Photographer Unknowingly Captures Ultra-Rare Bird Pics on Oregon Beach

Vancouver, Washington, resident Michael Sanchez inadvertently caused quite a flurry when he photographed a small bird on an Oregon beach last week. Sanchez told KOIN 6 News he initially thought the bird was black, but realized it was actually “blue and chestnut-colored” upon returning home, so he decided to post the pictures on social media to learn what species it was.
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Local birders soon took notice — it turned out that Sanchez had photographed the first known blue rock thrush sighting in U.S. history. “Now that I know just how rare of a sighting this is, I wish I would have captured more pictures of it,” he said. “However, I’m happy with the photos that I was able to get, and I hope this brings new interest in the fascinating world of birdwatching.”
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The blue rock thrush is native to Europe and Asia and had only been spotted in North America once before, in Canada in 1997, but that sighting was later written off. Sanchez’s encounter still has to pass through the Oregon Bird Records Committee or the American Birding Association Records Committee to be deemed official, but Oregon Birding Association member Nolan Clements said he’s confident it will be.
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​See the photos.