Believe it or not, there are people who go still outside to enjoy nature instead of staying home watching TikTok or Instagram. One of these people had the rare chance to see the double-striped thick-knee (although its Latin name is Burhinus bistriatus).
Native to Central and South America, it was spotted in Nixon, Wilson County, Texas, on September 14, 2025. Although it may seem silly, it was only the second time this cute little bird had been seen in the county. The last time its presence had been recorded was in 1961. Needless to say, amateur ornithologist communities are thrilled.
Spotting the double-striped thick-knee
It is not very difficult to spot this curious little bird: it has long legs, large eyes adapted to nocturnal activity, and brown plumage with double stripes on its face (hence its name). Its natural habitat is the dry grasslands and open fields of Mexico and the rest of Central America. In general, it is able to blend in with tall dry grasses very effectively.
The strangest thing is that they managed to spot it in the middle of the day, since this bird is active at night, which makes it much more difficult to spot.
How did they find him? Well, a family found a strange bird on their property. For people who live in cities, seeing a bird and not knowing its species is very common. However, people who grow up in rural communities end up knowing the local flora and fauna very well. It would be like seeing a car brand you’ve never seen before driving down the middle of your street. You’d be surprised, right?
Thanks to new technologies, since everyone has a fairly good quality camera on their cell phone, they managed to take pictures of the little animal. But how did it get here? The main hypothesis is that it simply wanted to come down a little and see the world. Ornithologists say it is normal for them to deviate from their usual routes. Sometimes the cause is a storm that has diverted them, or they have simply made an internal navigation error. Even though birds have an internal GPS, there will always be some that are quite clueless.
Bird experts say that storms in the Gulf may have caused the little bird to stray further north than usual.
What they are sure of is that this is not the first time it has escaped captivity, as there are no local records of anyone keeping them as pets.
A historic sighting
Texas has the perfect balance to welcome many species of animals: you can see animals from both North America and some from Central America. This particular bird had not been seen in the Big State for 64 years (since 1961). The American Birding Association (ABA) echoed the news and listed the sighting as one of the “top rarities” in its national newsletter.
If you want to easily recognize the double-striped thick-knee, remember these characteristics: it has very long yellow legs and disproportionately large eyes (like those of a cartoon character), which are also yellow. The little animal walks with a long-legged posture, but has a thick beak. Its plumage is very beautiful and striped with a double stripe on its face. It also prefers open areas or dry fields.
Birdwatching, that trendy hobby
Stories like this make you want to leant more about the bird dances that take place right near your home. Here are some tips to get you started in the world of birdwatching:
- The best thing to do is to start observing from your window; begin taking note of the birds that visit your backyard, your terrace, or simply the nearest park.
- The most common species of birds are sparrows, doves, pigeons, magpies, and robins, which are a good place to start.
It would be good to start by learning to distinguish the way each bird walks. Observe them carefully: How big are they? What shape are their wings? Can you tell the females from the males? If you come across this rare little bird, you will surely learn to appreciate the other birds that live around you.