Kelsey, those are two fine questions.

Answers: 1) In common, typical vernacular, I think both popular and academic literature/articles uses these two terms synonymously, though “vagrant” is more typical. A fine, recent book titled Vagrancy In Birds may help my contention point here, given research ornithologists seem (in my experience) to usually employ “vagrant.”

2) There’s no absolute abundance order for the so-called Eastern and Midwestern USA wood-warbler vagrant species that are observed at, say, the Point Reyes lighthouse or nearby among “islands of green” (e.g., Monterey Cypress groves on cattle ranch land within Point Reyes National Seashore, the farthest western longitude in the lower 48 USA….and, thus, a magnet for wood-warbler individuals expressing MIrror-image Misorientation — an innate navigation problem that changes their typical in-born proclivity to migrate southwest INSTEAD of southeast during their initial* autumn trek away from natal grounds). (* = Most songbird species vagrants seen in coastal West Coast areas are hatch year/first-year individuals.)

My opinion is that the following species from are usually the most typical vagrant species to appear from approximately mid-August through October vagrants in Marin County and along the coast near or within Pt. Reyes National Seashore: Tennessee, Blackpoll, American Redstart (though it’s reported periodically to nest in N. CA), Black & White, Blackburnian, Chestnut-sided, Bay-breasted, and Northern Parula.

Meanwhile, it’s time to look for a) more of our typical nesting West Coast wood-warblers that sometimes remain in small numbers during the current non-breeding season near me in Novato (inland Marin County) and along the coast: Black-throated Gray, Wilson’s, Yellow, and Orange-crowned (that, actually, begin returning this week to nest here in SMALL numbers, with a larger pulse beginning by March, annually) and b) Gull species; and c) Non-breeding season hawk species visitors, including Ferruginous and Rough-legged. I hope my upcoming Marin Audubon Society and Golden Gate Bird Alliance field trips see both of these Buteo members along Skaggs Island Rd. (near Novato).

Lastly, my Bird Guiding tours are noted at my web site, WarblerWatch.com. In addition, it features information about where my upcoming “Birding By Ear In The Sierra” week-long workshop for San Francisco State University (June 9 – 14, 2024). Details and registration are at: http://siera.sfsu.educ/classes-workshops