Hi all,
Like last year, I was encouraged to conduct an informal survey of THE TOP TEN
BIRDS IN CT IN 2011. So I culled the year's cumulative state bird list of 338
species down to a list of 68 rare species. I then polled 55 of the state's top
and/or active birders for their selections and comments. Twenty-two of those
people responded with their votes, rankings, and comments. Criteria for
selection included sheer rarity, length of stay, viewable by many, bird's beauty
or grace, etc. As would be expected, many (6 of top 10) of the selections were
of rare birds deposited in CT by Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene on August 28.
Congratulations are in order to Nick Bonomo, the discoverer of a whopping five
of the top ten!
Here is the top ten, with survey point totals received (in parentheses):
1. White-tailed Tropicbird (181)
2. Band-rumped Storm-Petrel (153)
3. Common Murre (122)
4. Anhinga (109)
5. Sooty Tern (97)
6. Bridled Tern (56)
7. Leach’s Storm-Petrel (46)
8. Long-tailed Jaeger (35)
9. Thayer’s Gull (33)
10. Thick-billed Murre (31)
Next ten:
1. Yellow Rail (30)
2. Black-necked Stilt (27)
3. Mountain Bluebird (21)
4. Painted Bunting (21)
5. Manx Shearwater (16)
6. Brown Pelican (16)
7. Gull-billed Tern (16)
8. Razorbill (16)
9. Eurasian Collared-Dove (15)
10. Parasitic Jaeger (13)
Thanks to the survey-takers: Bill Asteriades, Charlie Barnard, Milan Bull, Paul
Cianfaglione, Patrick Comins, Paul Desjardins, Carl Ekroth, Chris Elphick, Frank
Gallo, Tina Green, Greg Hanisek, Jay Kaplan, Chris Loscalzo, Frank Mantlik, John
Marshall, James Purcell, Phil Rusch, Dave Tripp, Glenn Williams, Paul Wolter,
Sara Zagorski, and Joe Zeranski.
Respectfully,
Frank Mantlik
Stratford, CT
24 January 2012
Hi all,
Like last year, I was encouraged to conduct an informal survey of THE TOP TEN
BIRDS IN CT IN 2011. So I culled the year's cumulative state bird list of 338
species down to a list of 68 rare species. I then polled 55 of the state's top
and/or active birders for their selections and comments. Twenty-two of those
people responded with their votes, rankings, and comments. Criteria for
selection included sheer rarity, length of stay, viewable by many, bird's beauty
or grace, etc. As would be expected, many (6 of top 10) of the selections were
of rare birds deposited in CT by Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene on August 28.
Congratulations are in order to Nick Bonomo, the discoverer of a whopping five
of the top ten!
Here is the top ten, with survey point totals received (in parentheses):
1. White-tailed Tropicbird (181)
2. Band-rumped Storm-Petrel (153)
3. Common Murre (122)
4. Anhinga (109)
5. Sooty Tern (97)
6. Bridled Tern (56)
7. Leach’s Storm-Petrel (46)
8. Long-tailed Jaeger (35)
9. Thayer’s Gull (33)
10. Thick-billed Murre (31)
Next ten:
1. Yellow Rail (30)
2. Black-necked Stilt (27)
3. Mountain Bluebird (21)
4. Painted Bunting (21)
5. Manx Shearwater (16)
6. Brown Pelican (16)
7. Gull-billed Tern (16)
8. Razorbill (16)
9. Eurasian Collared-Dove (15)
10. Parasitic Jaeger (13)
Thanks to the survey-takers: Bill Asteriades, Charlie Barnard, Milan Bull, Paul
Cianfaglione, Patrick Comins, Paul Desjardins, Carl Ekroth, Chris Elphick, Frank
Gallo, Tina Green, Greg Hanisek, Jay Kaplan, Chris Loscalzo, Frank Mantlik, John
Marshall, James Purcell, Phil Rusch, Dave Tripp, Glenn Williams, Paul Wolter,
Sara Zagorski, and Joe Zeranski.
Respectfully,
Frank Mantlik
Stratford, CT
24 January 2012
