‘Rare’ North American bird found on Brazil island in first-of-its-kind sighting
On a small island off the coast of Brazil, a rare bird native to North America settled in, trading the Northern Hemisphere’s harsh winter for the Southern Hemisphere’s summer.
Catharus fuscescens, also known as a veery, is a species of thrush known to migrate south during the winter, spending September to April in countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Peru and the Guianas, according to a study published Sept. 22 in the journal Check List.
While Catharus fuscescens has been reported in the Brazilian states of São Paulo and Minas Gerais, it has never been recorded in Rio de Janeiro, researchers said.
Even possible citizen science observations of the species are lacking, according to the study.
As a result, the veery “is considered rare in the region,” researchers said. One factor contributing to its elusiveness and therefore lack of observations is that it doesn’t sing outside its North American breeding sites, researches said.
While surveying bird species on Marambaia Island in the state of Rio de Janeiro, researchers trapped a single veery in a mist net. The bird was documented and banded for easier identification in the future, according to researchers.
They confirmed its identity by its “discreet” physical characteristics, including “rufous-brown” feathers, a white belly and throat, a “yellowish” breast with brownish spots, a “brownish” head and faint, pale eye-rings, according to the study.
Researchers said despite having a conservation status of least concern, there is evidence that its populations are decreasing.
Intensifying deforestation in the Amazon, Cerrado and Atlantic Forest in Brazil — all unique and critically important biospheres — threaten migratory species like the veery, researchers said, highlighting the need for conservation measures.
The research team included Carlos Nei Ortúzar-Ferreira, Gustavo Azevedo Quintanilha, Leandro Dorna-Santos, Mariana de Souza Oliveira and Bruno Pereira Berto.
This story was originally published September 25, 2025 at 8:46 AM with the headline "‘Rare’ North American bird found on Brazil island in first-of-its-kind sighting."
