A tropical seabird was spotted diving into the lake at Spring Mill State Park to catch fish by interpretive naturalist Wade LaHue on Monday.
Yesterday, assistant state ornithologist Amy Kearns confirmed it as a juvenile Sula leucogaster, a species commonly known as a brown booby. She said that because he is a juvenile, he has different colorations than an adult bird.
“This species is not normally found in the United States, let alone Indiana,” Kearns said, noting that the bird had wandered naturally out of its normal range.
This is only the second time the species has ever been seen in the state. The first on record was on a private lake in Zionsville in May 2019. That bird stayed for less than a day.
The bird has remained near the Lakeview Activity Center at the park, fishing and resting on fallen trees and the newly built floating dock.
Park staff ask that guests who come to see this special bird give it plenty of space to rest and feed, so it can stay healthy and eventually find its way back to its home in the ocean.
“It could leave at any time,” Kearns said.
Spring Mill State Park (on.IN.gov/springmillsp) is at 3333 State Road 60 East, Mitchell, 47446.
The gate fee at the park is $7 per vehicle for in-state residents and $9 per vehicle for out-of-state residents.
To view all DNR news releases, please see dnr.IN.gov.
