{"id":10044,"date":"2026-05-28T13:01:47","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T13:01:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=10044"},"modified":"2026-05-28T13:01:47","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T13:01:47","slug":"could-a-recent-bird-sighted-off-san-clemente-be-a-rare-visitor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=10044","title":{"rendered":"Could a recent bird sighted off San Clemente be a rare visitor?"},"content":{"rendered":"

A recent bird sighting suspected to be a Lesser Frigatebird \u2014 not a species known to live anywhere near the California coast \u2014 is creating a buzz among ornithologists and bird-watching enthusiasts.<\/p>

Read more US military strikes another alleged drug boat in the eastern Pacific, killing 2<\/a><\/p>\n

And if the bird turns out to be what experts believe it to be, the sighting would be a first for Orange County and only the third-ever documented in the state.<\/p>\n

Images of the bird off San Clemente were taken by Jim Serpa, who was out for a morning walk along the beach trail on May 21, when the unlikely sight caught his eye.\n

He fumbled to get his phone out, thinking he had missed the large, exotic bird above. But a minute or two later, it soared by again, and he was able to quickly snap a few images.<\/p>\n

Serpa is a retired State Parks ranger, so he knows what\u2019s common to see around the region, both in the water and in the air. And he knew, he said, this was a unique visitor for the local coastline; the black bird\u2019s wings spanned about 4 feet across and its markings were unlike native bird species.<\/p>\n

Serpa initially thought it was a Magnificent Frigatebird, he said, which he\u2019s seen before off the island of Kauai in Hawaii, but never around Orange County.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have that incredible silhouette, the tail and the v-shape look on their wings,\u201d he said. \u201cIt looks like a stealth bomber or something.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nancy Kenyon, a volunteer with the Sea & Sage Audubon Society, looked at Serpa\u2019s photos, but a few characteristics didn\u2019t quite match the Magnificent Frigatebird. So she sent Serpa\u2019s images over to Ryan Winkleman, Orange County rare bird report compiler.<\/p>

\n<\/div>\n

In the meantime, a few more reports and photos of the unusual bird came in from San Clemente and Dana Point the next day, piquing interest even more.<\/p>

Read more Federal judge refuses to block Trump order to create federal voter list and limit mail voting<\/a><\/p>\n

It was determined that the bird is likely an adult female Lesser Frigatebird, the distinguishing point being a visible presence of a white hindcollar on the bird \u2014 the area wrapping up around the back of its neck \u2014 which would be lacking on a Magnificent Frigatebird, Winkleman noted.<\/p>\n

Lesser Frigatebirds are of \u201csufficient rarity\u201d in California, he noted, and any reports have to be accepted or rejected by the statewide California Bird Records Committee, instead of by local reviewers.<\/p>\n