Dutch Birding volume 26 (2004) no 3

Trumpeter Finch at Maasvlakte in May 2003

On 31 May 2003, a first-summer male Trumpeter Finch Bucanetes githagineus was observed at Maasvlakte, Zuid-Holland, the Netherlands. The bird was found at 09:00 and observed until c 16:00 and seen by many birders. The bird was identified, sexed and aged by its small size, overall sandy colour with brown wing-feathers and tail and large, conical reddish-orange bill. In Europe, this species is a rare breeder in southern Spain and an irregular visitor to Cyprus, Greece, southern Italy and Malta and has been recorded as a vagrant in Austria (2), Britain (7), Channel Islands (1), Denmark (2), France (7), Portugal (1) and Sweden (3). There are also two records of birds placed in Category D, in Estonia (1) and Germany (1). The record has been accepted by the Dutch rarities committee (CDNA) and constitutes the first for the Netherlands.

Willem van Rijswijk, Schalkeroord 315, 3079 WG Rotterdam, Nederland
(wvrijswijkrdnet.nl)