The state of Ohio has just recorded another extraordinary sighting. Following the red-billed oriole and the pink egret, the American oystercatcher arrives.
Here's where you can see it.
The American oystercatcher was observed at the Deer Creek Reservoir near Alliance in Stark County. On Thursday, the Ohio Department of Wildlife, part of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, posted on Facebook information about the rare birds, stating that an American oystercatcher was spotted at Deer Creek Reservoir.
The bird was sighted near Alliance at Deer Creek Reservoir, which is part of the Stark Parks system in Stark County, approximately 25 miles east of Akron.
All about the species
According to the resource "All About Birds," the American oystercatcher inhabits the western United States, migrating south to Mexico for the winter or along the Gulf Coast and Atlantic Ocean. The Department of Wildlife reports that the oystercatcher at Deer Creek Reservoir likely deviated from its autumn migration route.
According to "All About Birds," they breed near wetlands in the interior of North America. Many migrate to coastal lagoons, salt ponds, and marshes in winter. The Department of Wildlife states that these birds do not breed in Ohio.
The American oystercatcher joins the parade of rare, unusual birds in Ohio, including the red-billed oriole and the pink egret.
It has been a year of unusual bird sightings in Ohio.
In August, the Department of Wildlife reported that a red-billed oriole breeds in northeastern Ohio, typically residing near the US-Mexico border. They were observed with ducklings in Wayne County. It was previously confirmed that a pair of these ducks nested in a small pond on a farm in Wayne County in 2022.
And in July, a pink egret was observed, usually inhabiting the Atlantic coast of the USA and the Caribbean. The birds were seen on the shore of Lake Erie in Huron. According to Jamie Emert, the ornology coordinator at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, this was the first documented observation of this bird in the state. Emert said it is very unusual to find this coastal bird so far inland. During its stay in Ohio, the oriole attracted the attention of many bird enthusiasts.
