Species fact sheet by Global Register of Migratory Species - www.groms.de

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North American birds migrate S over Gulf of Mexico, Oct-Nov, a few remaining to Dec. returning birds arrive in breeding areas in Georgia, Texas and Louisianan in mid-Apr. South American populations not migratory, except at S end of range, where birds move N into tropics for austral winter. Influx noted to coast of Brazil (Maranhao), Feb-Oct; present Rio Grande do Sul (SE Brazil) May-Sept. Well known for numerous instances of long distance vagrancy, both N and S of equator; migrants meeting cyclonic storms especially prone to being blown well beyond normal range. Recorded throughout much of USA, W to California, and into Canada, N to Labrador. Low pressure systems moving up coastal USA carry birds almost annually to Bermuda and New England, and sometimes beyond. Vagrant to S Greenland, Azores, Flores, Europe (Britain, Norway, Switzerland), and to islands in Atlantic and Pacific Oceans: South Georgia, Tristan da Cunha (frequent), Galapagos, Falkland Is, Ascension I and St Helena. Quite regular in South Africa (W Cape), Apr-Aug, when birds are migrating N from Argentina, Uruguay and S Brazil, whence African vagrants may originate; also recorded off Liberian coast. S vagrants nearly all immatures.   (del Hoyo J, Elliott A, Sargatal J (eds), 1996)

• digitised by GROMS, after del Hoyo J A Elliott; J Sargatal (eds) (1996) - www.hbw.com,
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