A List of Nearctic Passerines in the Western Palearctic Joe Hobbs version 2.2 A List of Nearctic Passerines Recorded in the Western Palearctic by Joe Hobbs Version 2.2 Published April 2021 Copyright © 2021 Joe Hobbs All rights reserved Cover: Prairie Warbler, Lighthouse Valley, Corvo, Azores, October 2012. Photo: Vincent Legrand. Nearctic Passerines in the Western Palearctic, v.2.2 - Joe Hobbs Page 1 INTRODUCTION This is a list of Nearctic passerines that have been recorded in the Western Palearctic (BWP borders) and published in a WP national bird report, book of historical records, finder’s account or national list up to the end of 2020. There are a great many claims of Nearctic passerines that have yet to be assessed and published by the relevant rare bird committee. Despite many of these having excellent credentials (including some supported by photographic evidence) they will not be in- cluded until formally published. Entries are arranged chronologically by species. In the main they are Category A records, although some Category D and ‘At sea’ records are included. Apart from older records the majority have been published in a national rare bird report and are cited accordingly following the national ranking. When known, finder’s accounts are also cited following the record’s details with the full reference found at the end of each family section. The list of national bird reports consulted are listed at the end beginning on page 151. TAXONOMY Scientific nomenclature and species order follows the IOC World List version 11.1: Gill, F., Donsker, D. & Rasmussen, P. (eds.) 2021. IOC World Bird List (version 11.1). Available from www.worldbirdnames.org [accessed January 2021]. AGE & NUMBER When known the age is quoted. All records involve single birds unless otherwise stated. HYPERLINKS Hyperlinks are underlined and shown in this colour. AZORES RED-EYED VIREO RECORDS As Red-eyed Vireo is no longer recorded in Portuguese reports, Azores records after 2012 are courtesy of ‘Azores Rare and Scarce Bird Reports’, compiled by the Azores Bird Club. PENDING ADDITIONS: Some claims that are yet to be accessed are of species that if published will be additions to the Western Palearctic list as follows: • American Northern Shrike Lanius borealis borealis (Azores, 2014) • White-winged Crossbill Loxia leucoptera leucoptera (Iceland, 2017) • Western Kingbird Tyrannus verticalis (Azores, 2018) • Blue Grosbeak Passerina caerulea (Azores, 2018) • Prothonotary Warbler Protonotaria citrea (Azores, 2019) • Connecticut Warbler Oporornis agilis (Azores, 2019) • Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Empidonax flaviventris (Scotland 2020) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am especially grateful to Peter Alfrey, Eugene Archer, Peter H. Barthel, Hans-Martin Berg, Dave Bird, José Luis Copete, Wilton Farrelly, Paul French, Morten Bentzon Hans- en, Ottavio Janni, Zbigniew Kajzer, Sebastian Klein, Yann Kolbeinsson, Marta Leocádio, Björn Malmhagen, Killian Mullarney, Silas Olofson, Tor A. Olsen, Charles Perez, Sébast- ien Reeber, Edward Rickson, Jiří Šírek, Søren Sørensen, Lars Svensson, Hugo Touzé and Arnoud van den Berg for their help in compiling this list and to Vincent Legrand for his fantastic cover photo. Joe Hobbs, April 2021 Nearctic Passerines in the Western Palearctic, v.2.2 - Joe Hobbs Page 2 INDEX Species Page Acadian Flycatcher Empidonax virescens 7 Alder Flycatcher Empidonax alnorum 7 'American' Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica erythrogaster 36 American Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota 36 American Goldfinch Spinus tristis 79 American Redstart Setophaga ruticilla 118 American Robin Turdus migratorius 61 American Tree Sparrow Spizelloides arborea 83 American Yellow Warbler Setophaga aestiva 123 Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula 105 Bay-breasted Warbler Setophaga castanea 122 Black-and-White Warbler Mniotilta varia 112 Black-throated Blue Warbler Setophaga caerulescens 131 Black-throated Green Warbler Setophaga virens 137 Blackburnian Warbler Setophaga fusca 123 Blackpoll Warbler Setophaga striata 125 Blue-winged Warbler Vermivora cyanoptera 112 Boat-tailed Grackle Quiscalus major 109 Bobolink Dolichonyx oryzivorus 101 Brown Thrasher Toxostoma rufum 43 Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater 108 Buff-bellied Pipit Anthus rubescens rubescens 69 Canada Warbler Cardellina canadensis 137 Cape May Warbler Setophaga tigrina 119 Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum 33 Cerulean Warbler Setophaga cerulea 120 Chestnut-sided Warbler Setophaga pensylvanica 125 Common Grackle Quiscalus quiscula 109 Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas 115 Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis 83 Dickcissel Spiza americana 148 Eastern Kingbird Tyrannus tyrannus 8 Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe 7 Eastern Towhee Pipilo erythrophthalmus 98 Eastern Wood Pewee Contopus virens 7 Evening Grosbeak Hesperiphona vespertina 79 Nearctic Passerines in the Western Palearctic, v.2.2 - Joe Hobbs Page 3 Field Sparrow Spizella pusilla 82 Golden-winged Warbler Vermivora chrysoptera 112 'Greenland' Redpoll Acanthis flammea rostrata 79 'Greenland' Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe leucorhoa 68 Grey Catbird Dumetella carolinensis 42 Grey-cheeked Thrush Catharus minimus 45 Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus 59 Hooded Warbler Setophaga citrina 118 Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris ssp. 35 Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea 148 Lapland Longspur Calcarius lapponicus subcalcaratus 81 Lark Sparrow Chondestes grammacus 82 Least Flycatcher Empidonax minimus 8 Lincoln’s Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii 98 Magnolia Warbler Setophaga magnolia 122 Myrtle Warbler Setophaga coronata 131 Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos 42 Northern Parula Setophaga americana 120 Northern Waterthrush Parkesia noveboracensis 111 Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapilla 110 Palm Warbler Setophaga palmarum 131 Philadelphia Vireo Vireo philadelphicus 9 Pine Siskin Spinus pinus 79 Prairie Warbler Setophaga discolor 137 Prothonotary Warbler Protonotaria citria 115 Purple Martin Progne subis 36 Red Fox Sparrow Passerella iliaca 82 Red-breasted Nuthatch Sitta canadensis 41 Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus 10 Red-winged Blackbird Icterus galbula 108 Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus 143 Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula 40 Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis 96 Scarlet Tanager Piranga olivacea 141 Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis 79 Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia 96 Summer Tanager Piranga rubra 141 Swainson’s Thrush Catharus ustulatus 52 Nearctic Passerines in the Western Palearctic, v.2.2 - Joe Hobbs Page 4 Swamp Sparrow Melospiza georgiana 98 Tennessee Warbler Leiothlypis peregrina 115 Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor 36 Tropical Mockingbird Mimus gilvus 43 Varied Thrush Ixoreus naevius 44 Veery Catharus fuscescens 44 White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys 88 White-eyed Vireo Vireo griseus 9 White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis 90 Wilson’s Warbler Cardellina pusilla 138 Wood Thrush Hylocichla mustelina 61 Yellow-headed Blackbird Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus 101 Yellow-throated Vireo Vireo flavifrons 9 Yellow-throated Warbler Setophaga dominica 137 ABBREVIATIONS BBRC: British Birds Rarity Committee. BOURC: British Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee. BWP: Birds of the Western Palearctic (published in nine volumes). CDNA: Commissie Dwaalgasten Nederlandse Avifauna (Dutch RC). CHN: Comité d’Homologation National (French RC) DNA: Deoxyribonucleic Acid (molecule that contains the genetic code of birds). in prep: In preparation. IOC: International Ornithological Committee. IRBC: Irish Rare Birds Committee. MV: Motor Vessel. NIRBC: Northern Ireland Rare Bird Committee. RC: Rarity Committee. RMS: Royal Mail Ship. RV: Research Vessel. SS: Steam Ship. WP: Western Palearctic. Nearctic Passerines in the Western Palearctic, v.2.2 - Joe Hobbs Page 5 WESTERN PALEARCTIC RARE BIRD COMMITTEES Austria: Avifaunistische Kommission Österreich - www.birdlife-afk.at Belgium: Belgian Rare Birds Committee (BRBC) - www.belgianrbc.be Czech Republic: Faunistická komise ČSO - http://fkcso.cz/fk/fk.html Denmark: Dansk Ornitologisk Forening Sjældenhedsudvalget (DOFS) - www.dof.dk/ aktiv-i-dof/grupper-og-udvalg/sjaeldenhedsudvalget Egypt: Egyptian Ornithological Rarities Committee (EORC) - www.chn-france.org/eorc/ eorc.php Estonia: Eesti Linnuharulduste Komisjon - www.eoy.ee/ET/20/41/115/hk Finland: Rariteettikomitea - www.birdlife.fi/havainnot/harvinaisuudet/rk France: Comité d’Homologation National (CHN) - www.chn-france.org/chn.php Germany: Deutschen Seltenheitenkommission (DAK) - www.limicola.de/home_dsk.html Great Britain: British Birds Rarity Committee (BBRC) - www.bbrc.org.uk Greece: Eλλhnikh Opni�oλorikh Etaipeia [Hellenic Rarities Committee] - www.orni- thologiki.gr/page_in.php?tID=2003&sID=140 Hungary: MME Nomenclator Bizottság - www.birding.hu/mme_nomenclator_bizottsag. html Iceland: Flækingsfuglanefndin (FFN). Republic of Ireland: Irish Rare Birds Committee (IRBC) - www.irbc.ie Israel: Israeli Rarities & Distribution Committee (IRDC) - www.israbirding.com/irdc Italy: Commissione Ornitologica Italiana (COI) - https://ciso-coi.it/coi/attivita-coi/ Jordan: Jordan Bird Records Committee (JBRC) - www.jordanbirdwatch.com/birds-in- jordan/jbrc Kuwait: Kuwait Ornithological Rarities Committee (KORC) - https://birdsofkuwait.com/ korc/ Lithuania: Lietuvos Ornitofaunistinė Komisija (LOFK) - www.birdlife.lt/apie-lofk Morocco: Moroccan Rare Birds Committee (MRBC) - www.go-south.org/?page_id=47 Netherlands: Commissie Dwaalgasten Nederlandse Avifauna (CDNA) - www.dutchavi- fauna.nl/handboek Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Rare Birds Committee (NIRBC) - https://nirbc. blogspot.com/