A Tropical Brown Booby…in Indiana?!

A very rare sighting of a Brown Booby has been reported in Indiana. It was first reported on June 3rd at Spring Mill State Park near Mitchell, Indiana. This is only the second time in state history that a Brown Booby has been seen. The first was in 2019 in Zionsville, and that was a brief sighting by only two birders. This Brown Booby has decided to stay for a while and has been seen by thousands.

I made the 2.5 hour drive from Lexington to Spring Mill State Park late Friday afternoon and camped at their campground. Saturday morning I didn’t know exactly where the bird was so I drove over to the Nature Center at Spring Mill Lake. I walked down to the boat dock and the Brown Booby flew right by me. Well, that was easy! I hurried back to my van, got my Nikon Z8, Nikkor 800mm lens, and tripod with gimbal head. The bird flew around a bend in the lake where there was a floating pier that ends in a concrete platform in the middle of the lake. A half dozen birders and photographers were already on this platform.

The Brown Booby continued to fly, often within a few feet over our heads. It was astonishing to see this rarely seen bird (in this area) nonchalantly cruising around the lake without any fear of the people below.

Brown Booby. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens mounted on a tripod at f/6.3, 1/4000 sec, ISO 1000.

The booby was very graceful in the air, gliding along while looking for fish below. When it did spot a fish, it would quickly turn and dive in a way that was very similar to how a Brown Pelican dives. It would sleek its wings and feet back, zeroing in on the fish like a rocket. It was often successful. Saturday I saw it eat two fish and Sunday morning one more.

Brown Booby. Within a matter of a few seconds, this Brown Booby landed on this Bluegill, tossed it up in the air, then swallowed it whole. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens mounted on a tripod at f/6.3, 1/3200 sec, ISO 1440.

It didn’t get a fish every dive though. When that happened it would stay in the water for about 30 seconds, then lift himself up by ferociously beating his wings, and “run” on the surface of the water until airborne. It was a fantastic sight.

Brown Booby. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens mounted on a tripod at f/6.3, 1/3200 sec, ISO 800.

Brown Booby. Getting a running start while taking off. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens mounted on a tripod at f/6.3, 1/3200 sec, ISO 2500.

The Brown Booby didn’t spend all of its time flying and searching for fish though. In fact, most of the time it stayed perched in a tree along banks of the lake. Three, four hours would slip by and this bird just stayed put. A trail runs along the perimeter of the lake so on one of its long preening/rest breaks I took the 15 minute hike over to the tree. Lighting was bad and branches obscured the view, but I was happy to get this shot.

Brown Booby. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens handheld at f/6.3, 1/1000 sec, ISO 450.

No one knows exactly how this bird found its way to southern Indiana. From its plumage we can tell it is a juvenile. Some have speculated that it hitched a ride on a cargo ship, then flew its way to Indiana via the Mississippi flyway. We’ll never know for sure.

We also don’t know how long it will stay. So far it’s been two weeks. It seems to be eating well and is not facing any competition or threats from eagles, ospreys, or humans. Time will tell how long it will stay.

I was thrilled to see it, and I was happy to see so many birders and non-birders getting to see this bird. Like the Flamingos that were were blown all over the U.S. by Hurricane Idalia last year, seeing rare birds like this can be a great opportunity for increasing awareness and appreciation for such unique creatures. The park put out a few pairs of binoculars for visitors to use and it was great to see kids (of all ages) picking up the binos and getting a good look at the bird. Perhaps seeing this bird will spark a life-long passion for birding for some. That would be nice.

Brown Booby. Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens mounted on a tripod at f/6.3, 1/3200 sec, ISO 2500.