© Eddy BeaubienOne picture snapped of the tropical kingbird on its visit to Windsor Tuesday.
It's called a tropical kingbird. Originally from the Gulf of Mexico, the bird was spotted fluttering around the city Monday morning and remained into the day on Tuesday as well.
Jeremy Bensette, one of a few year-round resident birders from the Point Pelee area, said the bird was first spotted along side the Detroit River which mobilized a number of local bird watchers who were followed by some out-of-towners.
Bensette said there have been a number of vagrant birds found in the northeast of North America in recent days, likely pulled north from the tropics in one of the recent large hurricanes.
"Sometimes [in] the weeks following, these birds are found surviving in natural areas, in the Great Lakes region or on the East coast," he said. "No one knows for sure, but that's likely where this what turned out to be a tropical kingbird, came from."
Tropical Kingbird - Species Range Map
Big year, big spotting
Robert Baumander, from Brantford, Ont., has been travelling across the country this year trying to see as many bird species as possible.
Having seen 443 bird species just this year, he's checked most common birds off the list. Now he's pursuing the more rare species, like the tropical kingbird.
"It landed nice and close so it was nice to get a good look at get pictures," Baumander said.
"It's a really rare bird that I was looking to get for my list and for my Canada big year."
Joanne Redwood from Burlington heard the report about the kingbird on Monday. She gambled taking the three hour drive hoping to cash out with what she calls a 'life bird' sighting.
"A life bird is a bird you've never seen before," she said.
"It did pay off... It doesn't always but usually I've been pretty lucky."
Reader Comments
to our Newsletter