Date: 7/20/24 8:47 am From: <swmavocet...> via groups.io <swmavocet...> Subject: [ALbirds] Many (!) checklist changes published by ABA and AOS (the other one)
Highlights:
- The 2023 Gray Gull found in the FL panhandle was accepted by to the ABA checklist along with the Yellow-headed Caracara still located in south FL.
- 35 "provisional" exotic species are now acceptable to report on the ABA checklist
- 20 exotic species not considered 'naturalized' yet but that may be one day
- 15 species of questionable origin including those only known to have arrived on ships
- Five exotic species present on the ABA checklist for a time but removed when their populations disappeared, are now acceptable to put on your checklist again if you observed them in the location they were accepted at the time.
- The three redpolls were lumped into one species.
- Barn Owl, Gull-billed Tern, Cattle Egret, Cory's and Audubon's Shearwater, Brown Booby, House Wren, American Pipit, etc. are split into multiple species. I don't think any of these splits create new checklist tick boxes for Alabama but, with the door now opened and closer scrutiny, the potential is there.
- The new names for the Alabama species involved are now American Barn Owl, Northern House Wren , Western Cattle-Egret, and Sargasso Shearwater. "Audubon's" was not retained for any of the five new small B&W shearwater names.
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Bird well,Steve McConnellHartselle, AL
James F. Holmes, MD, MPH
Professor and Executive Vice Chair
Department of Emergency Medicine
UC Davis School of Medicine
Office (916) 734-1533
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Date: 7/6/24 6:54 pm From: Damien J. Simbeck via groups.io <tnbarredowl...> Subject: [ALbirds] White Ibis, Tricolored Hreon in Northwest Alabama (and an interesting hybrid heron)
Regina is finally feeling well enough post-surgery to venture out a bit. While we were out this afternoon, we made stops at The Sinks and Hamilton Pond. Several folks have been reporting a Wurdemann's Heron at The Sinks. Looking at photos, I'm leaning towards Great Blue X Great Egret hybrid. I wanted to see it first hand to get a good impression of overall size, bill size and shape and Egret plumes on its back, visible in the photos. Unfortunately, it couldn't be found during our visit. (NOTE: This may be the same individual reported as a Wurdemann's Heron for several years now at The Sinks and Wheeler NWR...similar plumage patterns). I did get a nice view of a Barn Owl flying over the fields behind the barns at the south pond.
Hamilton Pond was very low and almost solid white. I counted 232 Great Egrets, but probably missed a bunch too. Also present were a few Great Blue Herons, and 15 Little Blue Herons. In the mix, I noticed 2 immature White Ibis feeding in the grass zone behind the other waders. Before I left, I made one last scan through the Great Egrets and picked up a Tricolored Heron. It was even cooperative enough to raise its wings as i was snapping a photo so i got a blurry image of white belly and underwing. Two Green Herons flew overhead before i left to round out my wader list. Waterfowl included a small group of Wood Ducks, several Mallards in eclipse plumage and an adult Black-bellied Whistling-Duck with 4 fairly old babies.
Damien Simbeck
Killen AL
Sent from my (non-Apple) phone. You can teach an old dog new tricks!
