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Black-tailed Gull ABA code error?





No, no BTG in NC yet, but if the ABA code I just saw for this species is right
we should be tripping all over them soon!  I was looking at the ABA difficulty
codes on the birdingonthe.net website and noticed it had the black-tailed as a
1.  I assume this is a misprint as my understanding is this bird is only rarely
seen in the Aleutians and is a vagrant to the lower 48.  I would guess the bird
is actually a 4 or a 5.  As a comparison Lesser Black-backed is a 3.  Cab anyone
confirm that the code is misprinted?  My only other reference does not list this
species at all.

For those new to ABA difficulty codes, each species in the ABA area (US &
Canada) is assigned a difficulty code ranging from 1 to 6.  Ones are easy to
find and include cardinals, Herring Gulls, etc.  Sixes are basically extinct;
Bachman's Warbler, Labrador Duck, etc.  The rest of the birds fall somewhere in
between.  Our newly resident mango is listed as a 5 which is pretty much as good
as it gets!  Other examples of cat 5 birds would be Herald Petrel (which is not
all that tough around these parts), and Grey-crowned Yellowthroat with only 1
good record since 1989.  Basically the mango is a *really* good bird!

Best,
Steve Shultz
Cary, NC
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