Reporting Rare or Unusual Sightings in Connecticut

There are three important means of recording bird sightings in Connecticut. First is the weekly Rare Bird Alert. The latest tape can be reached by phone at 203-254-3665. It is normally updated Wednesday evenings. Second is the "Connecticut Field Notes," published quarterly in the Connecticut Warbler. Third, rare or unusual sightings should be reported to and verfied by the Avian Record Committee of Connecticut (ARCC, formerly called the Conn. Rare Records Committee). Information follows for all three. All three are maintained by the Connecticut Ornithological Association. See below also for reporting banded birds.


Conn. Rare Bird Alert Connections
Contains links for reporting rare birds and for subscribing to the Connecticut Rare Bird Alert via e-mail. Please do not request an e-mail RBA unless you will be using it on a weekly basis. Otherwise use this link to click on the most recent date to read the latest RBA. Also contains links to report rare or unusual sightings to the RBA via e-mail. In addition, you may report rare or unusual sightings in Fairfield County to the Editor of the Acorn Online Bird Notes.

Send Message to Conn. Warbler Quarterly Field Note Editor
Reports for the quarterly field notes are sent in to the Field Note Editor by the tenth of August, December, March, and June. These reports should be sent via postal mail to the editor using the Connecticut Ornithological Association reporting form. Use this link to send e-mail to the editor to request reporting forms or more information on the quarterly reports. Please note that the quarters vary in length.

Send Message to Avian Record Committee Secretary
Use the above link to request more information on reporting documented rare or unusual sightings. Records of such sightings should be submitted via postal mail to the secretary using the recommended format. If you have sighted a rare or unusual bird, please note or photograph it. Do not assume that even widely reported sightings are automatically submitted to the Avian Record Committee. In many cases they are not. Some legitimate records have been rejected because no observer came forward with the necessary information, even though many times the information would have been available.
Use the following link to download more information.

Note the link for Review Species and Rare Breeders, that is, birds whose sightings or breeding records are desired..
Also note the following online link supplied by the Indiana Audubon Society which provides instructions for documenting bird sightings.

To Report Banded Birds
USGS has an 800 number to report bird bands, it is (800)327-band. They also have a number for the Bird Banding Lab, it is (301)497-5790. Finally there is a website for the BBL at http://www.pwrc.nbs.gov/bbl/.
If you see waterfowl with neck collars, pass that info along to Paul Merola, the Conn. DEP waterfowl biologist, at the DEP Franklin office. He can be reached at paul.merola@po.state.ct.us or (860)642-7239. He needs the collar number, date, location, and estimate(or accurate count if possible) of flock size. If you happen top note behavior (ie. feeding, loafing, preening, etc.) he usually keeps that with the info, too, but the collar number, date, and location are the most important items.

Species Sightings Requested by Avian Record Committee of Connecticut

The Committee welcomes written descriptions, photographs, sound recordings, and other documents for reports of any species on this list and of any species not on the official state list (see COA Field Checklist, August 1994 or Checklist of Birds of Connecticut, 1996).

Unusual Breeding Birds

Breeding records of these species or others not known to breed in Connecticut will be reviewed and archived by the CRRC.

Other species in need of documentation.

Any exotic species, escaped cage birds, including waterfowl.