Worm-eating Warbler

Status Rare vagrant. A male specimen in the American Museum of Natural History was taken on Sable Island on 30 October 1903 but was first reported in the literature by McLaren (1981a). The first modern sighting was also on Sable Island, a closely studied bird on 12 October 1967 (C. and N. Bell). Since then, there have been 10 individual occurrences, including two birds found dead and two photographed; 7 occurrences have been in spring (10-15 May) and 3 in fall (31 August to 14 October). An eleventh bird, aboard ship on Georges Bank on 2 September 1979 was conspicuously off course (D. Amirault).

Remarks This bird's plumage, with bold dark stripes on a bright buff head, is unmistakable. It breeds as nearby as Massachusetts, but its skulking behaviour probably prevents it from being more frequently seen on its occasional visits.