As a keen bird photographer I don't mind admitting that I used to fall into the trap of desperately seeking more unusual species to photograph. And I still love capturing those images... BUT.... it would be foolish to simply discount the birds around you on a daily basis as "unphotogenic", because they really aren't!
The power of a good photograph, combined with a respect and admiration of even the commonest birds, can produce a print-worthy image. For example - that pesky nuisance of a starling (or should I say a whole flock of starlings - they're rarely alone)! Get close up and in the right light...
Look at that iridescent colour! The fancy spots!
Speaking of beautiful colouring - when did you last really LOOK at a duck? Mallards are simply beautiful, from their shimmering green head, to the little black curls of their tails:
How about another "favourite" - seagulls. Yeah, I know, noisy, messy, a little scary at times.... but you can't deny they have character. Look at this chap's red-rimmed eye (staring straight down the lens like a pro)! He watches you from every angle!
Finally - even without striking colours, or eyeballing the camera, a good photograph can capture a bird in an atmospheric way without having to get too close. The common crow. Again, not a favourite of many (although I actually love them - they're incredibly intelligent, characterful, beasties), but awfully dramatic when they want:
Basically what I'm trying to say is; don't ignore the photographic oppotunities around you in the hope that something more unusual will come along. Find that something unusual in the scenes around you and be a photographer, not a snapshotter. Create an image by seeing the everyday world differently, and make others see things differently too. Of course - with all that practice in place - you'll be ready when that rare bird DOES come your way...
I give you - a Macgillivray's Warbler :-)