First-ever sighting of a “mega-rare” bird recorded in US history was observed in Oregon: Blue rock thrush 2024

Blue rock thrush

A very rare bird blue rock thrush sighting in Oregon last week has birdwatchers giddy.

Photographer and resident of Vancouver Michael Sanchez told Nexstar’s KOIN that on April 21 at dawn, while at Hug Point State Recreation Site, he observed a small bird close to the shore.
I observed this adorable little bird standing on the sand as I happened to glance behind me towards the ocean,” Sanchez remarked. The light wasn’t quite up, so it appeared to me to be a small black bird. After posing for me for a minute or two, it took off towards the rocks. It hovered there for a few period before taking off in the direction of the east. Beyond that, I didn’t give it any more thought.

Unbeknownst to Sanchez, his photos appear to document the first-ever sighting of a blue rock thrush in American history.

When Sanchez got home and looked through his photos, he saw that the “little black bird” had far more color than he had initially thought. This prompted him to share his images (shown below) on social media, shocking the local birding community.
“I saw that the bird wasn’t black at all; instead, it had a lovely blue and chestnut color,” he said. “I shared it on social media to see if anyone could identify it, and one of my friends shared it with one of her birding pals. He informed me that this particular bird was incredibly uncommon in this region of the world.

Experts claim that the sighting of the blue rock thrush is only the second unofficial sighting in North America’s recorded history. Nolan Clements, an Oregon Birding Association member and Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Sciences at Oregon State University, told KOIN that the blue rock thrush is indigenous to Europe and Asia and is not known to have spread to any region of North America.

“In North America, there has only ever been a single report,” Clements stated. One was captured on camera in British Columbia in 1997. Many birdwatchers, however, were dubious of this bird’s origins, believing it to have either been an escaped caged bird or even an unintentional cargo ship shipment over the Pacific. In the end, the BC record from 1997 was thrown out.

In recent days, Hug Point has been frequented by birders who are trying to locate Sanchez’s blue rock thrush. No other sightings, though, have been recorded. Experts are still analyzing Sanchez’s report, but according to Clements, the bird in the pictures is “definitely” a blue rock thrush.
“The report is not yet an official record because it has not passed the scrutiny of the voting bodies that decide natural history records, the American Birding Association Records Committee and the Oregon Bird Records Committee,” Clements stated. “As a voting member of the OBRC, I anticipate that this bird will be the subject of in-depth discussions, but in the end, I think this report will be approved.”

Although the bird’s possible entry into the country is unknown, Clements noted that in 2021, images of a very related species—the rufous-tailed rock thrush—were also captured in northern Alaska. The species was first observed in North America, according to a sighting in Alaska.

He stated, “It may be unlikely, but it seems possible that the bird hitched a ride on the ship.” “I would think this bird was considerably more likely to be ship-assisted if it were in Astoria or Portland. It’s quite difficult to tell for sure when things like this happen.
According to Sanchez, he is collaborating with the Oregon Bird Records Committee to offer as much information as possible regarding sightings. Until the committee issues its final decision regarding the sighting, KOIN will keep an eye on the matter.

A few days after Sanchez’s discovery, researchers on Southeast Farallon Island in San Francisco took what seems to be photos of a blue rock thrush, according to the American Birding Association. It’s unknown if the bird Sanchez saw is the identical one that was discovered almost 500 miles away from Hug Point.

“I wish I had taken more pictures of it, now that I realize how rare of a sighting this is,” he remarked. Nevertheless, I’m pleased with the pictures I was able to take, and I hope this sparks curiosity in the intriguing field of birdwatching.

‘Mega-rare’ bird spotted in Oregon, first reported sighting in US history (msn.com)

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