Rare Brown Booby bird sighting in southern Indiana ruffles feathers at state park

CHICAGO (CBS) — A rare bird sighting is ruffling some feathers in southern Indiana. A Brown Booby bird was spotted at Spring Mill State Park in Mitchell, Indiana. 

This is a particularly rare sighting because the Brown Booby is typically found in tropical locations. 

According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, this is the second time the seabird species was found in the state. 

The first Brown Booby bird was discovered back in 2019 in Zionsville. 

Photographer Donald Estep captured photos of the bird dramatically driving into a lake to catch bluegill with its beak. Fish is a standard part of its diet. 

Brown Booby birds are among the species listed in Indiana. According to the Illinois Ornithological Society, the species was listed on the Illinois state list of birds in 2022. 

State park guests who come to see the bird should give it space to rest and feed so it can stay healthy and eventually return to its home in the ocean.

Brown Boobies are common at sea, including very far from land, over warm waters in the tropics and subtropics, according to the National Audobon Society. It's often found close to shore, especially around islands, sometimes foraging in shallow or muddy waters.

In North America, it is seen most often near the Dry Tortugas, Florida, where it perches in trees or on navigational markers.