Rare Birds of North America

Steve N. G. Howell is a research associate at PRBO Conservation Science and a staff leader with WINGS, an international bird tour company. His books include Petrels, Albatrosses, and Storm-Petrels of North America (Princeton). Ian Lewington is one of the world's finest bird illustrators. His books include Rare Birds of Britain and Europe. Will Russell is cofounder and managing director of WINGS.

Preface vii Acknowledgments ix How to Use This Book xi Abbreviations and Terminology xv Geographic Terms xvii INTRODUCTION WHAT IS A 'RARE BIRD'-AND WHEN AND WHENCE? 1 MIGRATION AND VAGRANCY IN BIRDS 4 MIGRATION 4 VAGRANCY 6 Drift 7 Misorientation 10 Overshooting 14 Dispersal 14 Association 16 Disorientation 16 False Vagrancy 16 WHERE DO NORTH AMERICAN VAGRANTS COME FROM? 16 OLD WORLD SPECIES 16 East Asia 19 Western Eurasia-Africa 22 NEW WORLD SPECIES 24 Mainland 24 Island 29 PELAGIC SPECIES 30 Temperate Southern Hemisphere 30 Subtropical and Equatorial 30 TOPOGRAPHY, MOLT, AND AGING 32 BIRD TOPOGRAPHY 32 MOLTS AND PLUMAGES 32 MOLT AND AGING 35 Waterfowl 36 Pelagic Seabirds 38 Gulls and Terns 39 Shorebirds 39 Wading Birds 39 Raptors and Owls 40 Larger Landbirds 40 Aerial Landbirds 40 Songbirds 41 SPECIES ACCOUNTS WATERFOWL 44 OLD WORLD 44 NEW WORLD 65 SUNGREBES 70 ALCIDS 71 PELAGIC SEABIRDS 74 PETRELS 74 ALBATROSSES 92 STORM-PETRELS 104 TROPICBIRDS 111 FRIGATEBIRDS 112 BOOBIES 117 GULLS AND TERNS 124 SHOREBIRDS 141 OLD WORLD 141 Plovers 142 Oystercatchers 151 Stilts 152 Sandpipers 154 Pratincoles 189 NEW WORLD 190 Thick-knees 190 Plovers 191 WADING BIRDS 194 OLD WORLD 194 Herons 194 Cranes 203 Rails 206 NEW WORLD 210 Herons 210 Storks 211 Rails 213 Jacanas 215 RAPTORS AND OWLS 217 OLD WORLD 217 NEW WORLD 230 LARGER LANDBIRDS 237 OLD WORLD 237 Nightjars 237 Pigeons 238 Cuckoos 240 Hoopoes 243 Woodpeckers 244 Corvids 246 NEW WORLD 248 Pigeons 248 Cuckoos 251 Trogons 252 Kingfishers 254 AERIAL LANDBIRDS 255 OLD WORLD 255 Swifts 255 Swallows 259 NEW WORLD 260 Hummingbirds 261 Swifts 272 Swallows 274 SONGBIRDS 278 OLD WORLD 278 Old World Flycatchers 279 Shrikes 286 Accentors 288 Chats and Thrushes 289 Old World Warblers 303 Wagtails and Pipits 315 Larks 322 Old World Buntings 323 Finches 334 NEW WORLD 342 Tyrant-flycatchers and allies 343 Mimids 362 Thrushes 365 Silkies (Silky-flycatchers) 373 Wrens 374 Vireos 375 Wood-warblers 377 Grassquits 385 Tanagers 388 New World Grosbeaks and Allies 393 New World Orioles 398 Appendices Appendix A. Species New to North America, Fall 2011-Summer 2012 403 Appendix B: Species of Hypothetical Occurrence 404 Appendix C: Birds New to North America, 1950-2011 408 Literature Cited 411 Index 425