Tropical bird goes astray, sparks US frenzy

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (AP) There's a frenzy erupting in the birding world, and the Rufous-necked wood-rail is to blame.

Never before has there been a recorded sighting of a Rufous-necked wood-rail in the United States, but for the last two weeks one of the birds has been at home among the cattails at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.

Typically, the species is found along the coasts and in tropical forests in Central and South America, far from parched New Mexico.

The sighting at the refuge, about 100 miles (160 kms) south of Albuquerque, has prompted hasty plane reservations and lengthy road trips.

It didn't take long for Jeffrey Gordon, president of the American Birding Association, and his wife to jump in their car and make the nearly seven-hour drive from Colorado to the southern New Mexico refuge. He said seeing the wood-rail was like being dealt a royal flush.

"Rails kind of have a reputation for being secretive and staying out of sight," he said. "To see a big, colorful rail and to see it walking around out in the open is just really special. Then, you can add the dimension that it is not only far, but hundreds if not thousands of miles from where you would typically see it."

Phones have been ringing at Bosque del Apache since the bird, about the size of a small chicken, was first spotted on the morning of July 7.

Matt Daw, a member of the Bureau of Reclamation's southwestern willow flycatcher survey team, was getting video of a least bittern at the edge of the marsh when the wood-rail interrupted. Daw was so startled that he turned off the camera after a few seconds.

Since then hundreds of birders have shown up at the refuge to take the bird's picture.

As the sun rises and sets each day, the boardwalk grows crowded with spectators wanting to see the bird strut out from behind the cattails and hunt for crayfish, said Aaron Mize, the refuge manager.

The refuge, one of the nation's premier bird-watching spots, attracts tens of thousands of people over the fall and winter months as throngs of snow geese and sandhill cranes migrate through the Rio Grande Valley. Mize marvels that just one bird has captured all the attention in the offseason.

"It's way cool. We have people flying into Albuquerque every day, from Florida, California, the East Coast," Mize said.

Sandy Komito, who holds the "big year" record for seeing or hearing the largest number of bird species in North America in a single year, was there last Wednesday to see the wood-rail.

Refuge officials said one man flew into Denver, rented a car and drove to see the wood-rail, only to be disappointed. After driving back to Denver, he got a phone call that the bird had reappeared. He changed his flight and drove 350 miles (560 kms) back to the refuge.

"Serious, serious lengths," Mize said when asked about the efforts by some to see the bird.

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Follow Susan Montoya Bryan at http://www.twitter.com/susanmbryanNM.

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Online:

Wood-rail updates: http://www.facebook.com/BosquedelApacheNWR

American Birding Association: http://aba.org