The rare Blue Rock Thrush was photographed for the first time at Hug Point waterfall, Oregon, USA.
Michael Sanchez, an amateur photographer, accidentally discovered and captured images of a small bird with blue feathers while setting up his camera at Hug Point waterfall in Oregon, USA. He snapped a few pictures and hardly paid attention to it.
Photo of the Blue Rock Thrush appearing in Oregon, USA (Photo: Michael Sanchez).
However, just a week later, these spontaneous photos made Sanchez a “star” and potentially part of history, as this could be the first image of the rare Blue Rock Thrush in North America.
According to the Guardian, this species primarily inhabits Europe and Asia, including Vietnam. The only previous sighting of this bird in North America was in 1997, but ornithologists could not determine whether that individual was wild or a released captive.
If Sanchez’s images are verified by local and national bird research groups, he may become the first person to successfully document the presence of the Blue Rock Thrush in the region.
Sanchez was quite surprised by the online community’s reaction when he posted the photo. A newcomer to photography, who has never considered himself a professional photographer, he emphasized that it was a great stroke of luck to encounter and photograph such a rare bird.
“I was amazed to see how much impact this has had,” Sanchez said. “It’s astonishing.”
A Blue Rock Thrush (Photo: Getty).
Experts have contacted Sanchez to verify the images and their location. Interestingly, they are puzzled about how this bird could stray far from its East Asian homeland to “settle” in North America.
Cass Talbot, an expert from the Oregon Audubon Society, suggested that the bird might have been disoriented in the navigation system. “It could have gotten lost, caught in a strong wind system, or hitchhiked on a ship,” the expert hypothesized.
Currently, no one else has seen this bird before Sanchez captured its image. However, intriguingly, just four days later, another Blue Rock Thrush was spotted in the Farallon Islands off the coast of San Francisco. It remains unclear whether this is the same bird or a different one.
Typically, when extremely rare, non-native birds appear along the West Coast, they tend to be seabirds spotted far from shore. However, the Blue Rock Thrush is not a seabird.
Scientists have proposed various explanations for the phenomenon of “wandering” migratory birds, which sometimes travel far from their usual habitats. This could stem from geomagnetic disturbances, adverse weather, or a natural expansion of their living range.
