PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 1, 2024
The appearance of a vagrant bird instills wonder, causing us to ask how such an out-of-place bird got to Maine. Vagrants are also exciting to birders, giving us a chance to see a bird that would normally require us to visit other states or countries. Maine has its fair share of vagrant species. Of the 475 species of Maine birds, 107 species have been sighted five or fewer times. Forty-nine species have only been recorded a single time and another 29 only twice. I think these four species—variegated flycatcher, Kirtland’s warbler, great black hawk, and Steller’s sea eagle— are the most astounding vagrants we have on the Maine bird list. ~ Herb Wilson