Three lanky, snow-white birds showed up in Unalaska last month for the first time in recorded history — and they were thousands of miles from home.
Great Egrets from Asia have been appearing across the Aleutians, likely swept off course by October's Typhoon Halong. Dozens have appeared in Adak, Nikolski and the Pribilof Islands. But their chances of survival aren't good. These wading birds need shallow marshes with frogs and fish — not exactly what the Aleutians offer in winter when ponds and lakes freeze over.
For this episode of Island Interviews, KUCB's Kanesia McGlashan-Price spoke with Unalaska naturalist and birder Suzi Golodoff, who spotted the three visiting birds. Golodoff explains why this is such a rare event and how a powerful typhoon may have swept these Asian birds across the Pacific.
