The latest issue of our state ornithological journal *THE KINGBIRD* (vol 59, issue 3, Sep 2009) includes an announcement from NYSARC concerning five new additions to the New York State Avian Checklist. They are:
1. *Pink-footed Goose* (Anser brachyrhynchus) based on the individual discovered near Montauk, Suffolk Co. on 18 Nov and continuing into 2008. 2. *Western Reef-Heron* (Egretta gularis) based on the bird that frequented Coney Island Creek, Brooklyn, Kings from 9 Jul into Aug. 3. *Cassin’s Kingbird* (Tyrannus vociferans) from the 13 Oct sighting in Montauk, Suffolk Co. 4. *Scott’s Oriole* (Icterus parisorum) from the bird found in mid-town Manhattan, New York Co. on 4 Dec. and continuing into 2008. 5. *‘Yellow’ Wagtail* (Moticilla tschutschensis/flava) a bird that was photographed at Plumb Beach, Brooklyn, Kings, on 7 Sep 2008. Note that this is the first accepted record of any wagtail for NYS and is apparently the first ‘Yellow’ Wagtail for eastern North America. In 2004, the American Ornithologists’ Union split Eastern Yellow Wagtail (M. tschuteschensis) - the form breeding in North America and likely occurring as a vagrant along the Pacific coast - from the Yellow Wagtail (M. flava) but in doing so created a severe identification challenge. After careful review, NYSARC considered the details of the Brooklyn bird insufficient to distinguish between the two species at this time but was convinced that this was indeed one of the two closely-allied species. Congratulations to the finders of the exciting rarities and many thanks to those observers who took the trouble to submit reports and photographs for the permanent record. With these inclusions, the NYS list now stands at *475 * species. Full accounts of each of these new additions will be published in the NYSARC Annual Report (AR). The 2007 AR is going to press right now and the 2008 AR is slated for the spring or summer. By the way, I highly recommend the The Kingbird which is edited by Shai Mitra to all active birders in the state. The quarterly journal comes with membership of the New York State Ornithological Association (NYSOA). For more details or to seem an extensive collection of sample articles from recent issues, simply visit the NYSOA web site: www.nybirds.org/Publications/kingbird.htm Angus Wilson, Chair, New York State Avian Records Committee (NYSARC) -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES Archives: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
