Lone Cape May Warbler
It should be in Barbados
Not Colorado

A couple of days ago, there was a report of a Cape May Warbler in Cortez, Colorado. This is a mega rare bird for our area and especially in the winter season. These birds usually migrate along the East coast down to the Caribbean and the southeastern shore of Mexico.

What in the world is it doing way out here where temperatures go into the 20’s each night?  Somehow it is surviving.  There is some sap oozing out of a pine tree and the bird is attracted to the sap for food or the bugs that are attracted to the sap.  The bird seems very healthy at this time, but winter is only going to get colder and this bird is basically an insect eater.

With the help of the birders that found this rarity, a number of birders from Durango traveled to Cortez and we all got to see – and photograph – this beautiful bird that is very rare for our area.
 A range map is attached to give you an idea of the bird’s normal range.