There are lots of cases of the exact same rare bird being seen hundreds of miles apart. The California Condor I found in Wyoming in July had been reported in central Utah ten days previously. In that case we know it was the same bird because it had a wing tag. And here are some other examples from a piece by Bill Schmoker and Jerry Liguori that we ran in *Colorado Birds* in 2010:
"Occasionally a rarity is tracked photographically over a considerable distance. A juvenile Ivory Gull identifiable by its pattern of dark spotting spent much of February 2009 in Arcachon, France, then turned up in Cork County, Ireland in early March (Gantlett 2009). Between mid-August and October 2002, a juvenile Brown Pelican with a distinctive hole in the inner web of its left foot was tracked from Michigan though Quebec and Ontario and finally to New York (Wormington 2002). A leucistic Herring Gull found in July 1996 at Partridge Creek in central Yukon was spotted on 23 June 1997 at Whitehorse, southern Yukon, 645 km away. In addition to being leucistic, it had a pattern of flecking on its iris that allowed photographs to confirm its identity (Sinclair et al. 2003)." Source: https://cobirds.org/JournalArchives/2010-2019/2010%20Vol%2044/CB_2010_44_1_Jan.pdf On the day the Fork-tailed was seen in Fort Collins, the south winds were so strong and sustained that it was widely assumed the bird had continued on to Wyoming. I'd love to see whether photos can demonstrate whether or not it might be the same individual. Nathan Pieplow Boulder On Tue, Oct 2, 2018 at 9:59 PM Brandon <[email protected]> wrote: > I wouldn't think there would be more than one Fork-tailed Flycatcher this > far north in the Colorado and Wyoming area, and since one was found north > of Fort Collins, and the bird was likely moving north, I'm not surprised > one showed up in Wyoming (I think several people thought it was heading to > Wyoming, after it was briefly seen in northern Colorado a few weeks ago). > This is a rare southern species, I doubt there would be two of them in the > Colorado/Wyoming area in the last few weeks, though I guess there could be > an invasion going on, of two of them, though unless the photos show it is > completely different looking, I'd bet on it being the same bird. > > Brandon K. Percival > Pueblo West, CO > > On Tue, Oct 2, 2018 at 9:51 PM Jason Beason < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> How can you assume this is the same bird? That seems like a pretty crazy >> assumption given distances between observation locations! Obviously, this >> is a rare bird this far north (for either state) but I think it would be >> nuts for the same bird to be found given the total amount of area and >> number of birders in the total amount of area. I may be way off here but >> just pointing out that we birders don't really cover a high percentage of >> the total landscape. >> >> I chased this bird this evening and didn't find it. I live only about 15 >> miles from observation so had to try! Also, I just spoke with person who >> found bird and it was last seen at 5:30 pm today. >> >> Jason Beason >> Casper - Natrona County, WY >> >> On Tue, Oct 2, 2018 at 8:34 PM Brandon <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> Looks like the Fort Collins area Fork-tailed Flycatcher has appeared >>> near Casper, Wyoming. This almost certainly the same bird I would think. >>> >>> Brandon K Percival >>> Pueblo West, CO >>> >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: Wyoming's Birder List [mailto:[email protected]] On >>> Behalf Of Hustace Scott >>> Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2018 2:01 PM >>> To: [email protected] >>> Subject: (EXT)[WYOBIRDS] Fork-tailed Flycatcher >>> >>> I just saw a Fork-tailed Flycatcher in my fields SW of Casper. Zack has >>> excellent photos and will post them to EBIRD. The flycatcher is at the very >>> end of Shinn Rd, which is the road that heads east from 12 mile at the old >>> tree farm. The road heads due south about a mile east of 12 Mile. He spent >>> time on various posts and fence wires right around the cattle guard just >>> north of the huge brick house, and right where it says No Trespassing. Any >>> birder is welcome on Eagle Ridge Ranch land, and from that corner you can >>> see most of the spots where the bird was seen. I am working near that area >>> for the rest of the week, so I will know if he stays around. My phone >>> number is 262-0055. >>> >>> Stacey Scott >>> SW of Casper >>> __._,_.___ >>> >>> >>> • >>> • l >>> . >>> >>> __,_._,___ >>> >>> >>> >> >> -- >> Jason Beason >> Environmental Resources/Specialist I >> SWCA Environmental Consulting >> Casper, Wyoming >> Phone: 307-377-0303 >> >> (~};) >> > > > -- > Brandon Percival > Pueblo West, CO > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Colorado Birds" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CA%2BXeEuURhLC-cdAV3ZLHbPr%2BDtFS0CtdzKuJQVGusUdUu2868w%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CA%2BXeEuURhLC-cdAV3ZLHbPr%2BDtFS0CtdzKuJQVGusUdUu2868w%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. 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