Rare bird sighted in Sandusky

SANDUSKY — A rare Kirtland's warbler (Setophaga kirtlandii) was found by Martyn and Morgan Drabik-Hamshare on Sept. 18 in the Erie Boulevard neighborhood of Sandusky. Often considered "the rarest warbler in North America," this species was only removed from the Endangered Species List in 2019. The Kirtland's warbler breeds exclusively in jackpine (Pinus banksiana) forests in northern Michigan and will migrate to Central America and South America for the winter. The 2025 Kirtland's warbler census estimated only 1,477 pairs in the global population. During spring migration, a Kirtland's warbler is considered a rare bird to spot. This species is usually only observed during a narrow one-week window in May. Erie, Ottawa and Lucas counties are the prime Ohio counties during their spring migration. Spotting a Kirtland's warbler in the fall is even rarer. According to observations submitted on eBird, an online citizen science tool, only 11 previous observations were submitted between 1925 and 2025 in Ohio between August and November. "I just knew it was Kirtland's with every fiber of my being," said Morgan who identified the bird after her husband, Martyn, spotted the bird. The local couple entered the driveway of Morgan's parents' house when Martyn saw the bird foraging on the front porch. The bird was "hawking," or jumping up to catch insects in flight, and then landed back down in the same area. Between foraging, it was bobbing its tail up and down, which is an identifiable characteristic of Kirtland's warblers. "It was large for a warbler," Morgan said. "Judging the size of an individual bird only comes from viewing hundreds, if not thousands, of birds." The couple spotted and identified the bird without binoculars or high-power cameras. They did manage to snap a few cellphone photos. The observation has been accepted by eBird and iNaturalist, another online citizen science platform. The bird has not been respotted and likely migrated the night of Sept. 18. Both Martyn and Morgan remain in awe of such a rare sighting and are looking forward to finding more rare birds "This comes at an opportune time as we launch our bird watching tour company, M & M Birding", Morgan said. The couple plans to offer bird watching tours to individuals and groups year-round in the Northern Ohio region.