BY KAREN BOSSICK

Local birders are a-flutter over a vermilion flycatcher being confirmed in Kimberly. Though fairly common in parts of the southwestern United States, Central and South America, it’s rare to see them in the north.

“This is a big deal in the birding world,” said local birder Kristin Fletcher.

The only other known sighting in Idaho was one in Nampa in November 2019.

Carl Lundblad says in the Birding Lists Digest that there has been a significant influx of vermilion flycatchers to higher-than usual latitudes this fall, including western Pennsylvania, Ontario, Ohio and Quebec; northern Wisconsin in the Midwest; the north coast of California in the West, and Loveland, Colo., and Provo, Utah, in the interior West.

“The overall pattern may well reflect climate change,” said Lundblad.

The flycatcher was spotted at a private residence 3663 N. 3450 E. in Kimberly earlier this week and hung around into the weekend.

The vermilion flycatcher is a medium-sized flycatcher with a short tail. This one is brilliant red and black, meaning it’s likely an adult male. They somewhat resemble male scarlet tanagers, but the vermilion flycatchers are smaller than the scarlet tanagers, which have thicker bills.

Females vermilion flycatchers are brownish with a white breast and reddish belly. Immature females have a peachy belly, while immature males are brownish with just a splotch of red on their head and the bottom of their belly.

They’re called the good luck bird—according to Oaxacan lore, it’s a good omen if you spot one facing you. However, if it’s back is turned, showing its dark wing feathers, bad luck could be in store. The Chinese believe they’re a mythological bird that guard the southern sky.

They’re found in open habitats, including scrub, deserts and weedy fields where they can sit on low perches while scanning the air and ground for insects.

Other birds rare to Idaho that have been spotted this past week include a snow goose, Ross’s Goose and cackling goose found in New Meadows; a Eurasian wigeon spotted in Julius M. Kleiner Memorial Park near The Village shopping center in Meridian, and an Anna’s hummingbird and greater yellowlegs  spotted in the New Plymouth sewage lagoons.