Tropical Bird makes 'rare' appearance in Galveston for first time since 1982 The birds rarely stray from Mexico.
Priscilla Aguirre
May 18, 2023Updated: May 18, 2023 3:43 p.m.
 Outside of its small range in Florida, the Mangrove Cuckoo is widespread from northern Mexico south through the West Indies and Central America to South America.
Great Texas Birding Classic Fort Worth birder Parker Allie created huge excitement in the birding community with his sighting of the first Mangrove Cuckoo in the Galveston area since 1982. Galveston Island posted about the "extremely rare" sighting that occurred over the weekend on Saturday, May 13.
The Mangrove Cuckoo is among the most secretive and poorly known North American birds, according to the American Bird Conservancy. Within the United States, this tropical bird can be found only in dense mangroves along the southern coasts of Florida.
Outside of its small range in Florida, the Mangrove Cuckoo is widespread from northern Mexico south through the West Indies and Central America to South America. The birds rarely stray from Mexico north into Texas and the Gulf Coast.
"This cuckoo went coo-coo making a rare appearance in Texas," Texas Parks and Wildlife posted on Facebook.
The Great Texas Birding Classic, the biggest and longest birdwatching tournament in the United States, posted about the sighting as well. The organization said it was a great way to end the tournament and just in time for World Migratory Bird Day, which was on May 13.
Although there is scant information on Mangrove Cuckoo population trends, the species appears to be declining in the United States, according to the American Bird Conservancy. The conservancy estimates a global breeding population of 200,000. Of these, about 40% are found in Mexico.
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