BROWNSVILLE, Texas — Birders are flocking to a Texas state park to see a rare bird.
According to Texas State Parks, the gray-collared becard was recently seen at Resaca de la Palma State Park near Brownsville. This is the first ever recorded sighting of the bird in Texas.
The species was first seen in the U.S. in 2009. The second U.S. sighting was just six months ago, in May 2023.
The bird is more commonly found in Central America.
“Birders from far and wide flocked to Resaca de la Palma State Park to share the experience,” Texas State Parks said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, accompanied by photos of birdwatchers gathering to take photos of the bird. “The Valley really is an amazing place to spot some once-in-a-lifetime wildlife!”
Brandon Nooner, a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, captured a photo of the rare bird perched on a tree branch.
According to the American Birding Association, the gray-collared becard typically lives from northwestern Mexico (eastern Sonora) to El Salvador and central Nicaragua. It is distinguished from other becards by its combination of brown cap and mantle, broad white collar (gray in adults), black wings with broad white feather edgings and very pale underparts.
On its website, Texas State Parks calls Resaca del Palma State Park a “Rio Grande treasure” and “semi-tropical paradise.” The park includes over 8 miles of trails, four decks overlooking the resaca, tram tours and ranger programs.