Canvasback (Aythya valisineria)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Aythya (a seabird named by Aristotle) valisineria (for wild celery, a favoured food)

Female/eclipse Canvasback (Aythya valisineria) in North Dakota, USA - July 2024

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 862-1588g  /  Length: 48-56cm  /  Wingspan: 79-89cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The largest of the aythya ducks, they breed in prairie potholes from Alaska to Colarado before migrating to Mexico and Southern states. They dive and dabble for food, eating a largely plant based diet with wld celery and sago pondweed being particular favourites, though they do also eat molluscs and inset larvae. 
 
Related Species: 
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Aythya
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 
 
- Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES - Breeds in Alaska and patchily in Centre North of the Lower 48, Winters in the Southern half of the Lower 48
 - CHICAGO TO ALASKA ROADTRIP 2024: Seen in North Dakota

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Nutting's flycatcher (Myiarchus nuttingi)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Myiarchus ("fly ruler") nuttingi (for Zoologist Charles Cleveland Nutting)

Nutting's flycatcher (Myiarchus nuttingi) at Tarcoles, Costa Rica - November 2025

Featured Subspecies: Myiarchus nuttingi nuttingi
Weight: 21-24g  /  Length: 18-19cm  /  Wingspan: 30cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

One of the several similiar myiarchus flycatchers found in Costa Rica, Nutting's is especially similar to the Brown-crested flycatcher but differs in some subtle details as well as the calls. Tarcoles represents the very Southernmost point of its range which extends from Mexico.
 
Related Species: 
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Tyrannidae
Genus: Myiarchus
SUBSPECIES: M. n. inquietus, M. n. nuttingi
 
- Sighting Locations -

COSTA RICA - Spanish (Costa Rican) - Copetón de Nutting
A fairly common resident in the North-West
- COSTA RICA 2025 TRIP: Seen at Tarcoles  

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Knob-billed Duck (Sarkidiornis melanotos)

OTHER NAMES: African Comb Duck
Latin Etymology: Sarkidiornis ("carbuncle bird") melanotos ("black-backed")  

Flock of Knob-billed Duck (Sarkidiornis melanotos) at Prek Toal, Cambodia - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: N/A

Weight: 1-2.9kg  /  Length: 56-76cm  /  Wingspan: 116-145cm

NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A very distinctive looking bird - among the largest of all ducks, with the namesake knob on the bill of the males and purple irridescence on its back, and close range it should be essentially unmistakable. It is found in Sub-Saharan Africa, and also in South and South East Asia where it favours wetlands and lake.
 

Related Species: 
Order: Anseriformes 

Family: Anatidae 

Genus: Sarkidiornis

SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic  

- Sighting Locations -

CAMBODIA - Khmer - ទាកាប៉ាព្រៃ 

A local resident on Tonle Sap

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: A flock seen overhead at Prek Toal 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Eurasian Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes)

OTHER NAMES: Nutcracker, Northern Nutcracker, Spotted Nutcracker
Latin Etymology: Nucifraga ("nut breaker") caryocatactes ("nut shatter")

Adult Eurasian Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) at Mundesley, Norfolk, UK - October 2026

Featured Subspecies: Nucifraga caryocatactes caryocatactes
Weight: 124-220g  /  Length: 32-38cm  /  Wingspan: 49-53cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A specialist in pine nuts found across the high mountains and taigas of Eurasia and among the most elusive of Europes corvid species. Similar to jays, they store seeds for winter, which helps generate forest by effectively having seeds planted. An unusual instance of a species which isn't migratory but is irruptive, and when a pine crop fails they will disperse more widely, as would be the case for this individual that appeared in Mundesley, Norfolk in 2026.
 
Related Species: 
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Corvidae
Genus: Nucifraga
SUBSPECIES: N. c. caryocatactes, N. c. macrorhynchos, N. c. rothschildi, N. c. japonica
 
- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - An extremely infrequent vagrant

Vagrant bird in Mundesley, Norfolk in October 2026

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Desert Wheatear (Oenanthe deserti)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Oenanthe ("vine bloom" - for the time of year they appeared) deserti ("desert") 

Male Desert Wheatear (Oenanthe deserti) at Cley, Norfolk, UK - August 2026

Featured Subspecies: possibly Oenanthe deserti homochroa
Weight: 15-34g  /  Length: 14.5-15cm  /  Wingspan: 26-32cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A rare vagrant to the UK - it breeds in the dry habitats of Central Asia and North Africa along the Mediterranean  while wintering in the Sahara, the Arabian Penninsula and the North West of the Indian Subcontinent. They favour rocky, dry environments with low shrubs in their native range, so when vagrants do occur, they they often are seen on rocky shores. 

Related Species: 
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Muscicapidae
Genus: Oenanthe
SUBSPECIES: O. d. homochroa, O. d. deserti, O. d. oreophila
 
- Sighting Locations - 

UNITED KINGDOM - A rare vagrant
Seen at Cley in October 2026 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Rose-coloured Starling (Pastor roseus)

OTHER NAMES: Rosy Starling
Latin Etymology: Pastor ("shepherd") roseus ("rose-coloured")

Juvenile Rose-coloured Starling (Pastor roseus) at Geddington, Northants, UK - August 2026

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 60-88g  /  Length: 19-22cm  /  Wingspan: 37-40cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

As an adult, the rose-coloured starling resembles the common starling wearing a soft pink waistcoat with pink lipstick on its beak. The juvenile, in which form this species is more frequently encountered in the UK, is a somewhat more drab affair  though its flat browns and yellow bill will often allow it to be picked out amongst the flocks of common starling it most often appears as a vagrant within. Their breeding range is around the Black and Caspian Seas into Central Asia, and the Winter in Southern India and Sri Lanka.
 
Related Species: 
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sturnidae
Genus: Pastor
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 
 
- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - An annual vagrant species, primarily on the East Coast

- A vagrant juvenile seen in Happisburgh, Norfolk in 2026

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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American Egret (Ardea egretta)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Ardea ("Heron") egretta ("egret")  

American Egret (Ardea egretta) at Tarcoles, Costa Rica - November 2025

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 700-1500g  /  Length: 80-104cm  /  Wingspan: 131-170cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated 

Until 2026, it was officially regarded as the subspecies of Great White Egret found in the Americas, but has subsequently been recognised as a full species in its own right. The noted differences were vocalizations, skin coloration and plume structure.
 
Related Species: 
Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Ardeidae 
Genus: Ardea 
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 
 
- Sighting Locations -

COSTA RICA
A locally common resident.
 - COSTA RICA 2025 TRIP: Common at Tarcoles

UNITED STATES 
Resident on most of the Coastal areas, winters throughout
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Berkeley 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Chestnut-headed Bee-eater (Merops leschenaulti)

OTHER NAMES: Bay-headed Bee-eater 
Latin Etymology: Merops ("bee-eater" from Greek) leschenaulti (for naturalist Baptiste Leschenault de La Tour)

Chestnut-headed Bee-eater (Merops leschenaulti) at Siem Reap, Cambodia - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: Merops leschenaulti leschenaulti 
Weight: 26-33g  /  Length: 18-20cm  /  Wingspan: 20-22.5cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A Bee-eater species found on the Indian Subcontinent and South-East Asia, it lacks the distinctive elongated central tail faithers possessed by most bee-eaters. This species nests colonially and generally hunts aerial insects, but has also been recorded potentially hunting aquatic prey.
 
Related Species: 
Order: Coraciiformes
Family: Meropidae
Genus: Merops
SUBSPECIES: M. l. leschenaulti, M. l. quinticolor, M. l. andamanensis
 
- Sighting Locations -

CAMBODIA - Khmer name: ត្រដេវក្បាលត្នោត ("brown-headed thrush")

A fairly common species absent in parts of the country

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: One seen at Siem Reap 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Mangrove Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia)

OTHER NAMES: Mangrove Warbler
Latin Etymology: Setophaga ("moth eating") petecchia ("small red spot") 

Female Mangrove Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia) at Tarcoles, Costa Rica - November 2025

Featured Subspecies: Setophaga petechia xanthotera
Weight: ?  /  Length: 13cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Until recently, this species also included the migratory Northern Yellow Warbler, a very similar looking species which is found up into the Arctic Circle, but the Mangrove Yellow Warbler is by contrast a sedentary resident of Central America and the Caribbean. Males have a distinctive chestnut cap, but within the many subspecies the specifics of the various subspecies are fairly variable.
 
Related Species: 
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Parulidae
Genus: Setophaga

SUBSPECIES: S. p. oraria, S. p. bryanti, S. p. erithachorides, S. p. chrysendeta, S. p. paraguanae, S. p. cienagae, S. p. castaneiceps, S. p. rhizophorae, S. p. phillipsi, S. p. xanthotera, S. p. aithocorys. S. p. iguanae, S. p. aequatorialis, S. p. jubaris, S. p. peruviana, S. p. aureola, S. p. ruficapilla, S. p. rufivertex, S. p. armouri, S. p. flavida, S. p. eoa, S. p. gundlachi, S. p. flaviceps, S. p. albicollis, S. p. chlora, S. p. solaris, S. p. bartholemica, S. p. melanoptera, S. p. babad, S. p. petechia, S. p. alsiosa, S. p. rufopileata, S. p. obscura, S. p. aurifrons 
 

- Sighting Locations -

COSTA RICA 
A Coastal resident
- COSTA RICA 2025 TRIP: Seen at Tarcoles 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Redhead (Aythya americana)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Aythya (a seabird named by Aristotle) americana ("of America")  

Adult male Redhead (Aythya americana) at Lake Saskatoon, Alberta, Canada - July 2024

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 1030-1080g  /  Length: 37cm  /  Wingspan: 74-84cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A diving duck found in North America where they prey on small water animals including molluscs, insects and fish during the breeding season but on their wintering groups are primarily herbivores, feeding on grasses and pondweeds. They share their range with the cosmetically similar Canvasback, but that species in much larger and has an all black bill. Their population is currently increasing.
 
Related Species: 
Order: Anseriformes
Family: Anatidae
Genus: Aythya
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 
 
- Sighting Locations -

CANADA - Breeds in the Great Plains
  - CHICAGO TO ALASKA ROADTRIP 2024: - Seen in Alberta and British Columbia 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Limosa (species specific name) haemastica ("bloody)

Moulting adult Hudsonian godwit (Limosa haemastica) at Cattawade, Suffolk - August 2026

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 300g  /  Length: 37-42cm  /  Wingspan: 74cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Vulnerable 

Arguably the most remote and understudied of the four godwit species, they breed in largely remote near coastal bogs of Alaska and Canada before migrating to the very south of South America, primarily along the Argentinian Coast. This bird was a very off course vagrant having somehow found its way to the UK, where less than 10 individuals have ever been recorded.
 
Related Species: 
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Scolopacidae
Genus: Limosa
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 
 
- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - Extremely infrequent vagrant.

 - Birds seen at Cattawade, Suffolk 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Long-tailed Shrike (Lanius schach)

OTHER NAMES: Rufous-backed Shrike
Latin Etymology: Lanius ("to tear to pieces") schach (onomatopoeic based on call)

Adult Long-tailed Shrike (Lanius schach) at Oxfordshire, UK - July 2026

Featured Subspecies: Unknown, though erysthronotus would seem most likely
Weight: 33-52g  /  Length: 20-25cm  /  Wingspan: 30-35cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A widespread resident of Southern and Central Asia, although not present in much of mainland South East Asia or Borneo.  They are a fairly visually diverse species with some species having a typical shrike "bandit mask" while some subspecies have much more vivid colours and the black extends into more towards being a full "cap". This bird on the Gloucestershire/Oxfordshire border is only the third ever reported in the UK, thought fascinatingly the second arrived just a week prior and their stays overlapped, a bizarre coincidence for such a rare species!
 
Related Species: 
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Laniidae
Genus: Lanius

SUBSPECIES: L. s. erythronotus, L. s. caniceps, L. s. tricolor, L. s. schach, L. s. longicaudatus, L. s. bentet, L. s. nasutus, L. s. suluensis, L. s. stresemanni 

 
- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - An extremely rare vagrant.

A vagrant bird seen on the Gloucestershire/Oxfordshire border is only the third ever UK record of this species, one being here at the same time

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Collared Forest Falcon (Micrastur semitorquatus)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Micrastur ("little goshawk") semitorquatus ("half collared")

Alex Holt · Collared Forest Falcon 

Calling Collared Forest Falcon (Micrastur semitorquatus) at Tarcoles, Costa Rica - November 2025

Featured Subspecies: Micrastur semitorquatus semitorquatus
Weight: 460-940g  /  Length: 46-58cm  /  Wingspan: 72-86cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The largest of the forest falcons, collared forest falcons have are agile hunters who have facial discs similar to owls and harriers to aid in them hearing potential prey, which is primarily small mammals and birds. They inhabit a wide range of forest types including mangroves and rain forest and are believed to have territories of approximately 100 km² where they communicate via low calls capable of carrying many miles.

 
Related Species: 
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Falconidae
Genus: Micrastur
SUBSPECIES: M. s. nasi, M. s. semitorquatus
 
- Sighting Locations -

COSTA RICA 
A widespread resident except in the highlands
- COSTA RICA 2025 TRIP: Heard at Tarcoles

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Red-flanked Bluetail (Tarsiger cyanurus)

OTHER NAMES: Orange-flanked Bush-robin
Latin Etymology: Tarsiger ("flat of foot, carry") cyanurus ("blue-tailed") 

First Winter male Red-flanked Bluetail (Tarsiger cyanurus) at Gressenhall, Norfolk - February 2026

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 10-18g/kg  /  Length: 13-14cm  /  Wingspan: 21-24.5cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A species whose breeding range largely comprises the Russian Far East, along with Northern Japan, Mongolia, and probably more pertinent to this species in pockets of Finland and Sweden. They Winter in South East Asia, particularly Southern China.  The adult male has a striking deep blue head and wings, while the female and first Winter male have a colour scheme resembling more a faded eurasian robin with a blue tail. Formely consided to have two subspecies, the second has now been split into the Himalayan Bluetail.
 
Related Species: 
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Muscicapidae
Genus: Tarsiger
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - A rare but increasingly regular vagrant

 - One vagrant bird at Gressenhall, Norfolk in February 2026

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Scintillant Hummingbird (Selasphorus scintilla)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology:  Selasphorus ("flame carrying") scintilla ("scintillant")

Adult female Scintillant Hummingbird (Selasphorus scintilla) at San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica - November 2025

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 2g  /  Length: 6.5-8cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

One of the smallest birds on earth with only a handful of other hummingbirds smaller and at its smallest, a mere 4mm larger than the bee hummingbird, the very smallest. A close relation of the Volcano Hummingbird also found across a similar range, though at higher elevations - the females can only be reliably separated by seeing the underside of their tail. The males however have an irridescent orange gorget which separates them.
 

Related Species: 
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Genus: Selasphorus
SUBSPECIES: N/A
 
- Sighting Locations - 

COSTA RICA - Spanish (Costa Rican)- Colibrí chispita gorginaranja ("Sparkling orange-throated Hummingbird")

Endemic to the Talamancan Montane Forest Ecoregion
- COSTA RICA 2025 TRIP: Seen at hummingbird feeders at San Gerardo de Dota 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Lesser Greenlet (Pachysylvia decurtata)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Pachysylvia ("stout woodland sprite") decurtata ("short")

 

Lesser Greenlet (Pachysylvia decurtata) at Carara National Park, Costa Rica - November 2025

Featured Subspecies: Pachysylvia decurtata decurtata
Weight: 6.6-10.3g  /  Length: 9.4-10.2cm  /  Wingspan: ?
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A small member of the vireo family found in Central America, it is primarily insectivorous and has a lifestyle somewhat resembling a phylloscopus warbler - following mixed feeding flocks to hunt prey taken from branches. It's subspecies are somewhat unresolved with different taxonomies treating it as having either three or six subspecies.
 
Related Species: 
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Vireonidae
Genus: Pachysylvia
SUBSPECIES: P. d. brevipennis, P. d. dickermani, P. d. phillipsi, P. d. decurtata, P. d. dariensis, P. d. minor
 
- Sighting Locations -

COSTA RICA - Spanish (Costa Rica) - Verdillo Menudo 
A widespread inhabitant of lowlands
- COSTA RICA 2025 TRIP: Seen at Carara National Park

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Melospiza ("song finch") lincolnii (Thomas Lincoln, a friend of Audobon)

Adult Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) at Anchorage, Alaska - August 2024

Featured Subspecies: Melospiza lincolnii gracilis
Weight: 17-19g/kg  /  Length: 13-15cm  /  Wingspan: 19-22cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A somewhat more timid member of the New World Sparrows, Lincoln's Sparrow favour more mountainous and boggy habitats where they are primarily ground feeding. They winter in the Southern US and Mexico. Thomas Lincoln for whom they are named, shot a bird in Nova Scotia, which he presented to his friend James Audobon who named it after him.
 
Related Species: 
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Passerellidae
Genus: Melospiza
SUBSPECIES: M. l. lincolnii, M. l. gracilis, M. l. alticola
 
- Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES - Breeds in Alaska, Rockies and inland on the West Coast States, Winters on West Coast and Southern Saates 
 - CHICAGO TO ALASKA ROADTRIP 2024: Seen in Alaska

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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