WESTERN BIRDS

Volume 25, Number 1, 1994

FIFTEENTH REPORT OF THE CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE

MICHAEL A. PATYEN, P.O. Box 8612, Riverside,California 92515-8612 RICHARD A. ERICKSON, LSA Associates,1 Park Plaza, Suite 500, Irvine, Califor- nia 92714

This articlereports the resultsof the recentreview of 232 recordsof 91 speciesby the CaliforniaBird RecordsCommittee (hereafter the Commit- tee or CBRC). Of these records, 171 were accepted,representing an acceptancerate of 73.7%. Thisreport contains records from 1943 through 1990, althoughthe vastmajority are from 1989 throughspring of 1990. As in the CBRC's 13th report (Pyle and McCaskie1992), San Francisco was the best-representedcounty, with 23 acceptedrecords, 20 of which were from SoutheastFarallon Island. Other well-representedcounties were San Diego (19), Marin (12), Monterey(12), Orange(11), and Kern (11). Fourspecies accepted in thisreport are newfor California:the Common Pochard (Aythya ferina), Cave Swallow (I-tirundo fulva), Red-flanked Bluetail (Tarsigercyanurus), and Smith's Longspur(Calcarius pictus). Details of the state's first Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes ewthrocephalus)in 1962 are alsoincluded. Including the recentaddition of the Little Bunting(œmberiza pusilla; McCaskie1993), the Californiastate list now standsat 580. Also treatedin this report are potentialCalifornia firstsof Townsend'sShearwater (Puffinus auricularis), Caribbean Coot (Fulica caribaea),Green Kingfisher(Chloroceryle americana), and Field- fare (Turduspilari$), none of whichwere acceptedby the Committee.At the 1992 annualmeeting, the CBRC establisheda SupplementalList to the CaliforniaState List to includespecies of uncertainnatural occurrence. The Oriental Greenfinch (Carduelis sinica), California records of which are detailedin this report, is the firstaddition to the SupplementalList. All recordsreviewed by the CBRC are archivedat the WesternFounda- tion of VertebrateZoology, 439 Calle San Pablo, Camarillo,California 93010. All written documentation,photographs, voice recordings,and videotapesare housedthere and are organizedby CBRC recordnumber. They are availableto anyoneinterested in reviewingrecord documentation and the CBRC's assessment. Aside from recent additions to California's

WesternBirds 25:1-34, 1994 1 CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS avifauna,the CBRC Review List has not changedsince publishedby Langham(1991) and updatedby Pyleand McCaskie(1992) and Roberson (1993). In additionto reviewingeach submittedrecord, the Committee reviewsall recordsof ReviewList species published as occurringin Califor- nia. The Committeesolicits information on all occurrencesof specieson its Review List, publishedor not, and encouragesobservers to supportthe Committee review processby submittingwritten reports, photographs, tape recordings,and other documentationto MichaelA. Patten, CBRC Secretary,at the addressabove. See Pyle and McCaskie(1992) for more informationabout the Committee'sreview process. Format. The format of thisreport is similarto thoseof recentCommittee reports (Langham 1991, Pyle and McCaskie 1992, Roberson1993). Recordsare listedchronologically by firstdate of occurrenceexcept when an alternatearrangement provides a clearerpresentation of the CBRC's decisions.Each record includes the locality,a standardabbreviation for the county(see below), and a full date span. In general,the date spanfollows the dates publishedin the seasonalreports of American Birds or other sources.If the Committeehas informationindicating that a publisheddate spanis incorrect,the CBRC-accepteddate is listedin italics.Initials of the observerswho submitteddocumenation to the Committeeare listedalpha- betically(by surname) in parentheses.The CBRC recordnumber is included at the end of thislist. If the observer(s)originally finding/identifying the bird submitteddocumentation, their name(s)are listed first, followed by a semicolon.All recordsare sightrecords, unless otherwise noted. See Table 1 for a summaryof the symbolsused in this report. When birdsreturn to a localityafter a lengthyabsence (e.g., for consecu- tive winters)or remainfor a numberof years,each subsequent occurrence, or occurrencein a new calendaryear, is reviewedas if new (i.e., a new recordnumber is assigned)and the Committeesuggests, by simplymajority vote, whether or not the same individualis involved.The Committee does not formallydecide the age, sex,or subspeciesof a givenbird. Thus all the followingannotations are our own,although our opinionsare usuallybased at leastin part on the commentsof Committeemembers, who oftenremark on age, sex, and subspeciesissues when reviewinga record.Some of the designationswe haveincluded reflect the collectiveopinion of the Commit- tee.

Abbreviations. The Committee has adopted the following standard abbreviationsfor counties(only those includedin this report are listed): ALA, Alameda; BUT, Butte; CC, Contra Costa; DN, Del Norte; ED, El Dorado; FRE, Fresno;GLE, Glenn; HUM, Humboldt;IMP, Imperial;INY, Inyo;KER, Kern;LA, LosAngeles; MEN, Mendocino;MNO, Mono; MOD, Modoc; MRN, Marin; MTY, Monterey;NAP, Napa; ORA, Orange; PLU, Plumas;RIV, Riverside;SBA, Santa Barbara;SBE, San Bernardino;SBT, San Benito;SCL, SantaClara; SCZ, SantaCruz; SD, San Diego;SF, San Francisco;SIS, Siskiyou;SLO, San Luis Obispo;SM, San Mateo; SON, Sonoma;TRI, Trinity;TUL, Tulare;TUO, Tuolumne;VEN, Ventura. See Langham(1991) for a completelist of the 58 standardcounty abbrevia- tions. CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS

Table 1 SymbolsUsed in the SpeciesAccounts

Symbol Meaning

* beforea species'name The speciesis no longeron the CBRC Review List. Numberin parenthesesfollowing a species The numberof CBRC-accepted recordsthrough this report. For speciesno longeron the Review List, this numberindicates only those acceptedwhile records of the specieswere beingreviewed by the Committee. ** followingthe numberin parentheses The numberof acceptedrecords includesonly recordswithin a restrictedreview periodor the numberincludes records statistically accepted.See Roberson(1986) for more information. after an observer's name The observersupplied a photograph supportingacceptance of the record. followedby a codeand a number A specimenrecord. The code is a standard abbreviation for the housinginstitution (see text) and the numberis the cataloguenumber in that institution.

Abbreviationsfor museumscited in this report are CAS, California Academyof Sciences,San Francisco; CSULB, California State University, LongBeach; LACM, NaturalHistory Museum of LosAngeles County, Los Angeles;MLZ, Moore Laboratoryof Zoology,Occidental College, Los Angeles;SBCM, San BernardinoCounty Museum, Redlands; SBMNH, SantaBarbara Museum of NaturalHistory, Santa Barbara; SDNHM, San Diego NaturalHistory Museum, San Diego;WFVZ, WesternFoundation of Vertebrate Zoology. Other abbreviationsare AFB, air force base; Co., county;I., island;L., lake; mi., miles;mtn., mountain;nmi., nauticalmiles; NS, nationalseashore; NWR, nationalwildlife refuge; ph., photograph;pt., point; SB, statebeach; SP, statepark.

RECORDS ACCEPTED

YELLOW-BILLEDLOON Gaylaadamsii (50). One, probablya first-winterbird, wasobserved at Monterey,MTY, 30 Jan 1982 (TCh;65-1990). A juvenilewas on L. Havasu,SBE, from 24 Dec 1989 to 14 Mar 1990 (JLD'•,GMcC, MAP; 10-1990); a photographof it appearedin Am. Birds44:302. One, probablya first-winterbird, wasin TrinidadHarbor, HUM, 14 Mar-15 Apr 1990 (RAE,LPL; 73-1990). The L. Havasubird was originallydiscovered on the Arizonaside of the lake but was seenregularly on both sides.Dates above include its entire stay,although it apparentlyarrived several days before it wasfirst detected in California.In additionto beingArizona's second record, this is onlythe secondinland record for California, CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS the firstbeing of a first-winterbird seen and photographed at L. Perris,RIV, 20 Dec 1983-4 May 1984 (Roberson1986). The descriptionof theTrinidad bird mentions white shafts to theouter primaries, a characteristicof the Yellow-billedLoon (Binfordand Remsen1974, Phillips1990). MOTTLED PETREL Pterodroma inexpectata(22). One was at 32044' N, 122o33' W, 123 nmi. SW of SanMiguel I., SBA, 15 Nov 1989 (PP;161-1989) and anotherwas at 33057' N, 121ø39'W, 61 nmi. westof San MiguelI., 17 Nov 1989 (PP;162-1989). Increased pelagic work beyond the contintental shelf in recentyears is showingthis species to be regularthere from November through February. *MURPHY'S PETREL Pterodromfi ultima (113). Four were between 33ø30' N and 33045' N, 121ø30'W and 122ø W, about70-90 nmi. SW of Pt. Conception SBA, 11 May 1987, and threewere between 33020 ' N and 33040' N, 123ø50'W and 124ø10'W, about150-180 nmi. WSW of Pt. Conception,SBA, 12 May 1987 (RRV; 191-1987). Thisspecies has proved to be regularin the deepwater far off California,particularly from April throughJune (Baileyet al. 1989b, Roberson 1993). *WlLSON'S STORM-PETREL Oceanitesoceanicus (127). One was about 5 mi. SW of the Angel'sGate entrance to LosAngeles Harbor, LA, 7 Aug 1983 (KLG;6- 1990). One off CordellBank, MRN, on 13 Jul 1986 (Langham1991) is the only earlierreport for our "fall,"although there are two springrecords for California: MontereyBay, MTY, 1 May1978 (Roberson1986) and 21 nmi.WSW of Pt. Reyes, MRN, 10 Jun 1989 (Pyleand McCaskie1992). Up to fourwere with the MontereyBay, MTY, storm-petrelrafts 21 Aug-16 Oct 1988 (DGY, Kid; SFB, JLD, GMcC, DLS, RFT; 185-1988); the speciesis a regular fallvisitor to MontereyBay. One about 30 nmi.west of SanDiego, SD, 10 Sep1988 (JLD; 240-1988) was acceptedas probablythe samebird presentin the samearea 28 Aug 1988 (Pyleand McCaskie1992). Ten were at CordellBank, 25-28 nmi. WNW of Pt. Reyes,MRN, 13 Aug 1989 (RS; 171-1989). WEDGE-RUMPED STORM-PETREL Oceanodroma tethys (5). One was at 32o08' N, 120037' W, 83 nmi. SW of San NicolasI., VEN, 23 Jul 1989 (PP'I';108- 1989); a photographof it waspublished (upside-down) in Am. Birds43:1367. The five recordsfor Californiaare of singlebirds in July,August, September, October, and January. MASKEDBOOBY 5ula dactylatra(2). A first-yearbird 2 mi. westof Pt. Lobos StateReserve, MTY, 5 Apr 1990 (Figure1; DLf; 52-1990)was the first of itsspecies photographedin California.Additional information regarding this bird, found and photographedby a long-timeskipper of pelagicbirding trips, was supplied by Alan Baldridge and Don Roberson, the latter correcting the understandable misidentificationof this bird as a Brown Booby.The only previousrecord for California was one observedSW of San Clemente I., LA, 10 Jan 1977 (Lewisand Tyler 1978, Lutheret al. 1979). Thereare two distinctpopulations of MaskedBoobies in the PacificOcean. Adults can be differentiatedby bill color,which is yellowishor greenish-yellowin 5. d. personatafrom the centralPacific and 5. d. californicafrom off westernMexico, andpale pinkish-orange in 5. d. granti fromthe GalapagosIslands south to Chile. Smallnumbers of orange-billedbirds, presumably 5. d. granti, breedsympatrically withlarge numbers of 5. d. californicaon Clippertonand San Benedicto islands off of west Mexico (RobertL. Pitman,fide K. L. Garrett). Upon acceptance,this record was sent to Pitmanfor subspecificidentification. Pitman(in litt.) repliedthat while bill coloration can be usedto separateadults, "quite a few subadults,and evenjuveniles," determination "requires good light and may thennot alwaysbe possible."Nevertheless, Don Roberson(in litt.) indicatedthat the 4 CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS plumageof immaturesfrom yellow-billedpopulations is generally"deep chocolate brown,"whereas immatures from orange-billedpopulations are "decidedlygray." Robersonfurther statedthat the Pt. Lobosbird appearedto be of a yellow-billed population. BLUE-FOOTED BOOBY Sula nebouxii (70**). Up to four were at various locationsaround the SaltonSea, IMP/RIV, 12 Jul-30 Sep 1990 (JLDt; SFB, NBB, GMcC, MJLt, MAP•: 100-1990); a photographof one appearedin Am. Birds 44:1185.An adultmale was found dying along an irrigationcanal 41/2 mi. SW of Seeley,IMP, 2 Sep 1990 (#SDNHM 46903; 47-1992). TheseBlue-looted Boobies were the firstto "invade"the Salton Sea since 1980 (Roberson1993). See McCaskie (1970) for more information about these invasions. BROWN BOOBY $ula !eucogaster(28). An injuredadult male of the subspecies brewsteriwas picked up at ImperialBeach, SD, 2 Apr 1990, thenwas transported to a rehabilitationcenter, where it diedon 9 Apr 1990 (#SDNHM 46566: 48-1992). The date of this bird was a surprise,as all previousCalifornia Brown Boobieshave occurredbetween mid-June and late November, except for onebird, part of the influx of eightinto the SaltonSea in the fallof 1969, thatremained into the followingApril (Dunn 1988). REDDISHEGRET Egretta rufescens (51). An adultat the southend of SanDiego Bay, SD, 13 Sep 1989-23 Jan 1990 (GMcC, DP; 190-1989) was the samebird with a deformedbill that has winteredin the vicinity(it has alsobeen seenat Chula Vistaand at the TijuanaR. mouth)every year since1982/1983. The previousdates of occurrenceare 18 Dec 1982-26 Mar 1983 (Roberson1986), 18 Jan-15 Mar

Figure1. First-yearMasked Booby (52-1990) 2 mi. westof Pt. LobosState Reserve, MontereyCounty, 5 April 1990, the secondMasked Booby for Californiaand the firstphotographed. The inverted"V" of white extendingup the breastdistinguishes the first-yearMasked from the adultBrown Booby. Photo by David Lemon CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS

1984, 12 Dec 1984-9 Mar 1985 (ph.; Dunn 1988), 9 Nov 1985-26 Jan 1986 (Bevier1990); 13 Oct 1986-31 Jan 1987 (Langham1991), 25 Sep 1987-12 Mar 1988, and 11 Sep 1988-7 Feb 1989 (Pyleand McCaskie1992). Sevenadults at the southend of San Diego Bay, SD, 6 May 1990 (GMcC; 91- 1990) constitutedthe largestflock ever recorded in California.An adultat the same locationon 23 Mar 1990 (LuS; 190-1990) and three adultstogether at the San Diego R. mouth,SD, 26 Apr 1990 (CGE; 214-1990) were consideredpart of this samegroup; thus, up to sevenwere accepted from the areafor the period23 Mar-6 May 1990. An adultat Pt. Mugu, VEN, 17-19 Apr 1990 (BBA; 81-1990) and an adultphotographed at BallonaLagoon, LA, 27 Apr 1990 alsomay have been part of thisgroup. An immaturewell seen in flight at the WhitewaterR. mouth, north end of the SaltonSea, RIV, on 28 Jul 1990 (GMcC; MAP; 111-1990) is onlythe sixthaccepted for the interior of California and the fourth for the Salton Sea. An immature at ElkhornSlough, Moss Landing, MTY, 28 Dec 1989-25 Jan 1990 (CR; JLD, KLG, GMcC, RN, DRt; 206-1989) was only the secondfor the northernhalf of the state. The bird was found dead on the latter date; the completeskeleton is preservedas CAS 84409. YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON Nyctanassaviolacea (12). An adultat La Jolla,SD, 3-24 Mar 1990 and at LosPefiasquitos Lagoon, SD, 1 Dec 1990 (GMcC; 63-1990) was consideredthe samebird that has been continuallypresent between La Jollaand San ElijoLagoon, SD, since1981. Previousdates were 25 Oct 1981- 3 Jan 1982 (Binford1985), 30 May-19 Jul 1982 (ph.), 20 Feb-29 Aug 1983 (Morlan 1985), 19 Aug-9 Oct 1984 (Dunn 1988), 19-31 Mar 1985, 5 Dec 1985- 25 Jan 1986 (Bevier 1990), 9-25 Apr 1987 (Langham 1992), 16 Jan-28 Feb 1988, and 4 May-27 Jul 1989 (ph.; Pyle and McCaskie1992). BLACK-BELLIEDWHISTLING-DUCK Dendrocygna autumnalis (9). Nine to- getherat FinneyLake, IMP, 20 Apr 1990 (DEQt; 104,1990) constitutedthe largest flock ever reportedin California.The previoushigh countwas of three birds photographedat the WisterUnit of the ImperialWildlife Area, IMP, 15 Oct-4 Nov 1973 (Lutheret al. 1979). The previousearly date was 29 May, when two were photographednear ObsidianButte at the southend of the SaltonSea, IMP, in I985 (Bevier1990). Priorrecords probably represent dispersing post-breeding birds. By contrast,the I990 flockwas likelya springovershoot, since this species migrates northinto southeastern Arizona to breed(Monson and Phillips 1981), thoughit has alsobegun to winterin the Phoenixarea in fairlylarge numbers (e.g., 40+ in 199I/ 1992; Am. Birds 46:296). TRUMPETER SWAN Cygnusbuccinator (18). One seenwith a flockof Tundra Swans (C. columbianus)at Nelson, BUT, 10 Feb 1989 (JHS; 52-1989) was identifiedsolely by its wearinga red neckcollar with a whitealphanumeric code. Accordingto informationmaintained by the TrumpeterSwan Society, graciously suppliedby BruceE. Deuel,the onlyswans marked with red collars are Trumpeters and the whitecoding indicated that the birdwas collaredin the southernMackenzie District, NorthwestTerritories, Canada. GARGANEYAnas querquedula(9). Singlebirds were shot by huntersat an unknownlocation in SolanoCo., 23 Oct 1977 (#CAS 84149; 67-1990) and at an unknownlocation in Kern Co., 10 Dec 1978 (#CAS84150; 68-1990). Onlythe wingsof thesebirds have been preserved. Bruce E. Deuelprovided the Committee with a descriptionof a wing of a birdtaken by BruceThomas at MendotaWildlife Area,FRE, 3 Dec 1989 (BEDe,WM•'; 56-1990) and also provided photographs of the wing that were takenby WoodyMartin of PatuxentWildlife Research Center in Laurel,Maryland, where the wingapparenfiy remains. 6 CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS

A male, probablyan adult,was near Guadalupeand at the SantaMaria R. mouth, SBA/SLO, 15 Oct-4 Nov 1989 (SEF•';JLD, PEL•', GMcC, MO, MAP, RST; 117- 1989); a photographof it appearedin Am. Birds 44:161 and in Birding 24:216. The discoveryof thisindividual came on the heelsof one at Nehalem,Oregon, 17- 20 Sep 1988 (Johnsonand Lethaby 1991), the firstfall Garganey detected by birders in western North America south of Alaska. There are at least three fall records of birdstaken by hunters:the two discussedabove and one of a femaletaken 12 Oct 1980 at Pt. Alberni,Vancouver I., BritishColumbia (Spear et al. 1988). A male at the Bolinassewage ponds, MRN, 27 Mar 1990 moltedfrom firstbasic to firstalternate plumage before disappearing 30 Apr 1990 (KH•';SFB•', EDGe', JM, DRY',RFT-•; 51-1990). A sketchof thisbird was published in Am. Birds44:386 and a photographappeared in Am. Birds 44:492. Determiningthe age and sex of Garganeysin the fieldcan be tenuous;Jackson (1992) provideda goodsummary and discussion of the useful features. COMMON POCHARD Aythya ferina (1). A male at Silver Lakes,SBE, 11-17 Feb 1989 (CB, GMcC, MAP, DRy',AS•', RCS, BBS, DGY; 30-1989) wasthe firstto be recorded in California and in continental North America outside of Alaska. Patten (1993) publisheda full accountof this record, includinga photograph.A color photographof this bird appearedin Am. Birds 43:230. As do many reportsof vagrantwaterfowl in California,this record engendereddebate about the bird's natural occurrence.The record passed9-1 on the secondround, with the lone dissenterquestioning the naturaloccurrence. *TUFTEDDUCK Aythyafuligula (60). A femaleat Arcata,HUM, 29 Apr-4 May 1983 (SWH; 113-1992) wasprobably a northboundspring migrant, although birds knownto be winteringhave stayed as late as mid-April.The date rangeis that given in Am. Birds 37:908; Harris (1991) listedthe finaldate as 3 May. A femalewas at Warm Springs, Fremont, ALA, 17 Nov 1989-4 Apr 1990 (LRF; 135-1989). Anotherfemale was observed at the Bolinassewage ponds, MRN, 30 Dec 1989 (PP; 5-1990). A maleat MallardReservoir in Concord,CC, 30 Dec 1989 (RjR; 54-1990) wasconsidered the samemale observedthere 27 Dec 1986-10 Jan 1987 (Langham 1991) and again on 31 Dec 1988 (Pyle and McCaskie1992). A male was at L. Hennessey,NAP, 1 Jan 1990 (JEP;BDP; 2-1990). A male visitedvarious locations in San Francisco,SF, 9 Jan-26 Apr 1990 (AArp',JLD, EEl', KLG, MJL, JM, GMcC; 7-1990/45-1990), includingthe SutroBaths, Elk GlenL., StoweL., and L. Merced; a photographof it waspublished in Am. Birds 44:323. This bird wasthought to be a returningindividual, with the previouswinter's occurrence being 19 Nov 1988-27 Mar 1989 (Pyleand McCaskie 1992). A femalewas at San LeandroReg. Shoreline, ALA, 22 Jan 1990 (Dell, Dart; 53-1990). A femaleat Saticoy,VEN, 4 Feb-5 Mar 1989 (GMcC, MAP; 40-1989) and 21 Dec 1989-10 Mar 1990 (DD•', JLD, PEL•'; 1-1990) wasconsidered a returningindividual, with the previousdates being 17 Feb- 3 Mar 1985 (Dunn 1988) and 20 Feb 1986 (Bevier 1990); a photographof it appearedin Am. Birds 44:328. A male at CastaicL., LA, 28 Jan 1990 (JLD, KLG; 87-1990) and again28 Dec 1990-28 Jan 1991 (KLG; 100-1992) was considered the sameas one there 4 Dec 1988 (Pyleand McCaskie1992). A male at Pyramid Lake, LA, 28 Jan 1990 (JLD; KLG•'; 88-1990) was apparentlypresent "through February"(Am. Birds 44:328). KING EIDER Somateriaspectabilis (28). An immaturemale at Pt. ReyesNS ("fish docks"),MRN, 30 Aug 1989 moltedinto adultplumage before it waslast seen on 21 Apr 1990 (GHF; JLD, KLG, EDG'•, MJL, GMcC, JM, SWM, BDP, MAP, DR; 133- 1989). Photographsof thisbird appearedin Am. Birds 44:156 and 44:323. ZONE-TAILED HAWK Buteo albonotatus (29). An adult was over the Oak Hill Cemeteryin Escondido,SD, 30 Dec 1989 (EJM;84-1990). An adultat Hot Springs CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS

Mtn., SD, 20 May 1990 (GMcC; 92-1990) wasconsidered to be one of the pair that has nestedhere at least from 1986 to 1988. althoughthe Committee has not receiveddetails for the 1989 sightingreported in Am. Birds 43:1367-1368. Previousaccepted dates for the pair are 6-12 Jul 1986, 13 Jun-7 Jul 1987 (Langham1991), and 4 Jul 1988 (Pyleand McCaskie1992). The Hot SpringsMtn. birds, along with a pair that nested 1979-1982 on Santa Rosa Mtn., RIV (Binford 1983, 1985, Roberson1986), suggestthat Zone-tailedHawks may be expanding their regularbreeding range into California,although four coastalSan Diego Co. specimenstaken between 1862 and 1932 (Unitt 1984. Roberson1993) suggestthat a smallpopulation has persisted for quitesome time. We believethat the recentspate of winterrecords in the vicinityof Escondidomay representoffspring from the Hot SpringsMtn. nestingefforts. GYRFALCON Falco rusticolus (5). An immature was at Tule L. NWR, SIS/MOD, 9-25 Nov 1989 (Figure2; BEDe; RE, JO'S,RS'•, ST; 125-1989). One observedjust north of the Oregon borderon 31 Dec 1989 presumablywas the sameindividual, so details of it are attached to the record. MONGOLIAN PLOVER Charadrius mongo•us(4). One in first basicor worn juvenalplumage was at Pt. ReyesNS (near the RCA Station),MRN, 22-25 Sep 1989 (RS;AG'•, MJL, JM, BDP: 132-1989). Identificationof a birdin basicplumage sparkedsome concernabout conclusivelyeliminating the very similarGreater Sand Plover(C. •eschenauItii), especiallysince even alternate-plumaged birds have caused fieldidentification problems (Shaw and Webb 1991). Taylor(1987) discusseda suite of featuresuseful for separatingthese species in basicplumage. The Pt. Reyesbird had a smallbill (aboutthe sizeof that of a SnowyPlover, C. a•exandrinus),perhaps

Figure 2 ImmatureGyrfalcon (125-1989) at Tule Lake NationalWidlife Refuge SiskiyouCounty, 14 November 1989 Photo by Rich $ta•lcup CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS the featuremost usefulin separatingthe GreaterSand Plover.Subspecies of C. leschenaultii in the eastern portion of its range (nominate birds and C. I. crassirostris),presumably the mostlikely to occurin California,have bills proportion- ately much largerthan thoseof any race of C. mongolus.Leg colorationand leg lengthare alsouseful distinctions, as the MongolianPlover has shorter, blacker legs, the GreaterSand Plover, longer, more greenishor yellowishlegs. EURASIANDOTTEREL Charadriusmorinellus (4). A juvenilewas on SE Farallon I., SF, 15 Sep 1989 (TSf; 166-1989); a colorphotograph of it waspublished in Am. Birds 44:30. All four Californiadotterels have occurredbetween 6 Sep (1986; Langham1991) and20 Sep (1974; Henderson1979, Lutheret al. 1979) on either SE FarallonI. or nearbyPt. Reyes,MRN. UPLAND SANDPIPERBartramia Iongicauda(11). A juvenilefrequented the lawnsof an industrialpark in Ventura,VEN, 28 Aug 1989 (JLD, SEFf, PELf, MAP; 111-1989); a colorphotograph of it was publishedin Am. Birds 44:30. There is now a nearlyeven splitbetween spring and fall recordsfor California,with spring onesextending from 15 to 29 May, fall onesfrom 22 Augustto 13 September. A driedcarcass, estimated at aboutfour weeks old, was found on SE FarallonI., SF, 21 Sep 1989 (PPf, #CAS 84874; 167-1989). Thusa possibleUpland Sandpiper reportedon SE FarallonI. 27 Aug 1989 (OrianeWilliams, fide PeterPyle) may well have been the same bird. LITTLE CURLEW Numenius minutus (2). One was observedwith a flock of Long-billedCurlews (N. americanus)and a few Whimbrels(N. phaeopus)in agricul- tural fieldsin the Santa Maria R. valley,near Guadalupe,SBA, 23-24 Sep 1988 (JML, MJL; SFB, JLD, GMcC, MAP; 179-1988). The bird was seenfairly briefly each day, and its age was not determined.The bird was treatedas likelydifferent fromthe juvenilephotographed and seenby manyobservers a few milesto the east from 16 Sep to 14 Oct 1984 (Lehmanand Dunn 1985, Roberson1986). The 1984 recordwas the only previousone for North America, althoughthere is now a specimenfor St. LawrenceI., Alaska,7-8 Jun 1989 (Gibsonand Kessel1992). HUDSONIAN GODWIT Limosa haemastica(8). A male in alternateplumage at Red Hill, southend of the SaltonSea, IMP, 22 May 1990 (JMaf; 93-1990) and a juvenileat the Sunnyvalesewage ponds, SCL, 1-24 Sep 1990 (WGB, MJL, JM, SWM, DEQf, RST; 121-1990) were both countyfirsts. BAR-TAILEDGODWIT Limosalapponica (11). An alternate-plumagedmale was at Pt. Mugu, VEN, 30 Aug 1990 (BE; NBB, AS; 118-1990). A juvenileat MacKerrickerSP, MEN, 26 Aug-6 Oct 1990 (DT, GM; BK, OJK, MJLf, SBTf; 122- 1990) appearedtypical of the Siberiansubspecies L. I. baueri;a photographof it appearedin Am. Birds 45:147. By contrast,the Pt. Mugubird had a white rump with "few spotsor streaks,"a whiteV extendingup the back,and white underwing covertsthat showed "faint bully spotting or barring."These features suggest that the bird may have been nominatelapponica of the westernPalearctic or possiblythe intermediate menzbieri from central Russia (Partenko 1936), a race that is not recognizedby manyauthorities (e.g., Vaurie 1965). The describedsmall size also pointed toward lapponica, although all godwit speciesshow substantialsexual dimorphismin size,with malesbeing much smallerthan females,so size is not a usefulcharacter unless the sexof the birdis known.There are no previousrecords of nominatelapponica in westernNorth America,although this subspecieshas been recordedon the Arianticcoast from Newfoundlandsouth to Florida (AOU 1983). RUFOUS-NECKEDSTINT Calidris ruficollis (6). An alternate-plumagedadult wasphotographed at the SantaMaria R. mouth,SBA/SLO, 15 Jul 1990 (Figure3; SEFf, PELf, BSf; 106-1990); another photograph appeared in Am. Birds 9 CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS

44:1187. All acceptedCalifornia records of this specieshave been of alternate- plumagedbirds. CURLEW SANDPIPERCalidris ferrugir•ea (16). Juvenileswere photographedat Lake Merced,SF, 17-20 Sep 1989 (JLD'•, GHF, PL'•, JM, SWM, MAP, RST, FT; 112-1989) and at Pt. Mugu,VEN, 26 Sep-9 Oct 1989 (BEDe;NBB, JLD, MHe% GMcC, RJM; 144-1989). A photographof the Lake Mercedbird was publishedin Am. Birds 44:157. *BUFF-BREASTEDSANDPIPER Tryngites subruficollis (71). One juvenilewas at NaturalBridges SP, SCZ, 28-30 Aug 1989 (DEG, CK, BoM; 138-1989). One juvenilewas at EdwardsAFB, KER, 16 Sep 1989 (BD'•;MTH, GMcC; 188-1989), andan alternate-plumagedbird was there 3-9 Jun 1990 (MTH'•; 98-1990); a color photographof the latter appearedin Am. Birds 44:380. Singlejuveniles were at Bolinas,MRN, 15-18 Aug 1990 (SFB,BDP; 115-1990), at AbbottsLagoon, MRN, 19 Aug 1990 (MW; 113-1990), andat ZmudowskiSB, MTY, 23 Aug 1990 (DEG; 172-1990). One juvenilewas distantlyphotographed at MossLanding, MTY, 24 Aug-3 Sep 1990 (DEG; MJL, DR'•, RST; 117-1990). Three juvenileswere at HaywardReg. Shoreline,ALA, 25 Aug 1990 (RJR;GHF, SG; 114-1990). Single juvenileswere at Morro Bay, SLO, 1 Sep 1990 (EVJ;BS'•; 127-1990) andat the SalinasR. mouth,MTY, 5-15 Sep 1990 (DEG; MJL'•, BFM, DR'•; 119-1990). A photographof the formerwas published in Am. Birds 45:151. With the exceptionof the springbird at EdwardsAFB, all of the reported individualswere juveniles.The birdsat EdwardsAFB were only the seventhand eighthrecorded inland in California.The June bird representedonly the second spring record for the state, followingone for Arcata, HUM, 3-4 May 1980 (Roberson1986, Harris 1991). LITTLE GULL Larus rninutus (41). Adult or second-winterbirds were at Horse- shoePond and DrakesBeach, Pt. ReyesNS, MRN, 20 Aug-25 Oct 1989 (MJL, SMI, JM, BDP; 126-1989) and near the SantaClara R. estuary,VEN, 23-26 Nov 1989 (SEF'•,BH'•, PEL, GMcC, MAP; 122-1989). Adultsfrequented the Carpinteria Creekmouth in Carpinteria,SBA, 8-9 Jan 1990 (AB'•,JLD, PEL; 43-1990) and CoyoteHills Regional Park, ALA, 3 Mar 1990 (CJ;49-1990). A first-summerbird wasat the SantaYnez R. mouth,SBA, 7 May-14 Jun 90 (AA'•, SEF,BHi'•, PEL, CAM; 82-1990). Photographsof the SantaBarbara Co. individualswere published in Am. Birds 44:329 and 44:497, respectively. The Pt. Reyesand Santa Clara R. estuarybirds sparked a debateabout determina- tion of the age of certainindividuals of thisspecies. Both birdswere describedas typicaladults, except their underwings showed some whitish mottling on thecoverts, althoughthe remigeswere slaty black. Grant (1986) suggested that Little Gulls with whiteon theunderwing coverts but otherwise appearing to be adultsare probably in second-winterplumage. Nevertheless, the primariesof both of thesebirds lacked darktips, which second-winter individuals are believed generally to show. THICK-BILLEDMURRE Uria lornvia(25). Six were in the Montereyand Pacific Grove area, MTY, 8 Sep 1989-9 Apr 1990 (RLB•',JLD'•, SEF•', MJL, GMcC, SWM, MAP, DR, MMT'•, FT, BJW; 113-1989). More precisely,one bird was present 8 Sep,the countpeaked at sixon 19 Sep,three were present until at least15 Oct, twostayed until 11 Feb,and one lingered until 9 Apr. In Am. Birds44:157 (which includesa photographof oneof thesebirds) a maximumof onlyfive was reported. A basic-plumagedbird frequented Moss Landing Harbor, MTY, 1-26 Jan 1990 (BS; JLD, KLG, GMcC; 3-1990). This influxof sevenThick-billed Murres into Monterey Baywas the largest on record,barely surpassing'the five found there 11 Aug 1974- 22 Feb 1975 (Lutheret al. 1979, Roberson1985, 1993). All but one of the 25 acceptedCalifornia records have come from Monterey Bay and vicinity. 10 CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS

PARAKEETAUKLET Cyclorrhynchuspsittacula (33). One wasfound dead 1 mi. southof the Santa Ynez R. mouth, SBA, 4 Jul 1988 (RPH; 152-1988). The carcass wasphotographed then preparedas skinand skeleton(#SBMNH 5423). Beach-washedcorpses have long caused problems for studentsof birddistribution (see Grinnell 1938). Paul W. Collinsand Mark A. Holmgren, who examinedand preparedthe specimen,opined that the carcass,still in fairlygood condition when it was recovered,had floated at sea for approximatelyseven to ten days prior to washingashore. Nine Committeemembers agreed that this individualmost likely died within California waters, though such issuesare impossibleto resolvewith certainty.

RUDDY GROUND-DOVE Columbinatalpacoti (17). One "male"in the Tijuana R. valley(Myers Ranch), SD, 12-20 Oct 1988 (GMcC; 220-1988B), a male there 14-31 Oct 1989 (GMcC, MAP; 152-1989), and a female there 18-31 Oct 1989 (GMcC; 153-1989) are the first to be acceptedfrom coastalCalifornia, the natural occurrenceof one 24-26 Nov 1978 at Fillmore,VEN, havingbeen questioned (Binford1985). Evencurrent coastal reports caused concern among some Commit- tee members,who citedGoodwin (1983), Clinton-Eitniear(1989), and other sources indicatingthat the speciesis kept commonlyin captivity.They notedthat the Ruddy Ground-Dovehad not then occurredin Baja California(but see below),decreasing the chancesof the speciesappearing in south-coastalCalifornia. Nevertheless,aviculturalist Jack Clinton-Eitniearstated (in litt.) that "it is very doubtfulthat sightingsof the RuddyGround-Dove [are] due to cagebirdsescaped from aviculturists."Furthermore, Luis Santaella (in litt.) couldnot find thisspecies in a checkof metcarlosin Monterrey,Nuevo Leon, in March 1991. There are two recent reportsof RuddyGround-Doves in Baja CaliforniaSur, of one observed southeastof San Antonio, 23 Nov 1990 (JohnO'Brien, fide Kurt Radamaker)and a maleseen at SanJos• delCabo, 11 Jun 1991 (Howelland Webb 1992). The species hasbeen recordedwith increasingfrequency in interiorCalifornia and Arizona,and, to a lesserextent, New Mexico and Texas. The Committee therefore felt that the balanceof evidencesuggested that even the birdsin coastalSan Diego Co. were likely of naturaloccurrence, especially because the timing of the recordscoincided with that of records for southeastern California. A male frequentedFurnace Creek Ranch,INY, 17 Oct 1989-7 Apr 1990 (NBB, HB, DFD, JLD•-, GMcC, MAP, BP; 118-1990), then wasjoined by a secondmale from 29 Oct 1989 to 1 Apr 1990 (HB; GMcC, MAP, BP; 150-1990). A femalewas at FurnaceCreek Ranch 21-29 Oct 1989 (MAP; HB, JLD, GMcC; 119-1989). Two males at Bard, IMP, 25 Nov-2 Dec 1989 (GMcC; 191/192-1990) were the first to be recordedin that county, althoughone reportedon the Martinez Lake-Yuma, Arizona, ChristmasBird Count on 17 Dec 1988 (Am. Birds 43:1098) is rumoredto have been in Bard. The Committee has not reviewed that record. Despitethe excellentidentification treatise by Dunn and Garrett (1990), sexing RuddyGround-Doves in the field has provedat timesto be quite difficult.At MLZ, Pattenexamined a seriesof 29 skinsof C. t. eluta (thesubspecies from west Mexico that presumablyaccounts for all Californiarecords). Birds showing obvious ruddy or chestnutproved to be males,whereas birds that were wholly or mostlygray were females.Seven skim, however,were intermediatebetween these extremes,two of which were labeled female and five of which were labeled male. One of the females (MLZ 43344), collectedin Guerreroon 10 Jun 1944, was brighterthan four of the malesin the collection.Examination by Patten of an additional39 skinsat WFVZ showeda similarpattern of intersexualplumage overlap. One female with gonad data on the tag (WFVZ 22894), collected17 Jul 1972 in CostaRica and thuslikely C. t. rufipennis,was distinctly brighter than many malescollected in the samearea. Thus observersmay not be able to sex all RuddyGround Doves in the field. The

11 CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS colorationof the tipsof the outermostrectrices may prove useful. In freshplumage, the tipsare whiteon females,buff on males(Dunn and Garrett 1990). Unfortunately, this differenceis extremelydifficult to distinguishin the field, wherethe tips of all freshrectrices look basically"white" or "pale." BLACK-BILLEDCUCKOO Coccyzuserythropthalmus (13). An immaturewas in Huntington Beach, ORA, 4-6 Oct 1989 (JEP; JLDt, LRHt, GMcC, MAP; 146- 1990). This recordwas only the third for the southernhalf of the state,following singlebirds observed at Big SycamoreCanyon SP, VEN, on 24 Sep 1974 (Binford 1985) and photographedat the Brock ResearchCenter, IMP, 12-13 Sep 1981 (Binford 1985). *BARRED OWL $trix varia (6). One at Tule Lake NWR, SIS, 15 Dec 1987-23 Jan 1988 (RE; 126-1990) wasjudged to be the sameindividual photographed at the samelocation 28 Nov 1986-21 Feb 1987 (Langham1991). RED-HEADED WOODPECKER Melanerpes erythrocephalus(4). One found dead on the road on what is now the border between the cities of La Puente and West Covina,LA, 20 May 1962 (#CSUI_.B2955; 79-1990) representsthe firstCalifornia record.The possibilitythat this bird did not arrive naturallyin Californiawas first consideredby Marqua (1963) in his originalnote. This notion was amplifiedby McCaskieet al. (1970) when they omittedthe speciesfrom the statelist. The record hasgenerally been considered questionable ever since(Roberson 1980, Garrettand Dunn 1981, 1989). But examinationof the specimenby StephenF. Bailey,further analysisof particularsof the recordby KimballL. Garrett,and three subsequent Red- headedWoodpecker records for California(Pyle and McCaskie1992) prompted unanimoussupport on the secondcirculation. GRF_•TERPEWEE Contopus pertinax (24). One was in Malibu, LA, 10-16 Dec 1989 (KLGt; 8-1990). One on the groundsof the San DiegoZoo, BalboaPark, San Diego, SD, 16 Dec 1989-1 Mar 1990 (DH; GMcC; 12-1990) wasback for its third winter at that locality.Previous dates were 20 Feb-30 Mar 1988 and 6 Dec 1988- 15 Feb 1989 (Pyle and McCaskie1992). These recordsfit the recentpattern of GreaterPewees wintering along the coast.The Malibubird may havebeen a tardyfall migrant,however, as it couldnot be foundsubsequently. YELLOW-BELLIEDFLYCATCHER Empidonax flaviventris (6). One at Galileo Hill Park, KER, 27 Sep-1 Oct 1989 (JLDt; NBB, MOC, NeHt, MTHt, PELt, GMcC, MAP, LaSt, JCW; 114-1989) waswidely seen, and heard, furnishingonly the secondmainland record for California;a colorphotograph was printedin Am. Birds 44:30. An immature bandedand measuredat SE Farallon I., SF, 8-9 Sep 1989 (PDt; 168-1989) wasmore representativeof previousrecords. Charactersused to identify the Galileo bird includedthe shortishbill and tail, roundedhead, circular yellowish-white eye rings,blackish wings with yellowish-white wingbars,extensive yellow onto the throat,the absenceof brownishtones, and, most importantly,a call like that of the Black Phoebe (Sayornisnigricans). See also comments under Records Not Accepted. DeSante et al. (1985) and Pyle and McCaskie(1992) discussedthe identificationof previousCalifornia Yellow-bellied Flycatchers. DUSKY-CAPPED FLYCATCHERMyiarchus tuberculifer (16). One was at Pine Lake Park, San Francisco,SF, 28 Dec 1989-20 May 1990 (DPM, DSi; JLD, KLG, MJL, GMcC, JM, SWM; 4-1990). The final date matchesthe recordlate date for this species,established by a winteringbird in LosOsos, SLO, in 1984 (Roberson1986). Any Myiarchusfound in Californiain winter shouldbe carefullyidentied, as the number of Ash-throatedFlycatcher (M. cinerascens)records in many areas are comparableto thoseof the Dusky-capped.Although not the only difference,tail 12 CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS

Figure3. Altemate-plumagedRufous-necked Stint (106-1990) at the mouthof the SantaMaria River, Santa Barbara County, 15 July1990. Grayfringes to thetertials and greatercoverts, the unstreakedrufous face, the rufousthroat. and the band of streaksbelow the rufousbreast distinguish the Rufous-neckedfrom the LittleStint. Photo by Shawneen E. Finnegan

Figure4. California'sfirst Cave Swallow (30-1990) near Calipatria, Imperial County, 8 August1987 See the text for a discussionof the identificationof thisbird. Photo by dohr• O'Brier• 13 CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS pattern is probablythe visualcharacter most easilyused in distinguishingthese species.Typical Dusky-capped Flycatchers in Californiashow nifous edges on the outerwebs of the rectrices,especially toward the base,so that rufousis visiblefrom above,even with the tail tighfiyclosed. No rufousis visibleon the undersideof the tail. In contrast,the rectricesof adult Ash-throatedFlycatchers (and other North Americancongeners) are extensivelyrufous on the inner webs,so that the tail appearsprimarily nifous from below.The outerwebs of the rectricesare dark, however,so the tail showsno rufousfrom above,unless the tail is spread.Beware of juvenilesof thesespecies, however, which have nifous edges on the outer,as well as the inner, webs of the rectrices. GREATCRESTED FLYCATCHER Myiarchus crinitus (33). An immaturefemale wascollected at HarperDry Lake,SBE, 4 Sep 1988 (CMcG;#SBCM 52075; 208- 1990), one was at Galileo Hill Park, KER, 23-27 Sep 1989 (JCW, MTHt; JLD, MAP; 115-1989), and an immature(probably male) was bandedand measuredon SE FarallonI., SF, 27 Sep 1989 (PP'I';169-1989). PreviousCalifornia records, one third from SE FarallonI., are all from coastal areasin the period5 September-1November. Thus the Farallonbird is typical,but the othersare the first acceptedinland records, and the specimenrepresents the earliestrecord ever. Its skull was already 100% ossified,despite the young age of the bird,clearly established by the bilobedbursa of Fabricius.Pyle et al. (1987) suggested 15 Septemberas an earlydate for completeossification, even in southernpopula- tions,with 15 Octoberbeing more typical. THICK-BII l F.r) KINGBIRD Tyrannuscrassirostris (8). One in Peters Canyon, Tustin,ORA, 24 Nov 1989-6 Apr 1990 (PE, BHu, MJL, DR, JW; 204-1989) is consideredthe samewintering individual recorded annually since its initialdiscovery 19 Dec 1982. Previousaccepted dates of occurrenceare 19 Dec 1982-9 Apr 1983 (Morlan 1985), 26 Nov 1983-3 Jan 1984, 26 Oct 1985-9 Mar 1986 (Bevier 1990), 4 Nov 1987-5 Mar 1988, and 29 Nov 1988-5 Mar 1989 (Pyle and McCaskie1992). The wintervisits of 1984-1985 (8 Nov-6 Apr; Am. Birds 39:103 and 39:350) and 1986-1987 (9 Nov-1 Mar; Am. Birds 41:331) have not been reviewedby the Committee. SCISSOR-TAILEDFLYCATCHER Tyrannusforficatus (64). Singlebirds were foundat the followinglocations: 10 mi. eastof Gasquet,DN, 27 May 1988 (RLM; 112-1990); GualalaPt. Co. Park, SON, 4-6 Jun 1989 (BPe•';72-1990); Pt. Reyes NS, MRN, 28 May-10 Jun 1989 (LS; ALE; 34-1990); Pt. Pinos,Pacific Grove, MTY, 8 May 1990 (RRR; DRY';64-1990); and CrystalCove SP, ORA, 6-7 Aug 1989 (LAS;103-1990). Thereare now 28 acceptedrecords for the monthsof May and June,the peak periodof occurrencefor thisspecies in California. CAVESWALLOW Hitundo fuiva (1). A previouslyunpublished report of onewest of Calipatria,IMP, 8 Aug 1987 (Figure4; JO'B•; 30-1990) is California'sfirst record.The initialresponse to this reportin 1987 was cool. Other observerswere unableto relocatethe bird later in the day amongthousands of migrantTree (Tachycinetabicoior) and Cliff (H. pyrrhonota)swallows, and O'Brien was appar- entlyconvinced by othersthat the bird mightmerely have been a juvenileCliff Swallow.Thus it cameas a surprisewhen O'Brien submitted photographs of the bird to the Committeein March 1990, after he had studiedand photographedCave Swallowsin Texasand regained confidence in hisoriginal identification. The record receivedsome resistance in its firstcirculation concerning basic identification criteria and the "sudden"appearanceof photographsnearly three years after the fact.The recordreceived unanimous support on its secondround. BecauseCliff Swallowsbreeding in southeasternArizona and muchof Mexico, variouslyreferred to asrninirna (AOU 1957), rnelanogaster(Phillips et al. 1964), or 14 CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS swainsoni(Phillips 1986), have chestnutforeheads like the Cave Swallow,some Committeemembers expressed concern that somelight-throated iramatures of this subspeciesof the Cliff Swallowmight matchthe Cave Swallow.On the basisof correspondencefrom Greg W. Lasleyand an examinationof a seriesof specimensat LACM by KimballL. Garrettand Jon L. Dunn,however, it appearsthat youngCliff Swallowsshow neither the clearcinnamon-buff throat, upper breast, and face nor the blackisheye patchexhibited by the Calipatriabird, and typicalof CaveSwallows. This specieswas anticipatedin California.Cave Swallowshave been expanding their rangein the southwesternUnited States in recentyears and nestedas closeas Tucsonfrom 1983 to 1985 (Huels 1984, Am. Birds 39:948). RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL Tarsiger cyanurus (1). An immature banded and measuredon SE Farallon1., SF, 1 Nov 1989 (Figure5: DBet, SDEt; 172-1989) was California'sfirst, and furtherevidence that we haveonly begunto tap the pool of Asiaticlandbirds that will appear in the comingyears. A color photographwas printedin Am. Birds44:29. All previousNorth Americanrecords have come from the islandsof westernAlaska in spring:single birds on Attu on 5 Jun 1982 and St. Paulon 10 Jun 1987, and up to four on Attu from 22 May to 6 Jun 1988 (Gibson and Kessel1992). The identificationof this speciesis straightforwardand well coveredin the Old Worldliterature (e.g., Lewingtonet al. 1991). GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH Catharus rainlinus (13). One was at Galileo Hill Park, KER, 14-18 Sep 1989 (JB: MOC, JLD, MTH•, GMcC, JCW; 136-1989): a

Figure 5. Immature Red-flankedBluetail (172-1989) on SoutheastFarallon Island, SanFrancisco County, 1 November1989; a Californiafirst. A colorphotograph of thisbird was published in AmericanBirds 44:29. The distinctivethroat pattern is not sharedby any NorthAmerican passerine, but it istypical of severalsmall Old World thrushes.

Photo by David Beadle

15 CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS photographwas publishedin Am. Birds 44:163. All previousrecords have come from three well-coveredcoastal locations: SE FarallonI., SF (8), Pt. ReyesNS, MRN (2), and Pt. Loma, SD (2). RUFOUS-BACKEDROBIN Turdusrufopalliatus (6). One at DesertCenter, RIV, 24-26 Nov 1989 (GMcC; SEFt, PEL, MAP; 120-1989) wasthe firstto be foundin Californiain six years. A photographwas publishedin Am. Birds 44:163. All Californiarecords have been for late fall and winter,fitting the pattern of most recordsin Arizona (Monsonand Phillips1981). CURVE-BILLED THRASHER Toxostornacurvirostre (13). One was in Brawley, IMP, 21 Jan-3 Mar 1990 (JLD, MJL, CAMt, GMcC, MAP; 28-1990). The geo- graphicdistribution of previousCalifornia records (all from ImperialCo.) is as consistentas the historicpattern is not: five recordsfrom 1916 to 1925 and seven recordsfrom 1973 to 1980. The "same/returningbird theory"cannot be applied becausethe firstfive were all collectedand the recentbirds were dispersedover five localities. *RED-THROATED PIPIT Antbus cervinus (66). Two were in Goleta, SBA, 17-25 Oct, with one remainingto 27 Oct, 1988 (JLD;244-1988), andsingle birds were on SE FarallonI., SF, 27 Sep 1989 (PP,TS; 170-1989) and 14 Oct 1989 (DBe, PP?; 171-1989). All previouslyaccepted California records fall between9 Septemberand 15 November(Langham 1991, contra Pyle and McCaskie 1992), with the vast majoritybeing coastal.

.l.

Figure6. Cassin'sSparrow (54-1989) in MiguelitoCanyon, near Lompoc,Santa BarbaraCounty, 9 May 1987. The darkflank streaks and graduated tail, with whitish tipsand outerwebs to the outerrectrices, identified this bird. Photo by Alex Abela 16 CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS

SPRAGUE'S PIPIT Antbus spragueii (21). One near Lakeview,RIV, 3 Nov 1987-10 Jan 1988 (CAM, GMcC, MAP; #SBCM 52557; 301-1987) and another at Plano Trabuco, ORA, 2 Dec 1989-19 Feb 1990 (BED; JLD, MTH'I', GMcC, MAP; 123-1989) are the fourth and fifth winter recordsfor California. McCaskie's (1988) implicationthat a secondbird was near Lakeviewthe Committeejudged a probableerror. The PlanoTrabuco bird wasthe firstto be foundin OrangeCo.. YELLOW-THROATED VIREO Vireo flavifrons (37). One was on lower Gazos Creek, SM, 3 Jun 1990 (RST; 109-1990), and a singingmale was near Gypsum Canyon, Anaheim, ORA, 17 May 1990 (RAE; 76-1990). The former was a first countyrecord, the latter,a sixth. PHILADELPHIA VIREO Vireo philadeiphicus(76). Singlebirds were at Pt. Reyes NS, MRN, 7-8 Oct 1988 (DAH, KH; 261-1988), on SE FarallonI., SF, 6 Jun 1989 (GEW'I'; 173-1989) and 25 Oct 1989 (PPf; 174-1989), near Oxnard, VEN, 3-10 Oct 1989 (MHe'I';JLD, PEL; 203-1989), and in HuntingtonCentral Park, Hunting- ton Beach, ORA, 15-16 Oct 1989 (DRW; JLD, LRH'I'; 147-1989). The June Farallonbird is onlythe tenthto be recordedin Californiain spring;the othersfit well within the establishedfall pattern, as 84% of California'sPhiladelphia Vireos have occurredbetween 14 Septemberand 9 November• YELLOW-GREENVIREO Vireo flavoviridis (27). One was collectedat Harper Dry Lake, SBE, 2 Oct 1988 (#SBCM 52625; 209-1990), and an immaturewas bandedand measured at the marinain Morro Bay SP,SLO, 14 Oct 1989 (GPS'I';16- 1990). The former is the firstinland record accepted by the Committee.California's

Figure7. California'sfirst Smith's Longspur (120-1990) at the MoonglowDairy, MossLanding, Monterey County, 15 September1990. Photo by Kurt Radarnaker

17 CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS

first Yellow-GreenVireo was collectednear Riverside,RIV, 29 Sep 1887 (Price 1888, Ridgway1904), butthe specimenhas apparently been lost (Roberson 1993). BLUE-WINGED WARBLER Verrniuora pinus (11). One was at Trinidad SB, HUM, 27 Jun 1989 (GSL; 58-1990), and one was in Morongo Valley, SBE, 1 Oct 1989 (MAP; 116-1989). Springand fall recordsfor the stateremain about evenly divided.The onlyBlue-winged Warbler previously accepted for northernCalifornia wasat BridgeportReservoir, MNO, 18 Jun 1984 (Dunn1988). GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER Verrniuorachrysoptera (37). One was found dead in Claremont,LA, 18 Dec 1972 (uncatalogedspecimen at PomonaCollege; 206-1990). This record was the fifth for California and the first December record acceptedb•) the Committee.Two Novemberrecords are alsofrom Los AngelesCo., a Decemberrecord from San Diego Co. was recentlyaccepted, and a February- March recordfrom OrangeCo. is currentlyunder review. Other winterrecords for this speciesat relativelyhigh latitudescome from Arizona(Am. Birds 44:304) and England(Doherty 1992). YELLOW-THROATEDWARBLER Dendroica dom in ica (59). One showingchar- actersof the westernrace albilora was at Leoni MeadowsCamp, near GrizzlyFlats, ED, 28 Oct-25 Nov 1989 (HMR; 137-1989). Thisrecord is exceptionalfor the high elevation(ca. I250 m; first for the Sierra Nevada)and the long and late date span (onlyfour previousNovember records, plus three winterrecords). GRACE'S WARBLERDendroica graciae (23). One on Pt. Loma, SD, 23-24 Sep 1989 (CGE; GMcC, MAP; 189-1989) wasquickly followed by anotherthere 27-29 Sep 1989 (DWA, DP; CGE; 194-1989). In fall, there are now nine recordsfor San Diego Co. and only two for the rest of the state. PINE WARBLERDendroica pinus (37). A maleat YorbaRegional Park, Anaheim, ORA, 14 Jan-2 Apr 1989 (MTH; JLD, GMcC, MAP, JCWt; 27-1989) was the seventhclearly overwintering bird in California(two additionalDecember records); it wasthe firstrecorded in OrangeCo. The recentsurge in sightings(there were only eight recordsfor the stateprior to I983) is apparentlyno coincidence.B6hning- Gaeseet a!...(1993)demonstrated a significant recent population increase in this species. *PROTHONOTARYWARBLER Protonotaria citrea (93). One wascollected at HarperDry Lake,SBE, 9 Oct 1987 (#SBCM51702; 207-1990), and sevenwere doc•nented-•fall 1989: LaJolla, SD, 1 Sep(#SDNHM 46026; 99-1992);Mojave , KERi' 12•1'6 Sep (GMcC; '187-1989); Carpinteria, SBA, 15-27 Sep (SEF•'; MOC; 158-1989);Westminster, ORA, 27-29 Sep(DRW; JLD; 40-1990); 3 mi. Southof Half Moon Bay,.SM', 29-30 Sep (PJM; SEF, RST; 159-1989); Oceano,SLO, 30 Sep-4 Oct (SEF, GMcC; 160-1989); and SE Farallon 1., SF, 23 Oct (Pl>f; 175- 1989). Recordsof thisspecies more than tripled in the I980s,With about75% being for fall migration. WORM-EATING WARBLER Helrnitheros vermiuorus(57). One was in Coro- nado,SD, 22 Sep 1988 (EC; 196-1989),one was at Pescadero,SM, 2-14 Jan 1989 (JM, RST; 34-1989), one wasat Pt. ReyesNS, MRN, 4 Nov 1989 (JM; 131- 1989), and a singingmale was at Mojave,KER, 25 May 1990 (JCW; JLD, SEE MTH•, PEL; 83-1990). There have been only seven previouswinter records (excludingpossible late-fall migrants recorded in December)and 12 previousspring records,plus two potentiallysummering birds: Fort Piute,SBE, 23 Jun-10 Jul 1977 (Luther1980), and TildenRegional Park, CC, 11-21 Jul 1978 (Lutheret al. 1983). LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH $eiurus rnotacilla(4). One wasin La Jolla,SD, 9 Feb-21 Mar 1990 (JO'B; MTH, MJL, GMcC, AM•, MAP, DR; 29-1990), and a 18 CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS singingmale was in Mojave,KER, 21 May 1990 (CAM; NBB, MOC, JLDt, MTHt, MAP, JCW; 85-1990). Photographsof thesebirds appeared in Am. Birds 44:221 (color)and 44:498, respectively.With onlytwo Augustrecords from the California deserts,two individualswithin severalmonths was exceptional.Given the species' winter statusin westernMexico (regular)and southeasternArizona (nearly annual), many had predicteda winter recordfor California. KENTUCKY WARBLER Oporornisformosus (53). One was in Mojave,KER, 9 Jun 1990 (MTH; 110-1990). The locals have not dubbed this species the "Kerntucky"Warbler for nothing;six of the last 17 Californiarecords (nine total through1990, pluseight records since) have come from Kern Co.. CONNECTICUT WARBLEROporornis agilis (55). Singlebirds were at Lanphere Dunes, west of Arcata, HUM, 9-16 Sep 1988 (JCS; ADB•, GSL; 265-1988), Fairhaven,HUM, 13 Sep 1989 (JCS; RAE; 37-1990), and the Mad River mouth, HUM, 27-28 Sep 1989 (JCS;SWH; 38-1990). Four were foundon SE FarallonI., SF, as follows: 13 Sep 1989 (TS; 181-1989), 28-29 Sep 1989 (bandedand measured,DBe, PI>f; 182-1989), 11 Oct 1989 (bandedand measured,PI>f; 183- 1989), and 16 Jun 1990 (SDE, PP; 90-1990). The last is California'sfifth June record;all otherrecords are from Septemberand, to a lesserdegree, October. MOURNING WARBLEROporomis philadelphia (68). One lingeredin Hunting- ton Central Park, HuntingtonBeach, ORA, 5-20 Sep 1988 (DRW; MTH, MAP; 255-1988), one was at Montafiade Oro SP, SLO, 23-27 Sep 1989 (MHe•; TME, SEF,KAH; 19-1990), a male wasin Mojave,KER, 20 May 1990 (MAP; RAE; 77- 1990), and five were documentedon SE FarallonI., SF, in fall 1989: adult male banded and measured6-9 Sep (PI>f; 176-1989), immature, probablyfemale, bandedand measured6-8 Sep (PI>f; 177-1989), immature,probably male, 8 Sep (PP; 178-1989), immature,probably female, 9 Sep (PP; 179-1989), and an imma- ture male bandedand measured20 Sep (PP•; 180-1989). The adultmale was the firstfor Californiain fall. As for the precedingspecies, September is the monthfor the MourningWarbler in California;nearly 60% of all acceptedbirds have been seen in that month. Pyle and Henderson's(1990) identificationsummary is especially helpfulfor identifyingsuch fall birds. RED-FACEDWARBLER Cardellina rubrifrons(8). One in CarruthersCanyon, New York Mountains,SBE, 13 May 1990 (ES; 96-1990) was the first found in Californiasince 1982. Thisspecies of montanefir, pine,and oak (AOU 1983) wasin an areawhere it couldbreed, as Carruthers Canyon harbors a groveof CanyonLive Oak (Quercuschrysolepis). SCARLET TANAGER Piranga olivacea (72). One was in HuntingtonCentral Park, HuntingtonBeach, ORA, 10 Nov 1989 (DRW;41-1990), and a malewas at Pt. Reyes NS, MRN, 19 Jun 1990 (HD; 94-1990). There are more recordsfor November(25) than for any other month. PAINTED BUNTING Passerinaciris (32). Singlebirds were at Montafiade Oro SP, SLO, 29 Sep 1988 (GH, NH•; 32-1989), Carpinteria,SBA, 15 Sep 1989 (SEF; 156-1989), and Los Osos, SLO, 18-25 Nov 1989 (MC; PPt; 186-1989). Santa Barbara(7) and San Diego (10) countiesare responsiblefor more than half of all acceptedrecords. CASSlN'S SPARROWAimophila cassinii(34). One in MiguelitoCanyon, near Lompoc,SBA, 9 May 1987 (Figure6; AA•; 54-1989) representsthe firstrecord for that countyand is previouslyunpublished. The bird was originallyidentified as a Brewer'sSparrow, in part becauseof its "varied,'bubbling'" song, unlike the typical Cassin'ssong. Kaufman (1990) describedan alternateCassin's Sparrow song, which Paul E. Lehman (in litt.) heard from a number of birdsin Coloradoin June 1990.

19 CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS'

Lehmanand Jon L. Dunnwere the firstto identifythe photographas this species and forwardthe detailsto the CBRC. The Committeeunanimously concurred with the identification. FIELD SPARROW$pizella pusilia (2). One at IrvineRegional Park, ORA, 25 Nov 1989-6 Jan 1990 (JKA'•, JLD, KLG, EDG'•, PEL, MJL, GMcC, MAP, DR; 121- 1989)could not be found between 11 Decand 4 Jan,despite much searching. The birdshowed relatively little warm coloration on the faceand underparts, suggesting the expectedwestern race arenacea. The only previousaccepted record is of one bandedon SE FarallonI., SF, 17 Jun-9 Jul 1969 (Robert1971, Roberson1986). LE CONTE'S SPARROWAmmodramusleconteii (18). Fourwere documented in the fallof 1989. A juvenilewas banded and measured on SE FarallonI., SF, 7 Oct (PP•';184-1989), one was at ChinaLake Naval Weapons Center, KER, 5 Nov(DVB; 22-1990),and two were at FurnaceCreek, Death Valley NM, INY, one 17-18 Oct (NBB,JLDt; 145-1989) and a juvenile18 Oct (JLDt; NBB: 213-1989), the first Californiarecord of thisplumage away from SE Farallon I. A colorphotograph of the FurnaceCreek juvenile was publishedby Pyle and Sibley(1992), who discussedin detailthe juvenalplumage of thisand otherAmmodramus sparrows. This was the best annual showingsince 1974, when four of California'sfirst five Le Conte's Sparrowswere noted within one month. SMITH'S LONGSPURCalcarius pictus (1). An immaturemale at Moonglow Dairy,Moss Landing, MTY, 13-18 Sep 1990 (Figure7; DEG;JA, JLD, PEL'•,MJL,

Figure8. California'scontroversial Oriental Greenfinch (450-1986) at Arcata, HumboldtCounty, winter 1986/1987. Photo by J. Mark Higley 20 CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS

JM, GMcC, JO'B-•, BDP, MAP, KR-•, DR-•, BJW; 120-1990) was the long-antici- patedfirst for California.The birdwas especiallywelcome for the manyobservers who saw the Pt. Reyes EurasianSkylark (Alauda arvensis) during its initial misidentificationasthis species (see Morlan and Erickson 1983). Fromthe amountof whiteon itslesser and mediansecondary coverts, supercilium, and underwingcoverts the birdwas a male;from itstapered rectrices, lack of blackin the face,and relatively drab overallcoloration it was an immature(see Pyle et al. 1987). A smallphotograph of it was publishedin Am. Birds 45:149. SNOW BUNTING Plectrophenaxnivalis (40). Five were reportedin fall 1989 (Am. Birds 44:159). Three coastalrecords are detailedhere; two inlandones are still underreview. Single birds were at Arcata Marsh,HUM, 29 Oct-1 Nov (immature female; JMH-•; 46-1990), SE Farallon I., SF, 15 Nov (SA; 185-1989), and the TunitasCreek mouth, SM, 3-4 Nov (immaturemale; RST'•; 9-1990). The last bird was the first for San Mateo Co.. COMMON GRACKLE Quiscalusquiscula (22). One at IndianRanch, Panamint Valley,INY, 12 Nov 1989 (HB; 151-1989) furnishedthe ninth recordfor InyoCo. butonly the sixthfor the statein fall.

RECORDS NOT ACCEPTED, identificationquestionable

YELLOW-BILLEDLOON Gavia adamsii.One at BallenaBay, Alameda,ALA, 3- 5 Dec 1971 (254-1987) waspublished, with a rudimentarydescription, in The Gull (newsletterof the GoldenGate Audubon Society) 54:12. The identificationrested on a "large straw-coloredbill with upturnedlower mandibleand straightupper man- dible."A majorityof the Committeefelt thatthis description was enough, but the recordfailed 7-3 on the fourth(and final) circulation, despite the bird'sbeing seen by a long-standingCBRC member.This recordwas acceptedby Reinsenand Binford (1975). Identificationof this speciesshould not rely solelyon bill coloration;see Binfordand Reinsen(1974) and Phillips(1990) for more information. Detailswere judgedto be insufficientfor one reportedat ShelterCove, HUM, 21 Oct 1988 (266-1988), which wouldhave been the second-earliestYellow-billed Loon to reach Californiain fall, althoughat leasttwo have "summered"in the state. SOLANDER'S PETREL Pterodroma solandri. "On the order of 100" reported offshorefrom Pt. Reyes, MRN, to Pt. Pinos, MTY, 10-21 Apr 1987 (98-1987) lackeddetail sufficient to ruleout Murphy'sPetrel (P ultima), whichhas proved to be the dark Pterodromaoff California,especially in spring.The descriptiondid not clearlyindicate Murphy's Petrel, althoughthe Committeeunanimously agreed that one of thesetwo species,probably Murphy's, was involved in thissighting. Solander's Petrel is yet unprovenfrom Californiawaters, althoughthe speciesis apparently regularoff Japan May-August(Nakarnura and Tanaka 1977, Wahl 1978). One collectedin the North Pacific Ocean within 1400 mi. of California at 40øN, 150øW on 10 Jul 1985 (#LACM 102806) and varioussight reports nearer the state(Bailey et al. 1989b) suggestthat thisspecies may reachCalifornia waters. WEDGE-TAILEDSHEARWATER Puffinus pacificus. Descriptions of dark shear- watersseen at 33o57' N, 118ø48' W, 61 nmi. west of Pt. Dume, LA, 12 Nov 1989 (163-1989) andat 34o42' N, 121ø35'W, 48 nmi. westof Pt. Arguello,SBA, 19 Nov 1989 (164-1989), reported as possiblythis species,lacked detail sufficientto eliminatethe Flesh-footedShearwater (P carneipes).

21 CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS

RECORDS NOT ACCEPTED, identificationquestionable, Cont.

TOWNSEND'S SHEARWATER Puffinus auricularis. The Committee felt that a birdbriefly seen on MontereyBay, MTY, 6 Oct 1990 (147-1990) wasmore likely a Black-ventedShearwater (P.. opisthomelas), a specieswhose range of variationis not appreciatedby many observers.Occasional Black-vented Shearwaters can have whitewrapping up ontothe sidesof the rump,as on Townsend'sShearwater (P. Pyle in litt.). BAND-RUMPED STORM-PETREL Oceanodroma castro. One reported at 30o52' N, 121o33' W, 177 nmi. SSW of San NicolasI., VEN, 8 Nov 1989 (165- 1989) lackeddocumentation adequate to supporta recordof thisdifficult-to-identify species. WEDGE-RUMPED STORM-PETREL Oceanodroma teth•,s. A report of one roughly200 nmi. SSW of San NicolasI., VEN, 13 Aug 1988 (209-1989) was supportedby inconclusivedetails. BROWN BOOBY Sula leucogaster.The descriptionof one reportedoff Pyramid Pt., San ClementeI., LA, 13 May 1989 (195-1989) includesseveral features, such as "palebrown streaking on [a]white background... confinedto the breastarea," suggestinga first-yearMasked Booby ($. dactylatra).The Brown Boobyshows a brown breastconcolor with the upperparts.The Masked can show a somewhat similarpattern (seeFigure 1), but white is suffusedor intrudesinto the brown, the browndoes not extendas far downthe breastas on a BrownBooby, and the division betweenthe brown and the white is lessclean-cut. The Committeeunanimously agreedthat the sightinginvolved a booby.

ANHINGA Anhinga anhinga. One was reportedat LagunaDam, IMP, 14 Nov 1981 (159-1988).

REDDISHEGRET Egretta rufescens. A white-morphbird was reported at Elkhorn Slough,Moss Landing, MTY, 8 Oct 1989 (193-1989). The accountindicates that the birdwas "dancing"like a ReddishEgret, but asidefrom the "thickerbill," which wasall black,the Committeefelt that not enoughdetail was presented for whatwould be the firstrecord for Californiaor Baja Californiaof a white-morphbird (contra Cogswell1977). TRUMPETER SWAN C•,gr•usbuccinator. Iramatures observed at L. Almanor, PLU, 29 Dec 1988 (200-1989)and photographed 5 mi. southof Talinage,MEN, 23 Dec 1989 (60-1990) were identifiedas thisspecies. The formerrecord was pub- lishedin Am. Birds43:362. Detailssuggested that bothbirds were in factimmature TundraSwans, or at leastthat speciescould not be eliminated.The initialidentifica- tion of eachindividual was based in parton the fiatprofile (culmen and forehead) of the birds,a featureoften associated with the TrumpeterSwan. Bailey (1991), however,indicated that iramaturesof bothspecies have a fiat culmenand that this featurecannot be usedto separateimmature Trumpeter and Tundraswans in the field. *TUFTEDDUCK A•,thyafuligula. A reportof a maleat CapeMendocino, HUM, 23 Feb1980 (326-1986)was published in Am. Birds34:303 andby Harris (1991). The recordwas not accepted on the fourthand final circulation because a minorityof the Committee(two members) felt that the detailswere not completeenough even for thisnow annualvagrant. A maleat San PabloReservoir, CC, I5 Jan 1990 (55- 1990) lackeda completedescription; this bird was one of sixthat were saidto have winteredin the greaterSan Francisco Bay area in 1989/1990 (Am. Birds44:323). CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS

RECORDS NOT ACCEPTED, identificationquestionable, Cont.

COMMON BLACK-HAWK Buteogallusanthracinus. One was reportedat Bor- der Field SP in the Tijuana R. valley, SD, 3 Oct 1989 (11-1990). The brief descriptiondid not rule out an immatureGolden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)or a dark- morph Broad-wingedHawk (Buteo platypterus). There is still but one accepted Californiarecord of thisspecies (Roberson 1986, Danielset al. 1989). YELLOW RAIL Coturnicopsnoveboracensis. A sightrecord of one flushedat the north spit of HumboldtBay, HUM, 10 Oct 1978 (114-1992) was considered "satisfactory"by Harris(1991). Nevertheless,upon review of the meagerdocumen- tation,the Committeedisagreed. CARIBBEAN COOT Fulica caribaea.A brief descripitonof one at BuenaVista Lagoon, SD, 12 Mar 1987 (129-1991) was publishedby Komito (1990). This prospectivefirst recordfor Californiawas unanimouslyrejected on the first round. AmericanCoots (E americana)with extensivewhite shieldshave been previously reported in California many times (Robersonand Baptista 1988), hinderingthe identifyingof a CaribbeanCoot in the field.Indeed, identification difficulties recently promptedthe AmericanBirding Association to removethe CaribbeanCoot from its checklistof North American birds (DeBenedictiset al. 1992), and the taxonomic distinctnessof the specieshas been questioned(AOU 1983, Sibley and Monroe 1990). PIPING PLOVER Chatadflus melodus.An intriguingplover with "orangey-yellow legs"was brieflyseen at AbbottsLagoon, Pt. ReyesNS, MRN, 5 Aug 1989 (128- 1989). Severalmembers noted that juvenileSnowy Plovers(C. alexandrinus)can have yellow legs, so leg color alone was not conclusive.The detailscontained no informationregarding the bill shape. AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER Haematopus palliatus. An oystercatcheron Santa Cruz I., SBA, 23 Mar 1988 (144-1988) was reported as a hybrid by the observer.After two circulations,the Committee unanimouslyagreed. American Oystercatchersin westernMexico and Baja California(H. p. frazari) are darkeron the rump (particularlyin the center),have a reducedwingstripe, and generallyshow blacksmudging below the darkbreast. Consequently, they do not resemblethe more clean-cutnominate birds pictured in standard field guides and are sometimes misidentifiedas hybrids.True hybridsare more intermediate,however, generally showinglittle white on the rump and havingblack intermixed extensively with the whiteon the underpartsand wing linings. Jehl (1985) discussedthe identificationand statusof hybridAmerican x BlackOystercatchers (H. bachmani). HUDSONIAN GODWIT Limosa haemastica.A flockof ten reportedat Red Hill, southend of the SaltonSea, IMP, 3 May 1990 (30-1991) lackedadequate documen- tation.All previousCalifornia records have involvedlone birds,although a flockof sixteenwas photographedon 17 Aug 1980 at BayoceanSpit, Oregon (Schmidt 1989). RUFOUS-NECKEDSTINT Calidris ruficollis.A juvenileCalidris on SE Farallon I., SF, 15-16 Aug 1987 (245-1987) causedconsiderable debate among Committee members.A report of an alternate-plumagedbird at Mountain View, SCL, 13 Apr 1990 (66-1990) did not conclusivelyrule out the Sanderling(C. alba). The Farallonbird was initiallyidentified as a Rufous-neckedStint by its bright upperpartsand the considerableprimary projection beyond the longesttertial. After three circulationsand a discussionat the 1992 annualmeeting, the Committeeleft the identificationof thisbird unresolved, since most of its charactersoverlapped with thoseof a SemipalmatedSandpiper (C. pusilia). Furthermore,it was apparentthat

23 CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS

RECORDS NOT ACCEPTED, identificationquestionable, Cont. the Farallon bird was missingits longesttertial, thus exaggeratingthe apparent primary projection. Alstr6m and Oisson(1989) discussedthe usefulcharacters and warned of the pitfallsinvolved in field separationof juvenileRufous-necked Stints and Semipal- matedSandpipers. They stressedthe contrastbetween the centerand sidesof the crown as the best plumagefeature. Many other charactersare equivocal,and determiningexact bill shape or lackof vestigialwebs is notoriously difficult under field conditions.Indeed, there is no documentedrecord of a juvenileRufous-necked Stint in North America south of Alaska, and the number of Alaska occurrenceswas reducedwhen two juvenile"Rufous-necked Stint" specimenswere reidentifiedas Little Stints(Gibson and Kessel1992). • STINT Calidrisrninuta. The reportof a juvenileat PescaderoMarsh, SM, 26 Aug1989 (42-I990) lackeddetails sufficient to eliminateother small Calidris. Of particularconcern was the described size, since the bird was said to be "muchsmaller thanWestern Sandpiper and smaller than LeastSandpiper." The latterspecies is in fact the world's smallest Calidris. CURLEW SANDPIPERCa•idris •ferruginea. A flockof 24 at SacramentoNWR, GLE, 16 Oct 1989 (129-1989) was not documentedwell enoughfor such an unprecedentedreport. LITTLE GULL Larus rninutus. The Committeeexpressed concern that the descriptionof a reportedfirst-winter bird at MalibuLagoon, LA, 31 Oct 1988 (227- 1988) did not ruleout a Bonaparte'sGull (L. p!•ilade•pl•ia)known to be presentthat stillretained some juvenal plumage. COMMON BLACK-HEADED GULL Larus ridi/•undus. A first-winter bird re- ported at Pt. Loma, SD, 23 Jan 1990 (61-1990) was publishedin Am. Birds 44:329. After two circulations,a majorityof the Committeefelt that the description wasnot sufficienfiydetailed to establishthe southernmostrecord for westernNorth America,as the bill was describedas grayishyellow and the bird was not seenin flight.The billcolor of first-winterCommon Black-headed Gulls varies to someextent but typicallybetween dull flesh and bright reddish pink (Grant1986, Matt T. Heindei pers. comm.). LESSERBLACK-BACKED GULL l_arus•fuscus. An incompletedescription and concernabout the exact age of the bird led the Committeeto be cautiouswith a "second-spring"individual reported at Red Hill, southend of the Salton Sea, IMP, 9 May 1987 (178-1987; Am. Birds 41:488). Consequenfiy,the recordwent four full rounds,after which voting was evenlysplit. Concernsover the age of a "first- summer"bird reported at Upper NewportBay, ORA, 17 Sep 1989 (148-1989) and a lack of allegedcorroborating photographs led to a near-unanimousdecision that this recordwas not acceptable.All six of the acceptedrecords for Californiafall betweenmid-September and lateFebruary, with four of theserecords for the Salton Sea, and all havebeen of basic-plumagedadults. THICK-BILLED MURRE Uria lornvia.The detailsof one reportedwith Common Murres (U. aalge) at CronkiteBeach, MRN, 23 Aug 1989 (127-1989) did not eliminatea juvenileCommon Murre. PARAKEET AUKLET Cyclorrhynchuspsittacula. Informationabout a beached corpseat Samoa, HUM, 31 Jul 1943 (115-1992) was publishedby Harris (1991). The CBRC wasnearly unanimous in itsrejection of thisreport, sinceno documenta- tion to supportthe claim existsand the whereaboutsof the specimen,if extant, is unknown.

24 CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS

RECORDSNOT ACCEPTED,identification questionable, Cont.

RUDDY GROUND-DOVE Columbina talpacoti. One was reported at Baker, SBE, 1 Oct 1989 (149-1989). This bird was seen at a distanceand was saidto be a callingmale. Giventhe date, a majorityof the Committee(eight members) felt that it wasquite unlikely that a RuddyGround-Dove would be calling,and, giventhe distant views,felt that otherspecies of Columbinacould not be eliminated. SNOWY OWL Nyctcascandiaca. Reports of one "in the hillsapproximately 4 mi. southeastof Arcata,"HUM, 18 Feb 1967, one on TableBluff, south Humboldt Bay, HUM, 24 Apr 1967, one "one-halfmile north of Wilson Valley," MOD, 14 Apr 1967, and three "on state-lineroad at KlamathNational Wildlife Refuge," SIS, 17 Apr 1967 were publishedby Harrisand Yocum(1968) and combinedfor circulation through the Committee as record number 230A-1988. Although 1967 was an invasionyear (four acceptedrecords for HumboldtCo. 31 Jan-26 Mar plus one founddying in the Yolo Bypass,YOL, 4 Jan; Bevier 1990, Roberson1993), there are no descriptionsof any of thesebirds beyond "white" or "barred."Moreover, all fall outsidethe patternestablished by the vastmajority of recordsof this speciesin California:birds on openland at sealevel on the immediatecoast from lateOctober throughMarch. The onlyexceptions among accepted records are of one at "Upper Mattole,"HUM, 17 Nov 1916 (Roberson1986), one in Gridley,BUT, 17 or 18 Nov 1916 (Roberson1986), and the Yolo Co. bird mentionedpreviously. BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD Cynanthus latirostris. A male reported in SantaBarbara, SBA, 20 Sep 1978 (223-1987) waspublished in Am. Birds 33:214 and by Websteret al. (1980). Althougha majorityvoted to acceptthe recordon each of four circulations,it had the requirednumber of detractorson every round. The record consistedof a recountingby one Committeemember of a brief verbal descriptionof a bird seenwell and repeatedly(on one day only). GREEN KINGFISHER Chloroceryleamericana. One reportednear Mecca,RIV, 26 Jan 1991 (28-1991) would have been California'sfirst. The identificationwas insufficienfiydocumented to meet the Committee'srequirements for a first state record; it receivedbut one accept vote on its only circulation.Five Committee membersfelt thatthis species is likelyto be foundin California,four did notvolunteer their thoughts,and one thoughtthe speciesunlikely to occur,despite reports for the lowerColorado River (Rosenberg et al. 1991). YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER Empidonax fiaviventris. An Empidonax at Pt. Saint George, DN, 13 Sep 1988 (78-1989) was publishedtentatively as this speciesin Am. Birds 43:164 and by Harris (1991). Most membersexpressed their opinionthat the identificationwas probablycorrect. The singleobserver is excellent andexperienced. Much of the descriptionsuggested a Yellow-belliedFlycatcher: rich green-oliveupperparts, yellowish-white wingbars, short bill with entirelyyellow-gold mandible,round yellow eye ring, brightyellow underparts with olivevest and sides, and shorttail. Not mentionedwere tertial pattern,blackish wings, and head shape, and the call was not heard.Through two circulations,a majorityof memberswas unwillingto accepta single-observersighting with anythingless than exhaustive details.Empidonax identification remains one of the mostdifficult task•s facing North Americanbirders, despite the effortsof Zimmer (1985), Whitneyand Kaufman (1985a,b, 1986a,b, 1987), Kaufman(1990), and othersto clarifythe situation.See alsocomments under Records Accepted. GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHERMyiarchus crinitus. One reportedat Creighton Ranch Preserve,TUL, 7-11 Oct 1988 was publishedin Am. Birds 43:164. This inlandrecord received some support but was judged very cautiously; several members suggestedthe birdmay havebeen a Brown-crestedFlycatcher (M. tyrannulus). CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS

RECORDS NOT ACCEPTED, identificationquestionable, Cont.

SULPHUR-BELLIED FLYCATCHER Myiodynastesluteiventris. One was re- portedin San Diego,SD, on an unknowndate in October1989 (14-1990). SCISSOR-TAILEDFLYCATCHER Tyrannus forficatus. Single birdswere re- ported in the Arcata Bottoms, HUM, 10 Oct 1976 (117-1992; Harris 1991), in Torrance, LA, 7 Jun 1989 (35-1991), and at Mono Lake, MNO, 28 Jun 1989 (71- 1990; Am. Birds 43:1364-1365). BLUE JAY Cyanocitta cristata. One reportedat Trinity Village, near Hawkins Bar, TRI, 9 or 10 Feb 1990 (69-1990) was publishedby Harris (1991) and tentativelyin Am. Birds 44:325 NORTHERN WHEATEAR Oenanthe oenanthe. One reportedon Bear Ridge, westof Rio Dell, HUM, 23 Sep 1975 (118-1992) waspublished tentatively by Harris (1991). VEERY Catharusfuscescens. Single birds were reportedon SE FarallonI., SF, 28 May 1981 (101-1987) and San NicolasI., VEN, 15 Sep 1988 (3-1989). The former waspublished in Am. Birds 35:860 and by Pyleand Henderson(1991). Of 15 Veery reportsreviewed by the Committee,only sevenhave been accepted.In notingthis, one memberwrote, "clearlythis species is misidentifiedoften." Actually, a majorityof membersacknowledged that bothof thesebirds may havebeen correctly identified. What is clearis that reportsof thisspecies continue to be judgedcautiously. Pyle and McCaskie(1992) mentionedmost of the charactersused in the Committee'sanalysis of reportsof thisspecies. GRAY-CHEEKEDTHRUSH Catharus minimus.A report of one on SE Farallon I., SF, 3 Oct 1970 (20-1989) haslong beenconsidered valid (McCaskie et al. 1979, DeSanteand Ainley 1980, Roberson1980, Pyle and Henderson1991). The bird was one of two Gray-cheekedThrushes reported that day (the other was collected and representsCalifornia's first record; DeSante and Ainley 1980, Dunn 1988), but no descriptionwas written until over 18 years later. A majority of Committee memberswas unwillingto validatesuch a record,considering it undocumentedand thus "not accepted"(see Roberson 1993). FIELDFARETurdus pilaris. A report of one reportedat PacificGrove, MTY, 28 Dec 1989 (24-1990) would have been California'sfirst record, but the detailswere suchthat it failedto receiveany support. CURVE-BILLEDTHRASHER Toxostomacurvirostre. Single birds were reported at Imperial Dam, IMP, 29 Dec 1987-1 Jan 1988 (38-1988) and Hole-in-the-Wall Campground,East Mojave Scenic Area, SBE, 4 Apr 1990 (95-1990). The former record,published in Am. Birds 42:323, circulatedthree timeswith substantialsupport, was discussedat an annualmeeting, and finallywas rejected soundlyon a fourth and final circulation.The Committeewould be interestedin reviewingany additionaldocumentation should it currentlyexist. The latterrecord was a difficultone for manyreviewers as well, butwas rejected on a singlecirculation. "We havea goodobserver who is knowledgeableabout thrasher statusand distribution,and a reasonabledescription," wrote one Committeemem- ber. Nevertheless,as a whole, the Committeewas sufficientlyconcerned about the date and location(perfect for the similarBendire's Thrasher, although none were noted),the long intervalbetween the sightingand the write-up, and certainweak- nessesin the description(lacking mention of bill color, and relying on several questionablefield marks: eye color,bully underparts, and white tail spots),so treated the recordcautiously. Clearly the Committeeconsiders the identificationof Curve- billedand Bendire'sthrashers difficult and was unwillingto break the pattern of 26 CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS

RECORDS NOT ACCEPTED, identificationquestionable, Cont. primarilywinter recordsfrom more heavilyvegetated areas in Imperial Co. to embracethis report. Zimme• (1985), Kaufman(1990), and Kaufmanand Bowers (1990) mostrecently discussed the identificationof thesetwo species. GRAY WAGTAIL Motacilla cinerea.One at Dog Lake near TuolumneMeadows, YosemiteNP, TUO, 23 May 1990 (107-1990) was publishedtentatively in Am. Birds 44:493. *RED-THROATED PIPIT Anthus cervinus.Two reported at Lanphere Dunes, west of Arcata, HUM, 27 Nov 1988 (269-1988; Harris 1991) were not considered adequatelydocumented to establishthe latestrecord for Californiaby nearlytwo weeks.There is, however,an acceptablerecord for Delta, BritishColumbia, 23-24 Dec 1990 (Siddle1991). PHILADELPHIA VIREO Vireo philadelphicus.Single birds were reportedat Pt. Reyes,MRN, 17 Oct 1988 (9-1989), San LeandroReservoir, San Leandro,ALA, 8 Jun 1975 (97-1989), Pt. Loma, SD, 14 Oct 1989 (15-1990), and Golden Gate Park, San Francisco,SF, 19 Oct 1980 (75-1990). Only the Pt. Loma recordwas previouslypublished (Am. Birds 44:164). The rejectionrate of PhiladelphiaVireo recordsremains high (nearly one in four),countering efforts by someto removethe speciesfrom the ReviewList. All too often,documentation submitted for thisspecies is incomplete.Claims of the PhiladelphiaVireo shouldinclude details of the extent and distributionof yellowon the underparts,pattern of the lores,and upperpart coloration.See Terrilland Terrill(1981), Zimmer(1985), and Kaufman(1990) for more aboutfield identification criteria for thisspecies. YELLOW-GREEN VIREO Vireo fiavoviridis. One was reported at Batiquitos Lagoon,SD, 29 Oct 1989 (201-1989). YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER Dendroica dominica. One was reported at LeggLake, LA, 3 Feb1985 (88-1986). PINE WARBLER Dendroica pinus. A bird bandedand photographedat Modoc NWR, MOD, 19 Sep 1989 (36-1990) wasunanimously identified by the Committee as a BlackpollWarbler (D. striata), a significant,previosuly unpublished record nevertheless,one of the few for the interiorof northernCalifornia. Bay-breasted and Blackpollwarblers are stillroutinely misidentified as Pine Warblersby the unwary. Septemberreports are especiallysuspect, as the Pine Warbleris a late migrantwith few Californiarecords before mid-October. The writingsof Whitney(1983), Kaufman (1990), and Patten and McCaskie(1992) may help observersavoid identification pitfalls. CONNECTICUTWARBLER Oporornis agilis. One wasreported at Mojave,KER, 20 May 1990 (70-1990). With no acceptedCalifornia records for May, the Commit- tee wasunwilling to supporta brieflyseen bird at thiswell-worked locality. SCARLET TANAGERPiranga olivacea.One was reportedon Pt. Loma, SD, 6 Nov 1989 (20-1990). PAINTED BUNTING Passerinaciris. One reportedat Galileo Hill Park, KER, 7 Oct 1989 (21-1990) wasseen too brieflyfor eventhe reporter,a CBRC member,to vote "accept." LE CONTE'S SPARROW Ammodramus leconteii. One was reportedat Furnace Creek Ranch, INY, 25 Nov 1989 (212-1989). COMMON GRACKLEQuiscalus quiscula. One reportedfeeding a fledglingwest of Fresno,FRE, 12 Jun 1989 (74-1990) wasdiscussed by Baileyet al. (1989a), who suggestedthe birdmay havebeen a Great-tailedGrackle (Quiscalus mexicanus). 27 CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS

RECORDSNOT ACCEPTED,identification questionable, Cont.

ORIENTAL GREENFINCHCarduelis sinica. A bird brieflyseen and heard in Arcata,HUM, 17 Apr 1988 (119-1988)was published in Am. Birds42:480 and tentativelyby Harris(1991). Althoughthe observerhad experience with this species fromthe previouswinter (see next accoun0, the Committeewas unwilling to accept sucha brief observationof an extremerarity.

RECORDS NOT ACCEPTED, Natural Occurrence Questionable

ORIENTALGREENFINCH Carduelis sinica. A femaleor immaturemale gener- allyassociating with House Finches (Carpodacus mexicanus) in southArcata, HUM, 4 Dec 1986-3 Apr 1987 (Figure8; SFB,BB, JLD, KH'•, JMH'•,JML, CAM, GMcC, JM, DR; 450-1986) was seenby probablyhundreds of observersfrom acrossthe continent.The bird'soccurrence was discussed previously by Morlanet al. (1987). In four circulationsof this recordthrough the Committeethere were few strong convictionsexpressed, though the file is nowapproximately 150 pageslong. Five or six memberssupported natural occurrence on each round, but nine of the 16 membersto voteon the recordnever took that position.The specieswas considered for the incipientSupplemental List of the birdsof California(see the introductionto thispaper) at the January1993 CBRC meeting,where it easilyreceived the simple majorityvote neededfor acceptance.The SupplementalList owesits existenceto controversial records such as this one. There was generalagreement among Committee members that the Arcatabird was from the northeastportion of the species'range where it is most highly migratory,a requisitefor considerationas a genuinevagrant. Nevertheless, it was notedthat this specieshas establishedno patternof long-distancevagrancy in the OldWorld; American records are all fromthe outerAleutian Islands, not far fromthe breedingrange. Stephen F. Baileyand Louis R. Bevierexamined specimens at the AmericanMuseum of NaturalHistory, finding that the combinationof largesize, largebill, face pattern (dusky lores, broad dusky malar region with lighter coloration on the chinand lower cheek highlighting the darkmalars, and indistinct broad pale superciliarunning posterior from the top middleof the eyes),and overall brownish toneof theArcata bird suggest the race kawarahiba. This is the northernmost form, breedingon Kamchatka,the Kuriles,Sakhalin, and Hokkaidoand wintering from Hokkaidosouth through Japan to Taiwan.Mainland races are smaller and essentially nonmigratory. OrientalGreenfinches are rare but not unknownin captivityin the UnitedStates. In Taiwan,wintering birds are apparentlycaptured for useas cage birds (Yen 1984). Most Committeemembers felt the oddsof the Arcatagreenfinch being an escapee fromcaptivity were small, but few werewilling to ruleout the possibilityand fully supportthe bird'snatural occurrence.

ADDENDA AND CORRIGENDA TO THE THIRTEENTH COMMrl-FEE REPORT (Pyleand McCaskie1992)

UnderRecords Accepted, p. 121: the SnowBunting in HumboldtCo. wasnear Rio Dell, not Del Rio. UnderRecords Not Accepted,p. 122: the TrumpeterSwan (208-1988)died in captivity.Photographs of the unpreparedskin are nowon file withthe record.The skeleton,but not the skin,was preserved as SBMNH 4059. The bird was a Tundra Swan.

28 CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS

CONTRIBUTORS

LawrenceAbbott, Alex Abela, Douglas W. Aguillard,David G. Ainley,Jonathan K. Alderfer,Brooks B. Allen, JaniceAndersen, Scot Anderson, Anita Armstrong(AAr), Stephen E Bailey, Ebbe Banstorp,Bruce Barrett, Alan D. Barron, David Beadle (DBe), Clyde Bergman,Chuck Bernstein, Allyn Bissell,E. Clark Bloom, David V. Blue, Robert J. Boekelheide, Deborah Bouldin, William G. Bousman, Ronald L. Branson,N. BruceBroadbooks, Henry Brodkin,Fred J. Broerman,Jim Brown,Pat Caldeira, Ted Chandik (TCh), Mark O. Chichester,Roger Cinnarnond,Clay Coler, Tom Condit, ElizabethCopper, MichaelCraig, Brian E. Daniels,D. Gail DeLalla, David E DeSante, Don Desjardin,Bruce E. Deuel (BEDe), Hugh Dingle, Linda Doerfiinger,Jon L. Dunn, Tom M. Edell, SheldonEdelman, Arthur L. Edwards, ClaudeG. Edwards,Ray Ekstrom,Ed Elias,Barbara Elliott, Steven D. Eroslie,Paul Engen, Felipa Errecart,Richard A. Erickson,Carter L. Faust, Leora R. Feeney, GeorgeH. Finger,Shawneen E. Finnegan,Gary Friedrichsen,Kimball L. Garrett, DouglasE. George,A1 Ghiorso, Steve Glover, L. Goena,Edward D. Greaves,Helen Green, Mary Halterman, David Hamilton (Dart), Denise Hamilton (Dell), Keith Hansen, RobertB. Hansen,Ned Harris (Nell), StanleyW. Harris, Karen A. Havlena, Loren R. Hays, Gjon Hazard, NorwoodHazard, Bob Hefter, Matt T. Heindel,Mitch Heindel(MHe), Diana Herron, Brad Hines(BHi), J. Mark Higley,Ron P. Hirst, David A. Holway,Bryan Huehnken (BHu), EricV. Johnson,Christine Jones, Bob Keiffer, Clay Kempf, Howard King, OliverJ. Kolkmann,Sanford J. Komito,Theodore H. Koundakjian,Jeri M. Langham,Peter La Tourrette,David Lemon, PaulE. Lehman, Gary S. Lester,Lauren P. Lester,Michael J. Lippsmeyer,Jeff Mackay (JMa), Tim Manolis,Curtis A. Marantz,Richard Martin, Woody Martin, BernardE Master,Bob Merrill (BoM), Guy McCaskie(GMcC), Gerry McChesney,Chet McGaugh,Esther JaneMcNeil, AnthonyMerciea, Bill Mertz, PeterJ. Metropulos,Sherri Miller, Eric L. Mills, StevenMlodinow (SMI), Joseph Morlan, BarbaraC. Moore, RandyJ. Moore, ScottW. Morrical,Daniel P. Murphy,Tom Murphy, Robert E. Mutchie,Rod Norden, John O'Brien, Michael O'Brien, Jean Olive, Dennis Parker, John E. Parmeter, BenjaminD. Parmeter,Michael A. Patten, Bill Perry (BPe), James E. Pike, Bob Pintner,Peter Pyle, DavidE. Quady,Kurt Radamaker,Hugh P. Ranson,Harold M. Reeve,Robert J. Richmond,Michael E Robbins,Don Roberson,Robin R. Roberson, CarolynRodgers, Matthew Sadowski,Don Sanford,Larry Sansone(LaS), Luis Santaella(LuS), Barry Sauppe,Tim Schantz,Donald E. Schmoldt,Brad Schram, JoyceA. Seibold,Leonard A. Shelton,David A. Sibley,Larry Silver,Dan Singer (DSi),Arnold Small, Beatrice B. Smith, GregoryP. Smith, RichardC. Smith,Jim H. Snowden,Rich Stallcup,Bette Jo Stephenson,John C. Sterling,Emilie Strauss, DavidL. Suddjian,Robert Sutherland, Monte M. Taylor,Scott B. Terrill,Ronald S. Thorn, RobertE Tinfie,Dorothy Tobkin, Francis Toldi, Charles H. Townes,Richard R. Veit,George E. Wallace,Brian J. Weed,Mike Wihler, Douglas R. Willick,John C. Wilson,Donnie Woods, Joseph C. Worley,John Wright, David G. Yee.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank the followingpersons outside the Committeefor reviewingand com- mentingon CBRC records:Lars Jonsson,Greg W. Lasley,Robert L. Pitman, and RichardR. Veit. StephenE Bailey,Deborah Davidson, Shawneen E. Finnegan,Paul E. Lehman,Patten, and Don Robersonprovided photographs of specimens.Addi- tionalspecimen information was supplied by KarenR. Cebraand CurtisA. Marantz. Committee members who reviewed some or all of the records contained in this report are Stephen E Bailey, Louis R. Bevier, Jon L. Dunn, Erickson,Matt T. Heindel, Kimball L. Garrett, Jeri M. Langham, Paul E. Lehman, Michael J. 29 CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS

Lippsmeyer,Curtis A. Marantz,Guy McCaskie, Joseph Mofian, Patten, Peter Pyle, Don Roberson,Rich Stallcup, and ScottB. Terrill. We thank Bailey, Dunn, Heindel, Garrett, Lehman, McCaskie,Morlan, Pyle, Roberson,and Terrillfor improvinga draftof thispaper.

LITERATURE CITED

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Doherty,P. 1992. Golden-wingedWarbler: New to the westernpalearctic. Br. Birds 85:595-600. Dunn, J. L. 1988. Tenth reportof the CaliforniaBird RecordsCommittee. W. Birds 19:129-163. Dunn,J. L., and Garrett,K. L. 1990. Identificationof Ruddyand Commonground- doves.Birding 22:138-145. Garrett, K., and Dunn, J. 1981. Birds of Southern California: Statusand Distribu- tion. LosAngeles Audubon Soc., Los Angeles. Garrett,K. L., andDunn, J. L. 1989. Fieldlist of the birdsof LosAngeles County. LosAngeles Audubon Soc., Los Angeles. Gibson,D. D., and Kessel,B. 1992. Seventy-fournew aviantaxa documentedin Alaska 1976-1991. Condor 64:454-467. Goodwin,D. 1983. Pigeonsand Dovesof the World.3rd ed. CornellUniv. Press, Ithaca, NY. Grinnell,J. 1938. Ocean waifs and what they mean for distribution.Condor 40:242-245. Grant, P. J. 1986. Gulls:A Guideto Identification.2nd ed. T. & A.D. Poyser, Staffordshire,England. Harris, S. W. 1991. NorthwesternCalifornia Birds. Humboldt State Univ. Press, Arcata, CA. Harris,S. W., andYocum, C. F. 1968. Recordsof SnowyOwls in California.Condor 70:392. Henderson,P. 1979. A Dotterelon SoutheastFarallon Island, California. W. Birds 10:92-94. Howell,S. N. G., and Webb,S. 1992. Noteworthybird observationsfrom Baja California, Mexico. W. Birds23:153-163. HueIs,T. R. 1984. Firstrecord of CaveSwallows breeding in Arizona.Am. Birds 38:281-283. Jackson,G. D. 1992. Field identificationof teal in North America, female-like plumages.Part II: Garganeyand Baikal Teal. Birding 24:214-223. Jehl,J. R., Jr. 1985. Hybridizationand evolutionof oystercatcherson the Pacific Coast of Baja California,in NeotropicalOrnithology (P. A. Buckley,M. S. Foster,E. S. Morton,R. S. Ridgely,and F. G. Buckley,eds.), pp. 484-504. Ornithol. Monogr.36. Johnson,J., and Letbaby,N. 1991. Garganey:The firstOregon record. Ore. Birds 17:38. Kaufman,K. 1990. A FieldGuide to AdvancedBirding. Houghton Mifflin, Boston. Kaufman,K., and Bowers,R. 1990. The practicedeye: Curve-billed Thrasher and Bendire's Thrasher. Am. Birds 44:359-362. Kessel,B., and Gibson, D. D. 1978. Statusand distributionof Alaskabirds. Studies Avian Biol. 1. Komito,S. 1990. Birding'sIndiana Jones: A Chaser'sDiary. Sanford Komito, Fair Lawn, N.J. Langham,J. M. 1991. Twelfthreport of the CaliforniaBird Records Committee. W. Birds 22:97-130. Lehman,P., and Dunn,J. L. 1985. A little-knownspecies reaches North America. Am. Birds 39:247-250.

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32 CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS

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Accepted 12 May 1993