Birders, head to the city of Huron on the shores of Lake Erie to catch a glimpse of a rare visitor to the Buckeye State, a roseate tern.
It’s the first documented sighting of a roseate tern in the state, said Jamey Emmert, avian education coordinator for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. It’s very unusual to find this coastal bird so far inland.
“It’s a very exciting time for birdwatchers,” she said.
According to a Facebook post shared by the Ohio Division of Wildlife, the bird was first spotted July 6, and by the next day was already attracting scores of watchers.
Rare bird alert! 🚨 ⬇️
Posted by Ohio Division of Wildlife on Sunday, July 7, 2024
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All about the roseate tern
According to All About Birds , managed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology , the roseate tern is found on the Atlantic coast of the United States, split between New England and the Caribbean. It forages for small schools of fish in the ocean, and nests on hard-to-visit islands.