ASUNGREBEiNNEWMEXICO 
next 18 years, the count did not report its 
first Sungrebe until 30 December 1996 
(Field Notes 51: 653); more recently, ac- 
cording to C.B.C. data available at Bird- 
Source (<www.birdsource.org>), two were 
reported there during winter 2001-2002. 
Judging from numerous photographs and 
trip reports made available via the Internet, 
Sungrebes have been found in Tamaulipas 
with increasing regularity in recent years, 
from the vicinity of Ciudad Mante north to 
the Nacimiento area, the Gomez Farias re- 
gion (including the Rio Frio and the Rio 
Sabinas), and the Rio Corona area, which 
suggests not only increase in range but 
possible increase in numbers as well. 
Discussion 
Sungrebe is not the only Neotropical 
gruiform to appear unexpectedly in the 
United States. Well known examples are 
Spotted Rail (Pardirallus maadatus; speci- 
mens from Pennsylvania 12 November 
1976 and Texas 9 August 1977; Parkes et 
al. 1978), Paint-billed Crake (Neocrex ery- 
throps; specimens from Texas 17 February 
1972; Arnold 1978; and Virginia 15 Dec 
1978; Blem 1980), and Azure Gallinule 
(Porphyria flavirostris; specimen from Long 
Island, New York 14 December 1986; 
Spencer and Kolodnicki 1988), all accept- 
ed as valid records by the American Or- 
nithologists’ Union (A.O.U. 1998). The 
Texas Spotted Rail was about as far from 
known range as was the New Mexico Sun- 
grebe, whereas the others were all much 
farther from their nearest known popula- 
tions. Remsen and Parker (1990) analyzed 
the Azure Gallinule record in some detail, 
including noting that it, as well as the rail 
and crake records, occurred during the au- 
tumn-winter period; as detailed above, 
available vagrant Sungrebe records, includ- 
ing the New Mexico bird, also occurred 
during that period. Taking seasonal ecolo- 
gy, movements, and vagrancy into consid- 
eration, Remsen and Parker (1990) con- 
cluded that extralimital records of rails and 
gallinules, including the Azure Gallinule, 
“should be regarded in general as repre- 
senting wild vagrants unless there is some 
specific reason to think otherwise.” As it 
happened, someone subsequently came 
forward (anonymously), claiming 
(through a second party) to have lost a 
captive Azure Gallinule on Long Island at 
about the time the specimen was obtained 
(Birding 31: 523-524), thus complicating 
universal acceptance of that record. 
The ranges of several Mexican species 
seem to be changing rapidly, some much 
faster than published literature can track. 
Among land birds. Short-tailed Hawk (Bu- 
teo brachyurus) has expanded steadily 
northward through Mexico to Arizona, 
New Mexico, and Texas (Williams et al. 
2007), Gray Hawk (Buteo nitidus) has very 
recently colonized the interior northern 
Mexican Plateau (Williams and Krueper 
2008, North American Birds 61: 647), and 
Double-toothed Kite (Harpagus bidentatus) 
has seemingly only just arrived in north- 
western Mexico, first in the Colima area 
(Howell and Webb 1995) and then north to 
Nayarit apparently only in the past few 
years (North American Birds 61: 334, 
Williams, Oldenettel et al, per obs., ph.). 
Among waterbirds, another gruiform, 
Limpkin (Aramus guarauna), was unknown 
in western Mexico apparently as recently as 
1995 (e.g., Howell and Webb 1995) but is 
now readily found in the vicinity of San 
Bias, Nayarit (Iliff and Lovitch 2007; 
Williams, Oldenettel et al., pers. obs., ph), 
where it presumably arrived within the past 
decade. Although it is difficult to confirm 
range expansion in a small, quiet, and 
reclusive species such as the Sungrebe, 
available evidence suggests recent expan- 
sion north into Tamaulipas; such an expan- 
sion presumably would be accomplished by 
pioneers striking out for new habitat be- 
yond historical range. 
We believe the New Mexico Sungrebe 
likely represents a natural occurrence and 
should be regarded as a wild vagrant unless 
solid evidence to the contrary is available. 
The apparent absence of the Sungrebe in 
captivity anywhere, together with docu- 
mentation of movements within usual 
range, vagrancy beyond normal range or 
habitat, and possible northward range ex- 
pansion, all support this view. Persons with 
substantive information pertaining to this 
record, including unreported instances of 
captivity and current status of wild popula- 
tions in Mexico and elsewhere, are encour- 
aged to contact the corresponding author. 
Acknowledgments 
Many persons kindly responded to our re- 
quests for background information, and 
others freely shared their opinions of the 
event, and we thank them all. The manu- 
script benefited from careful review by J. Y 
Remsen, Jr. 
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