By David A. La Puma (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Seaside Sparrow Ammodramus maritimus
Status.
Pending
Native Range
The eastern seaboard of North America from New Hampshire south to Florida and around the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico
Conservation Status
Least Concern
British Occurrence
NBN atlas has 0 records as at end 2024.
One was on board the cruise liner Balmoral when it departed North America on 13th May 2016 and was still on board when it docked in Ireland and on 20th May, Southampton. The bird stayed on board and was still on the ship when it docked at North Shields on three occasions with interim trips to Norway and Iceland in between.
It seems quite unlikely that this bird will be accepted on to the British List. Ship-assistance is not necessarily a bar to admittance but this is a non-migratory species that I assume was fed scraps during the voyage.
