Sylvia O'Reilly had first noticed the different bird in their yard and called her husband to look at it. He said he had thought it a funny-looking thrush. Consulting her field guide, Sylvia decided it was an Aztec thrush. They were right. The bird was a beautiful Aztec thrush with conspicuous white patches on wings and upper tail coverts. That's when they called Sandifer.
The Aztec thrush, a Mexican species, is a rare visitor to southeastern Arizona. There have been reports of single sightings in Aransas, Nueces, and Val Verde counties over about 10 years and the bird was recently added to the Texas list. No wonder birders were agog when one appeared on Padre Island.
The O'Reillys are home birders who keep a casual list of what they see. They have made birds welcome in their yard with seed feeders, humming bird feeders and a large bird bath. Each year their yard draws buntings, orioles, tanagers and warblers. Asked if they would mind sharing the find with other birders, they agreed, not realizing what they were letting themselves in for.
Not being group birders, they had not realized how avidly rare birds can be pursued by birders near and far. Their unusual bird created a instant sensation. That night they were getting calls from Houston and Dallas. Being private people, they were not pleased but were good sports about the situation.
The bird was not a mature male, which is described as being sooty in color. There has been discussion as to whether it was a female or an immature male, both of which are browner. There are drawings of males and females in Mexican field guides. "The National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America" also shows an immature bird.
The "Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America," by Steve N.G. Howell and Sophie Webb, published in 1995, describes the Aztec thrush as a Mexican endemic found in the highlands north of Isthmus. It says the preferred habitat of the bird is pine and evergreen forests where it feeds mainly on bushes, trees or on the ground. It sits still for long periods and is easily overlooked, the guide says. This describes the behavior of the bird at Padre Isles. Its seeming lethargy caused some speculation about its health.
By now, the traveler probably is gone. It created quite a stir, but I imagine the lucky hosts will be glad to settle down with guests that attract less attention.
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