Red-footed Booby Makes Alabama History

0:00It's March 28th. This is Birmingham News today, AI-powered stories from your city. I'm Cory with the story. A rare red-footed booby, a seabird from tropical water stouses of miles away, just made Alabama history with its first ever confirmed sighting. This bird, usually nesting in places like Hawaii or the Galapagos, popped up near Lake Martin in Talipusa County. Jimmy Leneer, a trail founder and builder there, spotted it first from a fire tower he helped construct. He snapped photos from a distance and a couple who showed up confirmed the idea after checking with experts. It's super rare in the Gulf of Mexico, mostly off Texas or Florida's West Coast. Birders are buzzing with excitement over this inland visitor. Leneer called it a, once in a lifetime thrill, and trail manager Julia Thomas said it felt like spotting something truly amazing from nature. No one seen one here before, on land or offshore. Turns out it's a juvenile bird, flying so low far from the coast and it's stuck around less than a day before taking off.

1:02The Alabama Ornithological Society's Committee is reviewing the solid photos and ducks and approval looks likely. This wanderer reminds us how wild migration can get, pushing birds way off their usual paths and into unexpected spots like the heart of Dixie.