Tropical bird lost in a storm ends up in Massachusetts woman's backyard
A woman in New Bedford had an unexpected guest Friday night after she found a tropical bird in her backyard.
The New England Wildlife Center said they received a call about the Purple Gallinule resting on top of the woman's air conditioning unit around 10 p.m. The colorful birds are native to the subtropical wetlands and are known for their long toes.
"It is not unheard of for southern birds to show up in Massachusetts from time to time. During periods of strong storm systems and shifting low pressure these birds can get pushed off course and carried north along the coast," the New England Wildlife Center said on Facebook. "Believe it or not this is not the first Purple Gallinule to make an appearance here. One was documented in Eastham back in 2010 under similar circumstances."
Luckily, the bird did not receive any injuries during its travels. But the center said that it was underweight and "in delicate condition." The avian will now be given food slowly so its body can adjust and avoid refeeding syndrome.
"When an animal has been without adequate nutrition for a while, their body essentially downshifts. If food is suddenly reintroduced too quickly it can throw electrolytes and blood chemistry out of balance faster than the body can compensate for," the wildlife center explained.
Once the bird recovers, the rescue will work on getting it back to its home in the south.
"With a little luck he will be back to nibbling on greens chasing bugs and striding across lily pads with this GIANT feet before long," the wildlife center said.
The New England Wildlife Center said it will continue to post updates on the unlikely visitor to its Facebook page.
For more information about Purple Gallinule, click here.
Earlier this month, birdwatchers flocked to Scituate to catch a glimpse of tropical limpkin bird that had never been spotted in New England before.