03 Jun 2016

Chinese vagrant (Red-billed Starling) invades disputed territory

Today was a landmark day for the birders on 'Russia's Ring of Fire' when we discovered a Red-billed Starling on Atlasova Island.  This attractive bird is usually only found in south and east China, although it occasionally occurs in Korea and southern Japan.  Atlasova, however, is 3,600 kilometres from the edge of the species' normal range and it seems highly likely this is the first record in Far Eastern Russia.

This was the jewel in the crown of an amazing day which included Short-tailed Albatross, Siberian Rubythroat and more than 25 Orca.