We are planning to start releasing a monthly recap of rare bird record from across the Western Palearctic, beginning this month. This is our first attempt, titled Dutch Birding Western Palearctic Rarities Recap for October 2025. Let's go!

Summary

The always eventful month of October did not disappoint, delivering two new species for the ‘greater’ Western Palearctic. Particularly in the west, it was a month of many American megas turning up in spectacular fashion. Let’s take a region-by-region look at what unfolded across the Western Palearctic.

Azores

October is of course the peak month on Corvo, once again producing a fine selection of American vagrants in the first half of the month especially. Highlights included two Ruby-crowned Kinglets and two Prothonotary Warblers. The supporting cast featured a Great Blue Heron, American Goshawk, Northern Harrier,a photogenic Least Sandpiper, three Wilson’s Snipes, Cliff Swallow, American Pipit, a Chestnut-sided Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, some Northern Parulas, several Black-and-white Warblers, two Tennessee Warblers, two Blackpoll Warblers, American Redstart, Swaison’s Thrush, Grey-cheecked Thrush, Northern Waterthrush, Ovenbird, Indigo Bunting, Bobolink, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Baltimore Oriole, Scarlet Tanager and a Yellow-billed Cuckoo.

Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias, Corvo, Azores, 7 October (Adrian Jordi)

Cape May Warbler Setophaga tigrina, Corvo, Azores, 3 oktober (Adrian Jordi)

The wind turned easterly in the third week, bringing no further arrivals. Sea watching on 3 October yielded a now-regular Trindade Petrel. On nearby Flores, which is larger, more vegetated, and less birded, the highlight was a Dickcissel, remaining long enough for Corvo birders to connect. This represented the 11th record for both the Azores and the WP.

Dickcissel Spiza americana, Faja Grande, Flores, Azores, 7 October (Adrian Jordi)

Other notable sightings included two American Black Ducks, Green Heron, Northern Harrier, Hudsonian Whimbrel, two Least Sandpipers, a Semipalmated Plover, two Chimney Swifts, Cliff Swallow, Black-and-white Warbler, three Common Yellowthroats, Bobolink, Ovenbird, Scarlet Tanager and a Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Here a Flores impression with excellent photos can be found.

Elsewhere in the archipelago, Terceira held a Snowy Egret and an American Coot, while a Belted Kingfisher and a Great Blue Heron were seen on São Miguel. The long-staying Great-tailed Grackle was still present throughout the month, now with a fully regrown tail which took only three weeks to regenerate. All told, an Azorean newcomer could easily amass 25 WP ticks in the first three weeks of October.

British Isles

The bird of the month in Britain undoubtedly was the Great Crested Flycatcher on Shetland. Present on private land in mid-October, the bird was kept quiet, much to the frustration of the numerous visiting birders. This represented the first record for the WP, a species that had been predicted as a potential addition as early as 1980 in British Birds. It became the fourth new WP species this year, following Black-headed Cuckoo-Shrike in Iran, the White Tern in Wales and the Crimson-rumped Waxbills in Egypt. Shetland birders still enjoyed the lingering Siberian Thrush which showed increasingly well into October, plus a second Black-faced Bunting for the islands this year, and a Blackpoll Warbler.

Siberian Thrush Geokichla sibirica, Shetland, UK, 5 October (Ronald Messemaker)

On the Orkneys, a fortunate observer found a Rufous-tailed Robin. It was not photographed but, if accepted, the fifth UK and seventh WP record. A Siberian Rubythroat on the same islet on 28 October proved equally elusive. Elsewhere in Scotland, a Veery lingered and just north of Aberdeen the fourth British Eastern Nightingale was found. This subspecies breeds in Central Asia and migrates along the Saudi peninsula to its wintering grounds in East Africa. The first mainland Needle-tailed Swift since 1991 was seen at several east-coast sites. A showy Black-faced Bunting at Spurn was well photographed, while UK's 18th Black-billed Cuckoo found dead in Devon. On 31 October, a Black-browed Albatross passed the Norfolk coast. The Scilly Isles produced a Mourning Dove, from 9 October on Saint Agnes, plus two American Pipits and an Eye-browed Thrush.The first record of Harlequin Duck for Ireland concerned two birds from 9 October onwards. A Northern Parula from from 7 October was the first twitchable individual since 1983. Off Cape Clear, a Black-browed Albatross passed on 18 October. A Rough-legged Hawk, the American subspecies of Rough-legged Buzzard was seen on Rathlin Island on 18 October. Ireland also hosted two American Pipits and an amazing three Northern Harriers.

Northern Europe

A record 11 species of American passerines were seen in Iceland this month: the second Varied Thrush for Iceland and only the fourth for the WP, the third Alder Flycatcher, the first Bobolink, the first Philadelphia Vireo, the first Brown-headed Cowbird, two Myrtle Warblers, a Tennessee Warbler, a American Pipit, the fifth Rose-breasted Grosbeak, the 17th Hermit Thrush and multiple Red-eyed Vireos. Following the remarkable UK influx, Iceland also recorded unprecedented numbers of Glossy Ibis - around 25 birds this autumn - a former mega. The first Scarlet Tanager for the Faroe Islands was unfortunately not relocated after being photographed by a non-birder from a kitchen window. The first Tennessee Warbler for Norway was trapped near Mølen on 17 October. The fourth Norwegian Upland Sandpiper appeared on Husøya on 20 October and remained until month’s end. The 15th Swainson’s Thrush was found on Røst on 15 October. Sweden celebrated its third Little Curlew, on Öland on 11 October, the tenth WP record. Finland's fourth Siberian Rubythroat was ringed at Espoo on 17 October, while on the next day an early Black-throated Accentor was discovered. A possible Swinhoe’s Storm Petrel passed the Danish coast.

Central Europe

On Jersey (Channel Islands) a smart Bay-breasted Warbler was ringed on 9 October. Ouessant, France's prime hotspot, lived up to expectations with a long-staying Black-faced Bunting, three American Pipits, a Swainson’s Thrush and, late in the month, a Common Yellowthroat. Elsewhere in Brittany, a fifth Black-faced Bunting for France was ringed, the fifth Blackpoll Warbler recorded and the tenth French Steppe Eagle rediscovered - the same bird that had flown over The Netherlands. See here. A possible Armenian Gull in Hungary would represent the country's third record.

The Netherlands

The most visited bird of Europe in 2025, the male Spectacled Eider, turned up again from 7 October onwards, at roughly the same location where it had stayed from January to June. The bird was moulting out of eclipse plumage and was regularly observed showing well, allowing for some rare photographs of this stage.

Spectacled Eider Somateria fischeri, Texel, 7 oktober (Ruud van Beusekom)

A Pacific Diver was seen flying by not once, but twice this month, first off the IJmuiden coast on 10 October, and then along the southern coast of Schiermonnikoog on 24 October. It turned out to be the same bird. This consitutes only the second record for The Netherlands of this increasingly regular (or less rare...) visitor from western North America.

Pacific Diver Gavia pacifica, IJmuiden, 10 oktober (Lars Buckx)

What leaves a greater shock than the discovery of a Siberian Rubythroat? A first-winter male was seen by a single birder near Groote Keeten on 10 October. Due to mowing of the reeds, the Western Swamphen of Zevenhuizen (ZH) left its residence at the end of September, only to be relocated in the Nieuwe Driemanspolder, about 13 km to the north, on 1 October. Remarkably, it returned to its former location the very next day, 2 October, and remained there for the rest of the month.

Western Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio, Zevenhuizen, 17 October (Paul van Veen)

The fifth Black-faced Bunting for The Netherlands was - just like the previous four - found in the nets of a ringing station. In fact, it was caught at the very same station at Westenschouwen that trapped the first individual. The bird appears to have been part of a small influx, which is described in more detail in the rest of this report. A juvenile Gyr Falcon was discovered at the southern tip of Texel during the busy Dutch Birding weekend. The bird gradually moved north accross the island, and an estimated 500 - 600 observers were able to watch it feeding on a Wood Pigeon, along Texel's main road - an extraordinary sight that caused quite a traffic jam.

Gyr Falcon Falco rusticolus, Texel, 18 October (Wietze Janse)

Also during the Dutch Birding weekend, a Steppe Grey Shrike was found on Texel.

Steppe Grey Shrike Lanius lahtora pallidirostris, Slufter, Texel, 20 oktober (Jorrit Vlot)

On the same island, the Bonapartes Gull lingered along the ferry.

Bonaparte's Gull Chroicocephalus philadelphia, Texel, 19 oktober (Arnoud van den Berg)

Strangely enough, it wasn't the Spectacled Eider, Gyr Falcon or Bonaparte's Gull that stole the show during the Dutch Birding- Weekend - it was the Blue Tit! Record-breaking numbers, amounting to many tens of thousands, were on the move over the Wadden Islands during the weekend of 18-19 October. Those who happened to be in De Cocksdorp on Sunday 19 October, witnessed the village quite litterally swamped with Blue Tits.

Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus, Texel, 19 oktober (Dirk van Doorn)

Eastern Europe

A Manx Shearwater found alive in the Czech Republic on 9 October was extraordinarily far off course and the first record for the country. After the last in October 2023, Georgia logged its third record of Three-banded Plover.

Southern Europe

At Estaca de Bares, Spain, two Black-capped Petrels were recorded on 4 October, one even filmed. A Cape Verde Shearwater in southern Spain marked only the third European record. Spain's first Lappet-faced Vulture flew past Antequera on 18 October, while a Greater Hoopoe-Lark near Córdoba was the first for mainland Spain. The Cape Gull remained faithful to the port of Laredo. In Sagres, Portugal, a Red-footed Booby stayed from 12 October and was seen irregularly until the month’s end. On 20 October, an Eyebrowed Thrush was ringed on Malta.

North-Africa

On Sal Island, the first Yellow-billed Cuckoo for the Cape Verde Islands was discovered on 11 October. The Short-billed Dowitcher remained until 18 October, accompanied by three Semipalmated Sandpipers at the same site. The Western Willet continued mid-month on Boavista, where a Hudsonian Whimbrel was also noted on 28 October. An Algerian expedition to the country’s far south produced several extraordinary finds. A Northern White-faced Owl south of Bordj Badji Mokhtar on 20 October, was just without ‘classic WP’ boundaries. If accepted, this would be the first ‘greater WP’ record. On the same trip, a Plain Nightjar was discovered — a first for Algeria — initially reported as Freckled Nightjar. Finally, a Plain Swift was seen, new for the Algerian list. In northeastern Tunisia, the first Hooded Vulture for the country was recorded, also a national first.

Middle East

A West African Crested Tern photographed along Turkey’s west coast on 2–3 October represented the country’s first record. A Long-billed Dowitcher in the Gediz Delta near Izmir on 29 October was likewise a first. The first White’s Thrush for Israel was well observed in the far north. Kuwait’s second Himalayan Vulture followed swiftly after the first, discovered on 11 October. The sixth Black-headed Heron for Oman was found in Salalah on 5 October by a Dutch birder.

Black-headed Heron Ardea melanocephala, Salalah, Oman, 5 October (Vincent de Vos)

Shortly thereafter, a while west of Salalah a Black Heron on 16 October marked the country’s third record — a fine prelude to November, Oman’s prime birding month.

The Crystal Ball

After the flood of rarities that visited us in October, maybe we could all use a little rest in November. Then again, we'll never shy away from a new species! A Belted Kingfisher would be a fine option - rare wherever it turns up in the Western Palearctic. To be honest, the team putting together this report would love a Siberian Thrush, though we know we can't always win the lottery. Considering the recent influx, hoping for a Black-faced Bunting seems more realistic!

We wish everybody going out and searching for major and minor rarities, the best of luck...!

We would like to thank all observers and photographers for their contributions to this report.

Eduard Sangster & Wim Wiegant