The Tampa Bay Area has been graced with a visitor from the South. A rare to the United States, Fork-tailed Flycatcher showed up in December south of Apollo Beach.
These graceful fliers live in Central or South America and, occasionally, one bird will show up in the eastern US. They’re very noticeable in flight with their unusually long, fork shaped tail feathers. They put on quite a display with their tail and wing feathers in flight while eating flying insects.
This bird has created quite the buzz in the birding and photography community with people flocking to see the bird. The bird’s presence is likely either a miscalculation during migration or a returning bird that doesn’t mind going the extra distance in search of insects.
It goes to show that when you get outdoors in Florida, you really don’t know what you just might find. So, get out there this year and find something rare for yourself!