- Photographer and Vancouver resident Michael Sanchez was at Hug Point State Recreation Site on April 21 at dawn when he seen a little bit hen close to the shoreline.
- Sanchez was at first unaware that he had photographed what seems to be the primary recognized blue rock thrush sighting in U.S. historical past.
- The sighting continues to be being evaluated by official our bodies.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Birders are crowing over a particularly uncommon hen sighting in Oregon final week.
Photographer and Vancouver resident Michael Sanchez advised Nexstar’s KOIN that he was at Hug Point State Recreation Site on April 21 at dawn when he seen a little bit hen close to the shoreline.
“I happened to look behind me toward the ocean and saw this cute little bird standing on the sand,” Sanchez mentioned. “The sun wasn’t fully up yet, so to my eyes, it looked like a little black bird. It posed for me for a minute or two, and then it flew up to the rocks. It stayed there for another moment or so, and then it flew away toward the east. I didn’t think much more of it than that.”
Sanchez was unaware that he had photographed what seems to be the primary recognized blue rock thrush sighting in U.S. historical past.
Returning home to assessment his photos, Sanchez seen that that “little black bird” was way more colourful than he realized. This led him to publish his photographs (seen beneath) on social media, the place they shocked the local birding world.
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Photos of the ultra-rare blue rock thrush sighting captured at Hug Point on April 21, 2024. (Michael Sanchez) -
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“I noticed the bird wasn’t black at all, but it was a pretty blue and chestnut-colored bird,” he mentioned. “I posted it on social media for some help identifying it and a friend of mine passed it along to one of her birding friends. He let me know that this was an extremely rare bird in this part of the world.”
According to consultants, the blue rock thrush sighting is the second unofficial sighting within the documented historical past of North America. Oregon Birding Association member Nolan Clements, who can be a Ph.D. pupil with Oregon State University’s Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Sciences, advised KOIN the blue rock thrush is native to Europe and Asia and isn’t recognized to inhabit any a part of North America.
“There has been only one report ever in North America,” Clements mentioned. “In 1997, one was photographed in British Columbia. However, many birders were skeptical of the origins of this bird, thinking it may have been an escaped caged bird or perhaps accidentally transported across the Pacific on a cargo ship. Ultimately, the 1997 BC record was written off.”
Birders have flocked to Hug Point in recent days in an try to seek out Sanchez’s blue rock thrush. However, no different sightings have been reported. While Sanchez’s sighting continues to be below assessment by consultants, Clements mentioned that the hen seen within the photographs is “definitely” a blue rock thrush.
“The report has not passed the scrutiny of the Oregon Bird Records Committee or the American Birding Association Records Committee, both voting bodies that adjudicate natural history records, and so is not an official record yet,” Clements mentioned. “I am currently a voting member of the OBRC and I suspect there will be lengthy discussions about this bird, but my guess is that ultimately this report will be accepted.”
Clements mentioned that it’s unclear how the hen might have arrived within the U.S., however added {that a} related species, the rufous-tailed rock thrush, was additionally photographed in northern Alaska in 2021. The Alaska sighting was the primary recognized document of the species in North America.
“It seems possible that the bird hitched a ride on the ship, but it may be unlikely,” he mentioned. “If this bird were in Astoria or Portland, I’d say it was much more likely to be ship-assisted. It’s really hard to know for sure with occurrences like this.”
Sanchez mentioned that he’s working with the Oregon Bird Records Committee to offer as a lot information concerning the sighting as doable. KOIN will proceed to watch the story for the committee’s last ruling on the sighting.
The American Birding Association reports that a couple of days after Sanchez’s sighting, researchers on Southeast Farallon Island in San Francisco photographed what seems to be a blue rock thrush. It’s unclear if that hen, discovered roughly 500 miles from Hug Point is identical one noticed by Sanchez.
“Now that I know just how rare of a sighting this is, I wish I would have captured more pictures of it,” he mentioned. “However, I’m happy with the photos that I was able to get, and I hope this brings new interest in the fascinating world of birdwatching.”
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