Wildlife officials reported that a naturalist at an Indiana state park had an unexpected encounter with a young bird that is usually only found in tropical regions or far out at sea.
On June 3, Wade LaHue, an interpretive naturalist, witnessed a juvenile brown booby, a seabird native to tropical regions, diving into a lake at Spring Mill State Park. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources shared this exciting sighting in a Facebook post on June 6.
According to Amy Kearns, the state ornithologist, it is highly unusual to spot brown boobys in Indiana or even in the United States.
According to Audubon, these marine creatures are typically found in tropical oceans and are commonly spotted in warm waters within the tropics and subtropics, often far from land.
According to officials, the bird seemed to be venturing outside of its typical territory.
The department has advised visitors to maintain a safe distance from the unique bird and allow it to rest and feed without any disturbance.
In 2019, the sighting of a brown booby was recorded in Indiana for the first time. Recently, another sighting of this bird species was observed in the same region, marking the second time a brown booby has been spotted in Indiana.