MDOsprey,
Although I have been a recent transplant to California, my heart and my
most passionate birding interest still remains in Maryland. Recently in
California (and adjacent Baja) I have been treated to an exceptional taste of
the
rich vagrant scene here: Broad-billed, Magnificent (1st CA) and (apparent)
Ruby-throated hummingbirds, McCown's Longspur, White-eyed Vireo, numerous
eastern
warblers, a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, a Black-backed Wagtail (!), and, perhaps
one of my favorites, numerous Red-throated Pipits.
Red-throated Pipit is a Siberian species that breeds occasionally in
western Alaska and since the late 1960s (which saw Guy McCaskie's influence on
California's birding), has been proven to be a regular low-density
migrant/vagrant along the Pacific Coast. Most have been found from Pt. Reyes
south, with a
distinct concentration of records in Ventura (just n. of Los Angeles) and San
Diego. This has prompted the theory that birds cross directly from the
Aleutians to southern California, but recently increased attention in
Washington and
Oregon (and Canada) has revealed that Red-throats pass through those states as
well. Peak timing is about 10-15 October, but records stretch from 11 Sep to
15 Nov. In California, about 4 are average each year, certain years have had
massive influxes which bring tenfold as many to California. The last such year
was 1991, when about 80 were found in California and more were found in Baja;
that year's invasion precipitated its removal from the California Records
Committee's review list. This year is shaping up to be another such invasion:
birds
have appeared from Pt. Reyes to Baja California, and I am aware of _at least_
40+ so far this fall. It has all the makings of an equal or better invasion
year.
My question is this: although Red-throated Pipit (affectionately "RTP",
famous birding initials) is primarily known only from the immediate Pacific
Coast, could it occur well-inland or even on the East Coast? In California
almost
all records have been from the immediate coast, but in invasion years birds
have been found at vagrant traps in the inland deserts (e.g., Death Valley),
and one reached Arizona one year. Given this, a vagrant on the East Coast seems
ludicrous. But consider this; Black-backed Wagtail, a bird with a fairly
similar breeding distribution has occurred on the East Coast three times (NC in
May, NY in Dec, St.Pierre off Newfoundland in Jan). An _ocularis_ White Wagtail
was found in SC in April and a Citrine Wagtail was in Missisippi 31 Jan-1 Feb
one year. Asiatic shorebirds, like Red-necked Stint and Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
are found every few years. Siberian Flycatcher has reached Bermuda, a Siberian
Stonechat was photographed in New Brunswick, and a Brown Shrike was
photographed in Nova Scotia. Bramblings have a number of records from the East
Coast,
south as far as North Carolina. Why would Red-throated Pipit be so unlikely,
since it is far more regular in California than ANY of those species
(Sharp-tailed Sandpiper comes close)? Note that it is also a regular vagrant in
Britain,
though most records are fromn its East Coast.
I also know something of the behavior of East Coast birders in fall. Most
birders (and I have been guilty of this as well), tend to ignore pipit
flocks. Pipits rarely host longspurs (checking Horned Lark flocks is a better
bet)
and no vagrant pipit has ever reached the East Coast that might occur with
American Pipits. It seems a waste of time to look through them. Which is, of
course, the very problem. Red-throated Pipit certainly occurred in California
before Guy McCaskie found (and collected) the first ones in the late 1960s. Guy
was
simply the first person to start looking systematically at pipit flocks. What
would we learn on the East Coast if more observers tried? Certainly a 5
minute check of the American Pipits wouldn't be such a chore.
To identify a Red-thraoted Pipit, birders should look directly at the
BACKS of pipits in the flock. American Ppit has an essentially unmarked, smooth
gray back. Red-throated Pipit by contrast, has a heavily marked back with
brown, buff, and sometimes whitish streaking. Once you have found a
streaky-backed
pipit, leg color is the next thing to look at. Red-throated Pipits have bright
pinkish legs. Other differences that Red-throated Pipits show, compared to
Americans, are shorter tails, overall smaller size, and much heavier streaking
on the breast and flanks, which to me recalls the streaking on a Savannah
Sparrow. The malar stripe is typically strong as well. Observers familiar with
the
flight calls of American Pipit would instantly recognize a calling
Red-throated as something different. It is a very high, thin "tsiiieeeuuu",
sometimes
doubled, but with none of the squeaky quality of American pipit and recalling
the
Yellow Wagtail flight call for those that have heard them in Alaska (or
elsewhere).
While I'd say Red-throated is the most likely new pipit for the East
Coast, a few other species should be considered as well. Meadow Pipit breeds
commonly in Greenland but has never occurred in the USA or Canada. I suspect
that is due to a lack of attention to pipits by East Coasters, so who knows
where
the first one might turn up. I don't know very much about this species or
even how to identify it (or whether it might flock with Americans), but it too
has pinkish legs, a streaked back, and is smaller and more compact than
American. Pechora Pipit of Siberia (and rarely, Alaska) is another one to
consider:
look for its bright white back streaking. The Siberian _japonicus_ subspecies
of
American Pipit is a rare vagrant to California and should be considered on
the East Coast: the recent North American Birds (with a pipit painting on the
cover) has a detailed article on identification of this form. Briefly, look for
its pink legs and blacker streaking below. Finally, Rock Pipit and Water
Pipit, two Eurasian species recently-split from American Ppit (which is called
Buff-bellied Pipit in Europe) are conceivable vagrants,m but would be very
difficult to identify. Check the recent European Field guides for starting
points;
they are off my radar screen I am sorry to say. With the exception of the last
two species, back streaking and leg color should be the tip offs for any
unusual pipit. As a cautionary tale, note that some American Ppits can have
pinkish
legs, and such birds have thrown observers off on the East Coast.
A final pipit "PS" is in order: Sprague's Pipit WILL NOT OCCUR WITH
AMERICANS. Notice that I don't say might not, it simply will not. A number of
East
Coast reports of Sprague's Pipits have involved birds with flocks of
Americans; these are all definite misidentifications, including the two
Maryland
reports. Sprague's Ppit is a (more or less) solitary species that occurs in
grassland habitats quite unlike the habitat for Americans (sod farms, muddy
pond
edges, muddy fields etc.). Sprague's records in the East have occurred in Oct
and
Nov, and on through the winter (on wintered at Cape Cod once). All have been
SOLITARY birds found in short, grassy fields (about ankle-high grass) such as
airports. A few records are from barrier islands, inclouding a recent on at
Cape
Hatteras. I would predict Maryland's first to occur on Assateague, or better
yet, at Patuxent Naval Air Station. Similar airport habitats that birders can
access (such as some fields at Ocean City Airport) would be other good bets.
Finding one usually requires walking those fields and listening for a bird to
rise in front of you in undulating flight giving a high-pitched "Squeeeeak!" or
"Squeeeak!, squeeeaaak!, squeeeaaaak!" call. Of course, it also requires a
lot of luck. But it certainly will never happen while pateintly scanning
through
American Pipits.
So...this is just a thought for field birders this fall. Given the
invasion in California, this would be a fine fall to start looking more closely
at
pipits on the East Coast. Worst case scenario you get to learn American Pipit,
a quite variable species, better. Best case scenario, you become the hero of
the year, finding the first Red-throated Pipit ever found east of the
Mississippi.
Good birding,
Marshall Iliff
***********************
Marshall Iliff
miliff@xxxxxxx
Costa Mesa, CA
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