Rarest birds of the year 2010 in Spain

Spain has experienced a very good year for rarities in 2010. Within the amount of observations gathered in Rare Birds in Spain recent report pages, we've selected 22 of those, with The rarest of the rare: an overview of 2010 rare bird highlights in Spain in the website

> And vote in the poll useful for this blog entry and the webpage in this blog right column!

• CANDIDATE 1 Branta hutchinsii at Badajoz, January 2010

Photo above:© Antonio Ceballos. 2.1.2010

• CANDIDATE 2 Bucephala albeola at Cantabria, January - March 2010

Photo above:© Luis Eduardo Molina. 7.1.2010

• CANDIDATE 3 Megaceryle alcyon at Murcia, relocated on January 2010 and present until March 2010

Photo above:© Kris de Rouck 17.1.2010

• CANDIDATE 4 Falco rusticolus at Asturies, February 2010

Photo above:© Juan Sagardia. February 2010

• CANDIDATE 5 Larus smithsonianus at Madrid on February - May 2010

Photo above:© Delfín González. 7.2.2010

• CANDIDATE 6 Motacilla flava feldegg 'superciliaris' at Lanzarote on March 2010

Photos above:© Juan Sagardía. 19-21.3.2010

• CANDIDATE 7 Sylvia rueppellii at Cabrera Island on April 2010

Photo above:© David Cuenca .21.4.201

• CANDIDATE 8 Phylloscopus orientalis at Llobregat Delta on April 2010

Photo above:© Joan Castelló. 17.4.2010

• CANDIDATE 9 Phoenicurus moussieri at Grazalema, Cádiz on April 2010

Photo above:© José Arnal & Paco Torres per Andalucian Bird Society

• CANDIDATE 10 Somateria spectabilis at Mar Menor, Murcia on May 2010

Photo above:© Antonio Hernández. 14.5.2010

• CANDIDATE 11 Oenanthe oenanthe seebohmi at Gran Canaria on June 2010

Photos above:© José García Monzón. 19.6.2010

• CANDIDATE 12 Pterodroma cf feae sightings off A Coruña August - November 2010

During August to November, a number of sightings of Pterodroma feae/madeira were collected in the waters off A Coruña, 1-2 offshore but the rest from Estaca de Bares in an unprecedented set of observations of this taxon in Spain and probably the 1st in mainland Europe involving two birds altogether.

• CANDIDATE 13 Oceanodroma castro off A Coruña August 2010

Photo above:© Antonio Gutiérrez. 22.8.2010

• CANDIDATE 14 Sula sula off Málaga August 2010

• CANDIDATE 15 Phaeton aethereus off Estaca de Bares, A Coruña September 2010

The species has even bred in the Canary islands but watching one from mainland Europe is another thing. Much to the desperation of would-be observers, only three fortunate birdwatchers hold this 'blocker' for those maintaining an Iberian list.

• CANDIDATE 16 Calidris acuminata at Albufera de Valencia, September - October 2010

Photo above:© Toni Alcocer 30.9.2010

• CANDIDATE 17 Oenanthe isabellina at Cabrera island, October 2010

Photo above:© Eduardo Amengual 8.10.2010

• CANDIDATE 18 Dolichonyx oryzivorus at Lanzarote, October - December 2010

Photos above:© J. Sagardía 21.10.2010

• CANDIDATE 19 Oenanthe isabellina influx, November 2010

Photo above:© Xabier Varela 2.11.2010

• CANDIDATE 20 Tarsiger cyanurus, Alicante, December 2010

Photos above:© Jacobo Antonio Ramos . 1.12.2010

• CANDIDATE 21 Sula sula L'Empordà, Girona, December 2010

Photo above:© Ricard Gutiérrez 6.12.2010

• CANDIDATE 22 Porzana marginalis Las Navas de la Concepción, Sevilla,December 2010

Photo above:© Antonio García Márquez 12.12.2010

• CANDIDATE 23 Bombycilla garrulus 'influx' at Asturies, December 2010

Photo above:© Manuel Fernández Pajuelo 18.12.2010

• CANDIDATE 24 Tarsiger cyanurus, Tordera river, Girona, December 2010

Photo above: Toni Alonso © 29.12.2010

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And happy 2011


And the winner was.... SULA SULA from L'Estartit, Girona!

Is this a Collared or a Pied Flycatcher? [¿Es esto un papamoscas collarino o un cerrojillo?]

© Juan Antonio Pulido

On 3.12.2010 a 1w Flycatcher was was seen at Pedroñeras, Cuenca (Juan Antonio Pulido). Photos were sent to Rafa Torralba and from him to Rarebirdspain.

The bird looked like a 1w because of moult of greater coverts. Characters pointing to Collared Flycatcher are the rather grey overall tone, the long primary projection, the rather pale collar, the white on the basis of primaries and the extent of white in the outermost tail feather.

© Juan Antonio Pulido

However, some authors think it may be a difficult bird and Sergi Sales has pointed towards a photo collage published in May 2008 Rarebirdspain page showing some variation in both Collared and Pied Flycatchers.

© Álvaro Díaz 4.5.2008

The question is that the Cuenca bird, despite having long wings, has a rather small white patch in primaries, it looks greyer or no depending on the author (and computer?) and some inner primaries of the Cuenca bird may reflect a plumage aberration. Any opinions? In any case a Flycatcher in December is always, and regardless which is, interesting.


Resumen. ¿Es esto un papamoscas collarino o un cerrojillo? El 3.12.2010 se observó un Papamoscas de 1r invierno en Pedroñeras, Cuenca (Juan Antonio Pulido) cuyas 2 fotos llegaron a Rarebirdspain via Rafa Torralba. El ave era un 1r invierno a causa de la muda de cobertoras. Presentaba carácteres que apuntaban a collaris como son el tono gris general, la proyección primaria larga, el collar pálido bastante definido, el blanco de la base de primarias y la extensión de blanco en las rectrices externas.Sin embargo viendo informaciones anteriores como el foto-collage que se adjunta aparecen dudas como si el panel blanco del ala es suficientemente pequeño o grande para ser collaris, y más bien parece hypoleuca, aunque tiene alas muy largas y cierto collar blanco. Un ave no clara.

Red-necked and Grey Phalaropes at Murcia. Good id opportunit y [Falaropos picofino y picogrueso en Murcia: buena oportunidad de identificación]

By mid-late November 2010, both species of 'commoner' Phalaropes: Red-necked (Phalaropus lobatus) and Grey (Phalaropus fulicarius) have been recorded in coastal wetlands of Murcia, E Spain.

While Red-necked is considered a national rarity because of the paucity of records and the still not well documented status of occurrence (albeit it's a non problematic species in terms of identification), Grey Phalarope it is not. This is because of its regular occurrence in the Atlantic but, and this is the interesting case here, it's very rare in Mediterranean Spain. Indeed, thes could be the 1st for Murcia. Hence, the opportunity of watching both of them in a single day it's something to be considered. Thanks to Richard Howard who regularly contributes to Rare Birds in Spain with sightings from the region, as well as other local birders do, we include here two photos and two videos depicting these nice waders. More Red-necked information in the website here. All in all, worth having a look.

Phalaropus lobatus © Richard Howard

Phalaropus fulicarius © Richard Howard


Phalaropus lobatus © Richard Howard


Phalaropus fulicarius © Richard Howard

Resumen: Falaropos picofino y picogrueso en Murcia: buena oportunidad de identificación. A mediados de Noviembre 2010 las dos especies de falaropos más comunes: el picofino (Phalaropus lobatus) y el picogrueso (Phalaropus fulicarius) se han citado en humedales de Murcia. Un Falaropo Picogrueso en las salinas de Marchamalo, La Manga, Cartagena desde el 10 Noviembre, que parece ser el primero visto en la region, y un Falaropo Picofino visto en las salinas de San Pedro del Pinatar los dias 21 a 24 de Noviembre (Richard Howard).

El Falaropo picofino es rareza nacional pese a que no presenta dificultades de identificación. El picogrueso no lo es por su estatus en el Atlantico donde es regular. Sin embargo esta cita de picogrueso, que puede ser la primera para Murcia, supone una oportunidad buena para compararlos y observar sus similitudes y diferencias. Gracias a Richard Howard quien como otros autores de la zona contribuye regularmente a la página Rare Birds in Spain , se incluyen dos fotos y dos videos de estos limícolas.