Vagrants
VAGRANT BIRDS
Traditional Vagrants:
Some bird watchers consider finding a rare bird to be one of the most exciting aspects of the hobby, yet by definition they are few and far between.
We've prepared a standalone page on some of the most remarkable or exciting vagrants found in the Great Lakes Region here.
Some thoughts on how to improve your chances at finding a rarity are provided here.
Cryptic Vagrants:
Not all vagrant birds are recognizable as such, but that doesn't mean there aren't wayward birds lurking in plain sight. Recognizing cryptic vagrants of locally common bird species may provide insights on how to find more traditional vagrant species.
Case Studies
Northern Cardinal Vagrancy in Fall 2020
A review of how prolonged and favourable weather patterns could possibly expand expected dispersal distances into true vagrancy. This year also saw a "super flight" of irruptive species, so the potential influence of reduced food availability should also be taken into consideration.
Overshoot Indigo Buntings, Eastern Kingbirds and Yellow Warblers from May 8, 2014 at Point Pelee.
See: ebird checklist - google maps for location - archived weather conditions - surface map
Following a strong night of migration, a small but steady number of birds were obersved in morning flight heading south off the tip of point pelee. The ratio of obvious overshoot vagrants at Point Pelee (in this case, Blue Grosbeak) to other birds flying south (e.g., 32 Indigo Bunting, 14 Eastern Kingbird) may provide suggests many or all may also be overshoots during this and other similar flight events.
GEOGRAPHY
Very rare birds are, presumably, somewhat lost. Without a strong sense of purpose or intention with their movements, they may be more inclined to "go with the flow" than a local migrant which has adapted to seasonal weather patterns or local habitats that they target as stopover habitat. While finding a rare bird is generally a game of luck and odds, considering how geography can concentrate birds - and vagrant birds - can give you some extra luck during your search.
As the largest/most obvious geographic features in our region, we've set up a page as a high level overview on how the shape of the Great Lakes can concentrate birds of all families.
Vagrant Hotspot Notes:
Caribou Island, Ontario
WEATHER
Multi-factor Weather Vagrancy:
Case Studies
Vagrant Arctic Gulls in Ontario, Nov 12, 1995
A possible meteorological origin for an Ivory Gull and a Ross's Gull in Ontario.
Hurricanes:
Case Studies
Post-tropical Hurricane Sandy in Ontario (2012)
An Ontario-centric account of the Frankenstorm - one of the largest-by-wind-field storms in modern times. Includes theories on how the wind field and movement of a storm could influence the origin and destination of potential vagrants. Likely applicable to both tropical and extra-tropical storm-driven vagrancy.
Notable Extratropical Cyclones:
Great Appalachian Storm of November 1950. Weather analysis of a historical Thick-billed Murre invasion.
