Spring 2024 through Winter 2024–2025 Seasons
This report from the New Hampshire Rare Birds Committee (NHRBC) contains the decisions for records voted on by the Committee for four seasons: Spring 2024, Summer 2024, Fall 2024, and Winter 2024-2025. These four seasons produced one first NH state record accepted by the committee:
Bridled Tern – Located on July 9, 2024 by the members of the Shoals Marine Lab Tern Conservation Program (Gemma Clucas, Joe Brosseau, and Patrick Gritton) on the Isle of Shoals, White and Seavey Islands, New Hampshire.
As of October 2025, the official NH state list is 429 fully substantiated species, with an additional four species on the Hypothetical List.
There were many other exciting sightings accepted by the Committee, including the second record of South Polar Skua, and records of Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Black Skimmer, and Harris’s Sparrow.
The members of the Committee voting on these records were: Phil Brown, Will Broussard, Adam Burnett, David Deifik, Kurk Dorsey (Chair), Chris McPherson (Secretary) and Robyn Prieto.
NHRBC Background
The NHRBC reviews rare and unusual bird sightings in New Hampshire in an effort to maintain the accuracy and scientific integrity of rare bird records in the state. It is independent of New Hampshire Bird Records (NHBR, now online as the Joy of Birding) and New Hampshire Audubon. Per the NHRBC Bylaws, the purpose of the Committee includes the following:
- To review reports of unusual occurrences of birds within the state of New Hampshire and adjacent ocean waters.
- To accept or reject such reports based upon the adequacy of documentation.
- To establish and maintain an official state list of the birds of New Hampshire.
- To permanently maintain copies of evaluated records and their associated documentation and all Committee votes, comments, and pertinent outside expert information regarding those records.
- To respond to a request from the observer of the result of the evaluation of his/her records and to educate the birding community of the results of those deliberations.
- To work closely with the editors and staff of NHBR toward our common goals.
- To function as an independent technical advisory committee to NHBR.
One of the most important functions of the NHRBC is the evaluation of records of rarities found in NH. The typical process used to evaluate these records is as follows:
- Species to be reviewed are those listed in the New Hampshire Rare Birds Committee Review List, which can be found here.
- Records of these Review List species come to the Committee either from eBird checklists, or information submitted directly to NHBR or the NHRBC such as through the use of the New Hampshire Bird Sighting Documentation form, available here.
- The NHRBC will request additional information on those records where key details are not provided or limited.
- Records are compiled once a year, generally in early Spring, by the Committee Secretary, to include four consecutive seasons – Spring (March-May), Summer (June-July), Fall (August-November), and Winter (December-February).
- The members of the Committee review each of the records and submit their votes to the Secretary, who then compiles all the votes.
- The Committee typically meets once per year usually in summer, usually via the internet, to discuss any vote that is not unanimous, and finalize the votes for all records.
- The Committee requires a vote with not more than one dissension for acceptance of a record, except for potential first state records which require a unanimous vote. A first state record also requires at least one of the following – photograph, specimen, video recording, audio recording, or separate documentation from 3 or more observers. If none of these criteria is met, though the record is still accepted by the Committee, the species is added to the Hypothetical State List.
Note: If the Committee does not accept a record, it is not necessarily an indication that the identification was incorrect. More likely, the information received was not sufficient to allow its acceptance as a state record. In other words, adequate documentation is key to whether a report is accepted. A reminder that the best way to ensure your sighting is accepted by the NHRBC is to prepare and submit adequate documentation of the sighting using the New Hampshire Bird Sighting Documentation form. Even if you have a photo, a supplemental documentation form can be invaluable in gaining acceptance of the record, especially with photos of limited quality. Not to worry, however, if you don’t have a photograph, it doesn’t mean the record can’t be accepted by the Committee.
Spring 2024 Records
Records Accepted by the Committee:
Species | Date | Location / Town |
White-faced Ibis | 5-5-2024 | Rye |
Black-necked Stilt | 5-4-2024 | Rye |
Long-eared Owl | 4-6-2024 | Newton |
Varied Thrush | 4-11-2024 | Hanover |
Loggerhead Shrike | 4-15-2024 | Laconia |
Loggerhead Shrike | 5-27-2024 | Dummer |
Cerulean Warbler | 5-14-2024 | Hinsdale |
Prothonotary Warbler | 5-1-2024 | Greenland |
Prothonotary Warbler | 5-9-2024 | Exeter |
Hooded Warbler | 4-17-2024 | Newfields |
Hooded Warbler | 4-24-2024 | Star Island |
Hooded Warbler | 5-14-2024 | Strafford |
Hooded Warbler | 5-22-2024 | Seabrook |
Summer Tanager | 4-23-2024 | Bedford |
Chestnut-collared Longspur | 5-19-2024 | Keene/Roxbury |
Loggerhead Shrike by Iain MacLeod, 4-15-2024, Laconia, NH.
Records Not Accepted by the Committee:
Species | Date | Location / Town |
Swallow-tailed Kite | 4-10-2024 | Portsmouth |
Swallow-tailed Kites were known to be in the North-east at the time of this sighting so there is a strong possibility this was a Swallow-tailed Kite; however, given the conditions (Portsmouth traffic circle near Route 95) and the lack a photos and limited details supporting the observation, the committee was not 100% confident in the record. | ||
Pacific Loon | 5-25-2024 | Rye |
Although this is a strong candidate for Pacific Loon the distance, ocean conditions and age/plumage characteristics cause some uncertainty for this bird identification. The committee could not be 100% certain this bird was a Pacific Loon based on the details provided. | ||
Gray-cheeked Thrush | 5-21-2024 | Deerfield |
Description was not sufficient to eliminate Bicknell’s Thrush. Bicknell’s vs. Gray-cheeked Thrush identification is complicated by an overlap of all visible features including size and color. This record will be accepted as Gray-cheeked/Bicknell’s Thrush. | ||
Cerulean Warbler | 5-29-2024 | Durham |
Heard only; the observer could not get visual confirmation in order to rule out Black-throated Blue Warbler which has a similar song to the Cerulean Warbler. | ||
Worm-eating Warbler | 5-27-2024 | Nashua |
Observation is based on a single call; additional observation details would be required to rule out Chipping Sparrow. | ||
Summer 2024 Records
Records Accepted by the Committee:
Species | Date | Location / Town |
Black-bellied Whistling Duck | 6-10-2024 | Epping |
**Bridled Tern | 7-9-2024 | White and Seavey Islands |
Western Kingbird | 7-21-2024 | Gilmanton |
**Bridled Tern is the first New Hampshire state record!
Bridled Tern by Patrick Gritton, 7-9-2024, Seavey Island, NH.
Records Not Accepted by the Committee
Species | Date | Location / Town |
Swallow-tailed Kite | 6-29-2024 | Portsmouth |
Swallow-tailed Kites were known to be in the Northeast at the time of this sighting so there is a strong possibility this was a Swallow-tailed Kite. However, given the conditions (driving on Route 95) and the lack of details supporting the observation, the committee was not 100% confident in the record. | ||
Fall 2024 Records
Records Accepted by the Committee:
Species | Date | Location / Town |
Pacific Loon | 10-21-2024 | Star Island |
American White Pelican | 8-29-2024 | Hampton |
American White Pelican | 10-4-2024 | Hampton Harbor |
Cackling Goose | 10-31-2024 | Concord |
Purple Gallinule | 11-4-2024 | Franklin |
Long-tailed Jaeger | 9-3-2024 | NH waters |
South Polar Skua | 9-3-2024 | Jeffreys Ledge |
Black Skimmer | 9-28-2024 | Star Island |
White-winged Dove | 8-17-2024 | Gilford |
Long-eared Owl | 11-11-2024 | Newington |
Yellow-throated Warbler | 10-14-2024 | Odiorne Point State Park |
Yellow-headed Blackbird | 10-20-2024 | Durham |
Bullock’s Oriole | 11-4-2024 | Hooksett |
White-winged Dove by Ken Lindberg, 8-17-2024, Gilford, NH.
Records Not Accepted by the Committee:
Species | Date | Location / Town |
Scopoli’s Shearwater | 10-25-2024 | NH waters |
The committee consulted with Marky Mutchler, a seabird expert and member of the ABA checklist committee. She reported that the bird appeared to be an “overexposed Calonectris shearwater, with the light reflecting from the water onto the underside of the bird. We can see that there appears to be light coloration on the primaries, suggestive of the ID as Scopoli’s; however, what is reflection/gloss on primaries versus true pale coloration is indeterminable here. I say this because we can see that in the shot showing the bird’s belly, the palest location on the flight feathers is a place that should be dark on both Cory’s and Scopoli’s. The palest flight feathers on Scopoli’s are typically the bases of the second and third primary, which we could maybe convince ourselves as being so in the most visible underwing shot, but this may also be due to the fact these are the oldest primaries and are simply faded from wear (note the molt limit). IMHO, nothing in these photos rules out a Cory’s.” | ||
Cackling Goose | 10-17-2024 | Walpole |
The committee generally finds Cackling Geese to be very difficult to differentiate from smaller race of Canada Goose in the field. In this case, the committee found that the description and photo were not sufficient to eliminate a smaller race of Canada Goose. | ||
Cackling Goose | 10/27/2024 | Pack Monadnock |
The committee generally finds Cackling Geese to be very difficult to differentiate from smaller race of Canada Goose in the field. In this case, the committee found that the description and photo were not sufficient to eliminate a smaller race of Canada Goose. | ||
Cackling Goose | 11-5-2024 | Walpole |
The committee generally finds Cackling Geese to be very difficult to differentiate from smaller race of Canada Goose in the field. In this case, the committee found that the description and photo were not sufficient to eliminate a smaller race of Canada Goose. | ||
Cackling Goose | 11-7-2024 | Walpole |
The committee generally finds Cackling Geese to be very difficult to differentiate from smaller race of Canada Goose in the field. In this case, the committee found that the description and photo were not sufficient to eliminate a smaller race of Canada Goose. | ||
American Three-toed Woodpecker | 8-24-2024 | White Mountain National Forest |
The description and lack of pictures or corroborating sightings (additional observers) did not provide enough support to confirm this record. | ||
Kentucky Warbler | 9-7-2024 | Odiorne Point State Park |
Based on the brief nature of the sighting and the lack of a photograph or corroborating sightings, the committee can not rule out other possible species. | ||
Winter 2024-2025 Records
Records Accepted by the Committee:
Species | Date | Location / Town |
Cackling Goose | 12-15-2024 | Hampton |
Glaucous-winged Gull | 2-24-2025 | Rochester |
Long-eared Owl | 2-27-2024 | Rye |
MacGillivray’s Warbler | 1-12-2025 | Dover |
Summer Tanager | 12-6-2024 | Derry |
Harris’s Sparrow | 1-13-2025 | Dover |
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) | 12-24-2024 | Wilton |
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) | 1-18-2025 | Hollis |
MacGillivray’s Warbler by Steve Mirick, 1-16-2025, Dover, NH.
Records Not Accepted by the Committee:
Species | Date | Location / Town |
Cackling Goose | 12-13-2024 | Manchester |
The committee generally finds Cackling Geese to be very difficult to differentiate from smaller race of Canada Goose in the field. In this case, the committee found that the description and photo were not sufficient to eliminate a smaller race of Canada Goose. | ||
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