July 16, 2023
Blue-black Grassquit, Safford, 7-16-23
This magnificent Grassquit was found on July 15, 2023 by Levi Plummer at Cluff Ranch Wash near Safford AZ, coordinates : 32.8238381, -109.8440149. This spot is about 145 miles from Green Valley, a drive taking about 2 1/2 hours. From Tucson the time might be 2 hours from the time driver gets on I-10 East.
This may be the first US record. They are reportedly rare in Sonora, about 200 miles south of Nogales, and their range extends to Argentina. Peterson’s Mexican Birds (1973) includes text and illustration. The bird is not included either in Sibley 2014 or IBird Pro. Hopefully, this bird will be accepted by the committee.
Blue-black Grassquit Safford AZ 7-16-23
This new bird was totally unexpected. But… we’ve had some strange migrants recently: The Groove-billed Ani, four Yellow Grosbeaks, and the Fan-tailed Warbler.
