Published 9:41 am, Tuesday,
December 5, 2017
SITKA, Alaska (AP) — Bird
watchers have spotted a rare thrush in Alaska.
The dusky thrush, which is
commonly found in Asia, has only been spotted a few times in Alaska, the Daily
Sitka Sentinel reported . Bird enthusiast Matt Goff reported seeing one Friday
in Sitka.
"I don't think it's an
uncommon bird in Asia," Goff said. "But in North America — it's very
unusual."
The dusky thrush's appearance
differs slightly from that of its North American counterparts. It lacks the
bright red or orange breast of a varied thrush, or robin, and has
"pale," ''distinctive" lines around its eyes, Goff said.
Word of Goff's sighting spread
quickly and enthusiasts from all over flocked to the Crescent Harbor in hopes
of catching a glimpse.
One out-of-state enthusiast even
flew in to see the bird, Goff said. That was Yve Morell, who is on a quest to
achieve an American Birding Association Big Year, an informal competition in
the birding community to identify the largest number of birds within a year.
