Saturday, November 22, 2008

Sungrebe makes its U.S. debut

Gerald Garner Jr. El Defensor Chieftain Editor

Of the thousands of visitors who made the annual trek to this year's of the Cranes, it's one of the littlest ones that has ruffled the most feathers.

A Sungrebe touched down at the Bosque del Apache five days prior to the festival's opening day. The little bird's arrival has the state's birdwatching community aflutter as it represents the first sighting of the species in the United States.

"It's a remarkable find," said Socorro retiree and birdwatcher Jerry Oldenettel. "It's the first time a Sungrebe has been positively identified in the U.S., and to have it found here at the Bosque is really quite special."

When he speaks of the remarkable nature of the find, Oldenettel knows what he's talking about.

Three times since 1995, Oldenettel has broken the New Mexico record for number of bird species sighted in a single year. In 1995, he documented 394 species. In 1998, Oldenettel counted 407 species and, last year, he documented 428.

It's no surprise that after Sally King discovered the bird — which looked somewhat like a duck out of its traditionally inhabited water — Oldenettel and his knowledge were called into play.

King — a Northern New Mexico photographer — spotted the bird while photographing along the Marsh Loop on Nov. 13. Knowing she'd found something unique, she headed to the Bosque del Apache Visitors Center and attempted to — with the help of volunteers - identify her find.

The Sungrebe was originally misidentified as a Red-necked grebe. But within a few days, one of King's co-workers had correctly identified as a Sungrebe.

That friend started making the requisite inquiries to birdwatchers throughout the state. One of his first calls was to Oldenettel.

"I got a call that woke me up and immediately went to my computer to see what the buzz was about," Oldenettel said. "I examined the picture and agreed that it had to be a Sungrebe."

The following morning, Oldenettel and a half dozen birdwatchers met at the refuge and began scouring the Boardwalk area to see if they could catch a glimpse of King's find. Oldenettel was the first to locate it, which caused the others birdwatchers to take flight and flock to Audio Stop 8, where the grebe was feeding.

Oldenettel said a yeoman's effort was undertaken to determine if the bird had escaped from a zoo or somehow got loose from a cage.

"Since the Sungrebe has never been seen before in the U.S., we wanted to make sure that we weren't looking at a bird that had escaped or was released from a captive environment," Oldenettel explained. "After contacting most of the zoos in the country, we've now determined that there's a very good chance the bird got here on its own."

Oldenettel said that the Sungrebe is closely related to a rail — some of which are known to travel hundreds of miles at a time.

To ensure that their assessments are accurate, Oldenettel said the New Mexico Bird Records Commission — a group associated with the New Mexico Ornithological Society — is collecting data to determine exactly how the grebe arrived at Bosque del Apache.

Could the timing of the bird's arrival have been planned any better?

"It's great that the Sungrebe arrived just before the Festival of the Cranes, but it's just fortuitous," Oldenettel said. "The timing, however, has really got everybody excited. It's a nice coincidence."

Birdwatchers, photographers and visitors are encouraged to share their bird sightings with Bosque del Apache staff. If the staff is unable to help, Oldenettel said they will point people in the right direction.

The 21st Annual Bosque del Apache Festival of the Cranes continues through Sunday, Nov. 23.

ggarner@dchieftain.com

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