A bird normally found in Central & South America is seen in Yuma County
A tropical bird never before seen in Colorado has drawn dozens of birdwatchers to Yuma County on the Northeastern Plains — and helped one Colorado birder reach a major milestone.
The piratic flycatcher, a migratory bird normally found in Central and South America, was spotted at Stalker Lake State Wildlife Area this weekend. Stalker Lake is located west of the town of Wray, Colorado, and north of Highway 34. Take County Road FF north of 34.
The sighting in Yuma County brought Front Range birders rushing to the area for a chance to see the unusual visitor.
Among them was 62-year-old Littleton resident Joey Kellner, who became the first person known to publicly document seeing 500 different bird species in Colorado.
Kellner has been birding since the 1980s and has led monthly bird walks at Chatfield State Park for about 30 years.
The piratic flycatcher is only the 15th known sighting of its kind in the United States, and this is the farthest north it's ever been documented.
Colorado currently has 522 bird species on its official list. If this sighting is accepted, that number will rise to 523.
Bird experts say the young flycatcher may have simply gotten its directions mixed up.
The bird was still being seen at Stalker Lake as of Tuesday, September 22nd, but there's no telling how long it will remain in Colorado.
