Bird Oddities 6

This edition of Bird Oddities is vagrant-themed, in particular western vagrants in the East.

But first, some more on a hybrid reported previously. A brief discussion popped up recently on ID-Frontiers questioning the identity of the "Salvin's Hummingbird" , Violet-crowned x Broad-billed Hummingbird (Amazilia violiceps x Cynanthus latirostris), found in Arizona in 2006. Namely, it was questioned as a Azure-crowned Hummingbird (Amazilia cyanocephala) from Mexico. Further pictures of the hybrid were posted here and here. The field marks that separate it from Azure-crowned include: bill color (too much red above), tail (dark and notched rather than plain and square in Azure-crowned), and pure white rather than olive undertail coverts. It never hurts to question! That's how we learn.

Now, on to western vagrants!

The first South Carolina record of Mountain Plover.

Shane Blodgett found a juvenile Le Conte's Sparrow on Long Island. Photos here, and particularly excellent photos here.

2 (!) Rufous Hummingbirds coming to the same feeder in Western NY. One was banded.

2 Flamingos were sighted in Louisiana recently. One is a Caribbean Flamingo, banded on the breeding grounds in the Yucatan and thus a rare confirmed vagrant. The other is a banded bird that escaped from a zoo two years ago - a Greater Flamingo from Africa.