Tag Archives: north carolina rare bird alert

By Sally Siko

Yesterday my friend Corie and I set out to check out a Cackling Goose that had reportedly been seen at the Mayo River SP in Mayodan, NC.
I had a feeling this bird would be a challenge to ID given their nearly identical appearance to the Canada Goose.
And I was right lol!

But what is a Cackling Goose anyway?
Well as you might have assumed by looking at it, these birds were once classified as Canada geese, but in 2004 the American Ornithological Society reclassified the four smallest subspecies of Canada geese as members of a new species known as the Cackling Goose.
Today, four subspecies of cackling geese are recognized by the AOS: the Bering, Aleutian, Richardson’s, and Taverner’s.
All four subspecies largely breed on the treeless tundra lands of Alaska and northern Canada. With the exception of the Richardson’s subspecies, the Cacklers are found almost exclusively in the Pacific Flyway areas.

To make matters more complicated, there are slight variations in the size and shape of the heads within the group of Cackler subspecies as well as subtle plumage variations too.
For what it’s worth, my instinct tells me that this is a Tavener’s Cackling Goose because this goose just looks so similar in proportion and plumage to that subspecies but that would be pretty unlikely given the spot where I found it.
Plus there’s a chance that this bird might just be (a very small sized) Canada Goose too lol.
I’m cool with being wrong with an ID but want to learn what to look for to get this species right going forward.

So bird friends, what do you think, is it a Cackling Goose or a Canada Goose?
Big props sent out if you can ID the subspecies too! Feel free to comment on this post.

I’ve included a Google Maps pin of the goose’s location for reference and in case you’d like to go see it for yourself.
Your opinion (and a detailed explanation) on this ID is much appreciated 🙂
Thank you.
Happy birding!

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my mighty mirrorless monster, the @canonusa #R5

Birdwatching News, North Carolina rare bird alert

North Carolina Rare Bird Alert: A Clay-colored Sparrow at Dix Park in Raleigh

January 19, 2024 admin

By Sally Siko

Had a window of free time this morning so I took a quick trip up to Dix Park in Raleigh to see if I could find a Clay colored Sparrow which had been reported there this past week. It took some walking but eventually I finally got a good look at this rare (for the region) species with a couple other birders (shoutout to Adam & Davon!). Woohoo!

Why is it a special thing to see this bird here in North Carolina? Well, normally the range of the Clay-colored Sparrow stretches from central Canada, down through the Midwest states of the central US into Texas and northern Mexico which means this little guy is well out of his range. It’s not a state record however, since increasing numbers of Clay-colored Sparrows have been showing up in North Carolina since the 1980s. When they do show up, usually they are found during the wintertime in our eastern counties so seeing one here in the central part of the state was pretty cool!

As was the case today, these little ones are most often found with groups of Field Sparrows and Song Sparrows, usually lurking in brush piles, hedgerows, weedy fields, and in the tangled margins of open fields. In fact it was easier to find this Clay-colored by looking for a flock of Field Sparrows making their way around the margins of the sunflower field which ended up being the key to locating the bird.

If you’d like to go see this bird for yourself, I’ve included a Google Maps pin drop link of its location next to the parking lot at Dix Park in Raleigh.

Happy birding!

Birdwatching News

Rare bird alert NC- A pair of Scissor tailed Flycatchers have been spotted in Charlotte

June 4, 2022 admin

By Sally Siko

Last month, I took a quick trip to try and find my first Scissor tailed Flycatcher at Ft. Fisher NC.
That lone fly catcher was a vagrant in the area and I certainly didn’t expect to lay eyes on another one until next year when I head out to Texas for my spring migration bird watching tour on High Island.

Scissor tailed Flycatchers in Charlotte, NC June 2nd, 2022

But as luck would have it, a pair of Scissor tailed Flycatchers have shown up in the Charlotte North Carolina area!
So on June 2nd, I met up with my friend Corie Latta to see if we could capture some better photos of this beautiful species.
This time I think I nailed it and am very pleased with how the photos turned out 🙂

The Scissor tailed Flycatcher’s normal range extends south from Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, in areas of western Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana, all the way down into Mexico and Central America.
This species is a rare sight indeed east of the Mississippi and certainly not a common bird to spot in North Carolina!
That being said, there seems to be an increase in sightings of the aptly nicknamed ‘Texas Bird of Paradise here in the Tarheel state which I find absolutely fascinating.

Scissor tailed Flycatchers North Carolina

The flycatchers appeared to be a bonded male & female pair which makes me wonder if they’ve got a nest in the area.
I’d learned that they prefer to nest in trees or tall shrubs, usually on horizontal limbs about 7 to 30ft above the ground so I did spend some time checking the trees in the area to see if I could locate a nest but to no avail.
I plan to revisit the spot in a couple weeks so perhaps I might get lucky and confirm a nest site then.
We’ll see I guess 🙂

Btw, if you’d like to see these birds for yourself, I’ve included a Google Maps pin drop of their exact location below.
Be respectful of the property owners though as the land the birds are on is actually an Amazon distribution center!
Best advice is to stay on the side of the road where the drainage pond is.

Photos by @sally_siko of @bestlife_birding on my beloved full frame 50MP beast, the mighty @canonusa #5Ds