Record submitted to but not yet reviewed by the Maine Bird Records Committee.

Record accepted by the Maine Bird Record's Committee

Record not accepted by the Maine Bird Records Committee (MEBRC)

Typically see/hear more than 15 individuals in two hours' birding in appropriate season and habitat.

Acadia National Park

Probably breeds but no certain evidence (nest or adult with dependent young) in the last 10 years.

Not seen or heard every year.

College of the Atlantic

Typically see/hear 5-15 individuals in two hour’s birding in appropriate season and habitats.

Very few records. May not be seen/heard again for decades.

Schoodic Point and Ocean Drive between Sand Beach and Otter Point.

Typically see/hear 1-4 individuals in two hour’s birding in appropriate season and habitat.

May not be present every year but when present, may be common or even abundant.

May not be present in seemingly appropriate habitat and time of year.

Maine Bird Records Committee

A species, some of whose members, usually sub adults, spend the summer in our area but do not breed.

Outside of a line connecting Schoodic Point, the south tip of Baker's Island, and the southeast tip of Long Island.

The very first or last migrants. May occur weeks (or more) before or after the main migration period.

Coastlines not subject to the full force of the Gulf of Maine, as in those protected by islands or bays. Most are on the south and east sides of MDI.

Typically not seen during a day regardless of habitat, time of year or effort, but detected most years in very small numbers.

In the last 10 years.

A species, most of whose members remain year around. All residents breed.

Individuals who have not yet reached the age where they routinely breed. Most songbirds breed in their first full summer. Most larger birds delay breeding for one or more years.

Summer covers the period when summer-only migrant species breed, in braod terms May-early Sep.

Breeding activity for each typically commences a few days to a few weeks after their first migrant wave arrives and continues until the young are largely independent, about two to three weeks before their first migrant wave departs (see Migrants, below).  Species which are resident for periods in the summer  but do not breed are identified as ‘Non Breeder’ at the start of their species account. 

Typically not seen/heard in two hour’s birding in appropriate season and habitat but likely to be seen/heard during a day with a focused effort in appropriate season and habitat.

Wanderers are birds that don’t fit any of the other categories. 

The term includes birds that made what appear to be navigational errors of some sort, overshooting their breeding range or migrating in the ‘wrong’ direction. Some are displaced by irresistible forces like powerful storms. A few are so far out of range, many thousands of miles in some cases, it’s hard to know where they went wrong.  We can’t predict, other than in a few cases and in the most general terms, when wanderers will show up again or how long they’ll stay.

Occurs in multiple habitats.

Winter loosely covers the dark months but for many wintering species it begins mid-late Oct and continues into Apr or even later. Unlike breeding birds, which tend to stay in place, many wintering birds come and go depending on food. A few can even breed!