Portsmouth common cuckoo

[Randy Langer]

Anyone seen it?

Randy

https://www.wmur.com/article/rare-bird-sighting-portsmouth-nh-11232025/69522743

[Steve Mirick]

Alas, the Common Cuckoo in Portsmouth on Friday will become one the most frustrating misses in NH birding history!

A non-birder (Tori-Simpson Tucker) found this bird on Friday afternoon and knew it was different.  So she shared it with her girl friend and she shared it with her husband Brendan Linard who got the word out and created an eBird Checklist:

https://ebird.org/checklist/S285494928

Although the word got out (relatively) quickly considering the sighting by a nonbirder, it was all for naught.  Brendan and other birders got out late in the afternoon on Friday just before dusk, but no luck.  And then at dawn on Saturday, the cemetery was covered with birders all day searching.....but no luck.  And again on Sunday, but no luck.   :-(((((

Common Cuckoos are a charismatic bird that is extremely rare with only about 4 other lower 48 records for the United States.  The most recent record in Rhode Island created quite a stir during the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, but it stuck around an was seen by many.  Fortunately, I DID get a chance to see that one!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/stevemirick/50560835182/in/photostream/lightbox/

Steve Mirick
Bradford, MA

--
To Change your e-mail delivery settings (digest, daily, no mail) visit:
https://groups.google.com/group/nhbirds/subscribe?hl=en
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "NHBirds" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to nhbirds+u...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/nhbirds/CACO18f6MGhWbWqpBET6K-9PGaEkHWUPq3o2%3D5EPMuJ9Q7%3DjOUg%40mail.gmail.com.

[Lori Charron]

Hi Steve, Could this bird be the same one that was seen in Long Island Sound in Oct? It was last reported Oct 26th I believe. We can only hope the bird is still in NH and is re located! 

Happy birding! 

    Lori

Sent from my iPad

On Nov 24, 2025, at 5:30 PM, 'Steve Mirick' via NHBirds <nhb...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

 Alas, the Common Cuckoo in Portsmouth on Friday will become one the most frustrating misses in NH birding history!

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/nhbirds/0a0c7edc-432e-4313-8f30-c056c5533e2d%40comcast.net.

[Steve Mirick]

Unless there are some feather or plumage characteristics that can eliminate or support the uniqueness or similarity of this individual, than we will never know.  It seems unlikely that it's the same bird due to the proximity and direction of the Long Island Bird.  My guess is that it is likely a different individual, but the occurrences "may" be related to a common weather event.

Steve Mirick
Bradford, MA

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/nhbirds/8BCF78FA-0EA5-44E6-9E31-2EF20DB6F3BE%40gmail.com.

[Clifford Seifer]

I do believe that folks on the ABA rare bird Facebook page compared feather and plumage characteristics and determined that these were separate birds.

-- Cliff Seifer

Keene NH

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/nhbirds/b6178750-42e0-4da8-a974-86cad18282fb%40comcast.net.

[Lori Charron]

Thank you!

Sent from my iPad

On Nov 25, 2025, at 9:11 AM, Clifford Seifer <clif...@gmail.com> wrote:



To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/nhbirds/CA%2BPZ6Z%2Bz73evzoEz1-p9_JWK_upQRQOpfB-o-r%3DoWtAtfGTvAQ%40mail.gmail.com.