[rec.birds] What is rare?

chris@leadsv.UUCP (Chris Salander) (12/02/87)

	How can you tell that a particular bird is not suppose to
be in your area?   The bird books talk about general ranges.  But
birds out of place seems to be a hot topic.
	
	Ex:  During this summer I saw at least two Northern
Waterthrushes.  I though nothing of it, (other than "what a cute
bird").  Then recently I started getting the local Audobon
newsletter.  It in they site the discovery of a Northern Waterthrush
as something exceptional and worth reporting.  (For our area).
Is there an accumulated record of appearances?
   

dmark@sunybcs.UUCP (12/03/87)

In article <1822@leadsv.UUCP> chris@leadsv.UUCP (Chris Salander) writes:
>
>	How can you tell that a particular bird is not suppose to
>be in your area?   The bird books talk about general ranges.  But
>birds out of place seems to be a hot topic.
>	
>	Ex:  During this summer I saw at least two Northern
>Waterthrushes.  I though nothing of it, (other than "what a cute
>bird").  Then recently I started getting the local Audobon
>newsletter.  It in they site the discovery of a Northern Waterthrush
>as something exceptional and worth reporting.  (For our area).
>Is there an accumulated record of appearances?
>  

For California (as well as Oregon, Washington, B.C., and Alaska)
I recommend Don Roberson's excellent book "Rare Birds of the 
West Coast".  I don't know of an equivalent single source for the
rest of the country.  Roberson published the book himself.
I can look up the publisher information at home if there is
interest.

David Mark
geodmm@ubvms.BITNET
dmark@joey.cs.buffalo.edu
dmark@buffalo