Tropical marsh bird found lost in New York state

December 13, 2022 8:15 AM

The limpkin, a tropical marsh bird commonly found inhabiting Louisiana and Florida, was recently spotted for the first time in New York state. The lone bird was filmed along the Niagara River in Lewiston, and later captured by wildlife specialists to be relocated back South. More details on the case available from regular citizens in the Google Group community forum Geneseebirds. For more information on limpkins, listen to BirdNote or read an overview on the Audubon website.
posted by rcraniac (6 comments total)

This is great; thank you! The Limpkin Update from Karen Slote of WildCare of WNY on Geneseebirds is a nailbiter! Very interesting!
posted by taz at 8:32 AM on December 13, 2022 [3 favorites]

I wish I was less jaded but after having to deal with the results of a rare vagrant bird near my work and the ensuing mass of asshole birders trashing everything to get a view and refusing to leave when asked that's the only thing that I can think of here.
posted by Ferreous at 8:44 AM on December 13, 2022

The behavior of (some) other birders one of the main reasons I don't chase rare birds. The majority of the birders I've met over the years are respectful of birds and their environs, but chasing rare birds seems to select for less respectful birders.

To my knowledge, it's not common for vagrant birds to be captured and relocated.
posted by mollweide at 9:22 AM on December 13, 2022 [1 favorite]

We call them "Crying Birds" here in Florida. That's because their call sounds a lot like a child crying. It's kind of unsettling but like most things, you get used to it once you know what it is.

I live adjacent to a large wooded natural area that's reserved for the St. Johns River floodplain, with a ~3 acre pond immediately adjacent to that. Limpkins come in late winter and set up nests in the trees and forage the pond for freshwater mollusks and even better, Apple snails. They're pretty birds, but at dawn especially, LOUD birds that can wake up the dead with their cries.

I don't mind, they're just trying to make a living like everything else, but I have to admit some weekends that I do wish they could be just a bit quieter.
posted by wolpfack at 10:05 AM on December 13, 2022 [3 favorites]

“Hot Limpkin Summer” continues! I think 7 states added limpkin to their lists this year.

Random fact: they used limpkin calls as part of the sound effects for buckbeak in Harry Potter.
posted by oomny at 7:05 AM on December 14, 2022

Shout Out to the Bird Note daily podcast, which I've been listening to for 2-3 years. "BirdNote Daily is a two-minute radio show that combines rich sounds with engaging stories, to illustrate the amazing lives of birds and give listeners a momentary respite from the news of the day."
posted by neuron at 8:07 AM on December 14, 2022