Extremely rare Red-footed Booby spotted near Lake Martin thrills Alabama birders
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Earlier this month, The Bama Buzz reported on the sighting of the Red-footed Booby, a tropical seabird rarely seen in the continental United States, let alone Alabama.
Jimmy Lanier, the 87-year-old founder of the Cherokee Ridge Alpine Trail Association discovered the bird perched high up on the historic firetower near the trailhead of Overlook Drive in Dadeville.
This weekend, WSFA 12 News interviewed Lanier about the discovery and revealed photos of the magnificent world-traveling bird that has made a stop over in Alabama.
According to Cornell’s All About Birds website, the Red-footed Booby is described as “a graceful, slim-winged seabird named for its vivid coral-red feet which males show off during courtship.”
The best place to spot the species is in Hawaii, nowhere near Lake Martin.
How amazingly rare is it to see Red-footed Booby? Scot Duncan, Executive Director at Alabama Audubon summed it up best:
“I had to slap myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.”
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