Many new species we could add to the Ohio list will not be all that
difficult to notice, identify, and describe. But there is a rather
embarrassing short list of eight other ones: long-overdue species that
have probably occurred here, but just not been noticed because overlooked.
        The following are among the likelier new additions because they've been
recorded in at least four of the six states/provinces surrounding Ohio.
They are, additionally, overlookable because they resemble far more
common Ohio species. Based on regional records, they easily could be
among the most likely new additions to the state list, but they require
preparation, alertness, and a second look.
        It might pay off to review their ID characteristics vs. those common
look-alikes, because all may have already been in Ohio without being
recognized or well documented. Here is a list; the ones I'm guessing
have most often been missed are marked with asterisks.

*NEOTROPICAL CORMORANT*: Records in Michigan, Ontario, and Kentucky.
There are birds in Iowa and in Illinois right now. Obviously confusable
with double-crested cormorants, with whom they associate, but study
comparative size and plumages by season.

*ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER*: Recorded in Michigan, Ontario, Pennsylvania,
Kentucky, and West Virginia. Seen mostly as a fall wanderer, this one
might easily be casually passed off as a great crested flycatcher,
and has almost certainly been missed here on multiple occasions.
The east coast has so many records that one wonders why none of them was
noticed passing through here on the way from their southwestern haunts.

*FISH CROW*: Recorded in all six of the neighboring states/provinces,
this one is loooong overdue for the Ohio list; do enough of us stay
alert for it, or know the salient characters to differentiate it from
American crow? Voice is the best first clue.

FORK-TAILED FLYCATCHER: Recorded in Michigan, Ontario, Indiana, and
Pennsylvania. Proven a fall wanderer, young birds, or old ones missing
tail feathers, can easily be mistaken for eastern kingbirds, etc.

GULL-BILLED TERN: Records in Michigan, Ontario, Indiana, Kentucky, and
Pennsylvania, even though this species generally prefers areas near the
Atlantic and Gulf coasts; there are a number of unreliable old sight
reports from Ohio, as there are for roseate tern. Study overall
structure, bill color.

BAND-TAILED PIGEON: Records in Michigan, Ontario, Indiana, and Kentucky,
and unconfirmed old reports from Ohio; could easily be passed off as a
rock pigeon in a quick glance, and may associate loosely with them.

        If you want to help add a new species to our state list, these are
suggested as among the best candidates IF identified and well
documented. They all pose ID or at least recognition problems of varying
degrees, and that's probably at least part of the reason why they
haven't been found. Right now Ohio looks like a donut-hole in the middle
of the map of their vagrancy.
Bill Whan
Columbus

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