Sungrebe - Bosque del Apache NWR, New Mexico

Sungrebe Heliornis fulica is a tropical species in the pantropical Finfoot or Heliornithidae Family of which there are only three family representatives, each one in its own genus, all with lobed toes similar to the structures found in coots. Before proceeding, a female Sungrebe was dicovered on 13 November by Sally King, but the species remained unnamed until 17 November. A link to two photos of the bird can be seen here. http://www.azfo.org/gallery/Sungrebe.html There is no doubt as to the indentification of the bird, but much doubt remains to its provenance. Already, many people have chimed in on whether or not the bird is wild. From Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 3. and Howell and Web, A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America, the following is information known about Sungrebes, which HBW says is very little. Sungrebe is a poorly known species of forest rivers and streams, usually seen in quiet backwaters. It is thought to feed primarily on aquatic insects taken from the surface. Sungrebe has also been described as foraging on land. Sungrebes have a large range, from Bolivia and northeast Argentina, through northern South America, Central America, into Mexico, where resticted to the Atlantic slope. The farthest north Sungrebe is known to occur is from near Gomas Farias, Tamaulipas, Mexico. All three finfoot species are resident with no current evidence of a regular migration. From HBW, "... however a fair amount of traveling obviously does take place, with all species widely distributed and occurring on a variety of changing water bodies. Colonization of new areas of aquatic habitat, e.g. newly created lakes, takes palce reasonably soon, which implies that there are birds which are moving about in search of habitat in which to settle." Although much of the literature says that Sungrebes rarely fly, there are multiple records of Sungrebes turning up in Trinidad, about seven miles from continental South America. This is a very interesting species, regardless of its origin.

Comments

[Big Phil]

Trinidad is only 7 miles away from 'continental South America' at its closest! I can't consider this 'a long flight'!