Rarest Bird?

[Guinnessman1974]

What is the rarest bird people have ever seen in the U.K?

We once had an Orange Weaver Bird turn up at the garden bird table here, but alas unfortunately not a true rarity as it would have been an escapee!

No, I mean birds such as Hoopoes, Yellow-Browed Warbler's and other exotic species that rarely appear in this country?

[Dan Salter]

Im not a twitcher....so nothing ultra rare for me.

Probably a grey phalarope that was on the reserve at Elmley when i was doing the WEBs count in about 2007 i think?

[Picidae]

Probably the Long-billed Murrelet that was at Dawlish Warren several years ago. Not only a first for Britain but only the second record for Europe.

I did twitch that one but as a rule find my own rarities - Yellow Browed Warblers are fairly reliable migrants to Britain as are Grey/Red Necked Phals (both of which were self found birds last year). I guess it depends on where you are (eg. I found the only record of an Iceland Gull for the County a few years back but it's certainly not a 'rare' species nationally. I found the first Glossy Ibis for the County for 30 years a few years back as well as other County rarities which wouldn't be mega rare nationally. However, since I don't bother to twitch most of my recent rarities have been in-County. I guess to a certain extent, what one might regard as a 'rarity' can depend on how long you've been birding and where you live. A few weeks birding in the 'right' location at the right time of the year of course makes it much easier to find national rarities - Spending a week in the Shetlands or Scillies during peak migration is nothing to be scoffed at if 'rarity seeking' is your interest. Having said that, many of the really national rare species for Britain, I've seen abroad which, as I'm not a lister, is probably why I don't bother to twitch them here! (I certainly wouldn't bother to twitch any 'exotics' since they're likely to be escapes or feral birds )

[Barjon]

I've never even heard of the orange thing! The most exotic i've seen are actually very common now in the south of the country Rose-ringed Parakeets. They form massive roosting colonies it's quite a sight. They too are mysterious escapees gone feral but are now a pleasant part of the countryside.

[aeshna5]

Both Hoopoes + Yellow-browed Warblers are regular visitors; the latter can turn up in fairly big numbers some autumns on the east coast. I did find one of these for myself on Scilly one autumn as well as a party of 4 Ring-necked Ducks.

Probably the rarest bird I've seen in Brtain was the Pacific Swift at cley. A case of being in the right area at the right time. Similarly was in Highland when there was a female Harlequin at Wick Harbour; a pretty rare visitor to the UK.

I did twitch in England for a couple of years over a decade ago + did see some good birds including Northern Parula, Black +White Warbler, Baltimore Oriole, Black faced + Yellow-breasted Bunting, Buff-bellied Pipit, Bufflehead, etc.

[david156]

had to think about this...
last years i could choose from;

Yellow Browed warbler
blyths reed warbler
red breasted flycatcher
pied wheatear
Buff breasted, white rumped, pectorial and bairds sandpiper
and various regional rarities like phalaropes in Norfolk.

but the one that stood out head and shoulders (sorry that should be bill and wing) above them would be Great spotted cuckoo at Salthouse.

And the good thing about all these birds. They were mostly in Norfolk

Cheers David

[Birdman1976]

My rarest spot was a few months back when i stumbled on a Great Grey Shrike near where i live in Oxfordshire. Very exciting

[jaykay]

Ok, I'm going back years for mine (around 1979!). I was on a family holiday in the Isles of Scilly when news got to us that a Hoopoe had been spotted on St Agnes, fortunately we were actually staying on the said Island so off I went, total novice but curious. That was the start of bird watching for me, I was hooked!

[rlchew]

I guess that this depends on the definition of "rare".

I have seen many birds which I would count as "rare" on my 321 UK list.

However, I would suggest that the rarest is the Sociable Lapwing or Sociable Plover which is actually endangered globally.

Sociable Lapwing

I have seen this bird on 4 occasions in the UK between 1990 and 2005.

Richard

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by rlchew

I guess that this depends on the definition of "rare".

I have seen many birds which I would count as "rare" on my 321 UK list.

However, I would suggest that the rarest is the Sociable Lapwing or Sociable Plover which is actually endangered globally.

Sociable Lapwing

I have seen this bird on 4 occasions in the UK between 1990 and 2005.

Richard

I remember catching up with the Rainham bird a few winters back, which I guess you must have seen as an Essex boy.

Frustratingly, despite several trips to Kazakhstan, I've not seen this bird in one of the main breeding areas- still it is a huge country!