Bronzed Cowbird

Today over lunch Hiromi and I both saw a gray bird with strikingly red eyes. It was perched on the clothesline post near the house. The picture in the Golden Field Guide for the female Bronzed Cowbird exactly matched what we saw. No other similar bird has red eyes.

There was one problem however. They're not found in this area, according to the range maps.

I dutifully informed my birdwatching nephews about the sighting. Joey called back after a while and suggested I submit the information to a Rare Bird Alert site. He read aloud the contact information for me from his Kansas Birds Field Guide. His source confirmed that New Mexico is as close as Bronzed Cowbirds usually get to Kansas.

I printed out a form and some instructions on submitting a report. Along the way I did learn that at least one sighting was reported in Oklahoma. These accidentals are part of the mystery that makes nature observation such a fascinating activity.