Rare Bird Species Spotted in Harju County
On September 6, ornithologists spotted a sandhill crane (Grus canadensis) for the first time on the Estonian territory. Previously, this species has been sighted only a few times in the whole Europe.
The Estonian ornithologists were tipped off by their Finnish colleagues who had spotted the bird the day before in the Espoo area, head of the Ornithological Rarities Committee Margus Ots told Postimees.
Based on the Finnish ornithologists' estimation, the sandhill crane was headed towards the Tallinn-Paldiski area with a flock of common cranes. So, bright and early on Tuesday morning, the Estonian bird enthusiasts were on the lookout in Harju County, hoping to catch sight of the rare bird, and approximately at 17:00, their hope paid off.
In the past, European ornithologists have spotted the sandhill crane only in the British Isles, the Netherlands, and France.
Sigrid Maasen