralimital NEOTROPIC CORMORANT, TUFTED DUCK, GLAUCOUS GULL, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, PROTHONOTARY and YELLOW-THROATED WARBLERS, SUMMER TANAGER, arriving Spring migrants, and more.
In a week featuring a rather confusing set of conditions for northbound migrants, one birder was lucky enough to look up in time to spot one of the world's great birds, a SWALLOW-TAILED KITE, as it soared high over Frank Melville Memorial Park in Setauket this morning, even snapping a nice photo before the KITE moved on. A late-day report from northeastern Westchester also needs to be checked out, and on a slightly extralimital note, a NEOTROPIC CORMORANT was spotted Tuesday on the Hudson River in Newburgh, likely the same bird returning for a 5th year. It was also noted Wednesday on the Beacon side of the river.
A drake TUFTED DUCK visiting Cammann's Pond Park off Lindenmere Drive in Merrick was seen there several days this week through today.
A couple of PROTHONOTARY WARBLERS appeared this week, the first at Green-wood Cemetery in Brooklyn on Tuesday followed by one at Crocheron Park in Bayside Queens on Thursday while several reports of YELLOW-THROATED WARBLERS featured one near the dam at Cross River Reservoir in Westchester from Saturday through Monday followed by one in Central Park Wednesday and singles Thursday appearing in Prospect Park and Inwood Hill Park and another prized Spring migrant was a male SUMMER TANAGER found Thursday in Prospect Park.
A GLAUCOUS GULL was seen most days this week to Friday at Bush Terminal Piers Park in Brooklyn. One or two ICELAND GULLS noted there several days, and a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL also there Wednesday.
A few AMERICAN BITTERNS this week featured one in Prospect Park Tuesday and two at Mount Loretto on Staten Island Wednesday.
The adult RED-HEADED WOODPECKER continued all week at Marshlands Conservancy in Rye.
A Gambel's type WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW was still being seen in Green-wood Cemetery to Tuesday, and a VESPER SPARROW visited Central Park last Sunday.
A long list of Spring migrants this week included RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD, COMMON GALLINULE, WILLET, TRICOLORED and GREEN HERONS, GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER, YELLOW-THROATED VIREO, CLIFF SWALLOW, NORTHERN HOUSE WREN and MARSH WREN, SEASIDE SPARROW, BALTIMORE ORIOLE, and among the warblers OVENBIRD, WORM-EATING, NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH, BLUE-WINGED, NASHVILLE, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, HOODED, NORTHERN YELLOW, and BLACK-THROATED GREEN.
To phone in reports, call Tom Burke at (914) 967-4922.
This service is sponsored by the Linnaean Society of New York and the National Audubon Society. Thank you for calling.
