Rare bird of prey never before seen in the US is spotted in Texas, photos show

A “beautiful” bird of prey never previously documented in the United States has been spotted in Texas, drawing crowds to a wildlife preserve in the state’s southern tip to see it with their own eyes.

The eye-catching bat falcon is likely an entirely unfamiliar sight to anyone outside of its home range of Central America and Mexico, but photos shared by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service show the black, white and copper bird perched on a tree at the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, near McAllen.

“Everyone that can catch a glimpse is looking at this bat falcon right now,” USFWS said in a Facebook post. “This is the first recorded time that a bat falcon has ever been seen in the U.S.!”

“Texas beauty, for sure!” one person commented on the post.

“Gosh, he’s sleek,” wrote another.

The dark feathers at the top of the bat falcon’s head are reminiscent of a mask. That, in combination with its name, had some suggesting the bird could have come to Texas not only to eat dragonflies, but also perhaps to fight crime.

“Bat falcon sounds like a lesser known super hero,” a comment read. “What a cool looking bird.”

But a desire for vigilante justice probably isn’t why this bat falcon came farther north than it ever has — and this lone falcon might be the first of many.

“Their range definitely seems to be expanding but we don’t know why,” USFWS said.

Bat falcon populations have been growing further south, and that may be part of the cause, officials with the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge said.

“Slowly the Bat Falcons have been increasing in population and moving up north.”

The bird’s coloration leads experts to believe it isn’t an adult bat falcon.

“The Bat Falcon at the refuge is thought to be a ‘juvenile for its buff-[cinnamon] throat and [chest] bars, judging by the thickness of the tarsus and beak it seem like a male,’” according to the refuge.

As word has grown of the bird, so have the crowds coming to see it, according to Border Report. As of early February, over 4,000 people had made their way to the refuge, USFWS deputy refuge manager Joe Barnett told the outlet.

“Somebody even came from Europe, so it’s drawing a lot of attention,” he said. “People coming just to see this bird.”

The Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge is about 355 miles southwest of Houston.

This story was originally published February 16, 2022 at 11:01 AM with the headline "Rare bird of prey never before seen in the US is spotted in Texas, photos show."