‘Once-in-a-generation moment:’ Rare bird flittering around Vancouver park draws crowd

VANCOUVER – Dozens of birders flocked to Vancouver’s Sunset Beach Park on Sunday to catch a rare glimpse of a bird that avian enthusiasts say has never been recorded in Canada before.

Some came all the way from Seattle, laden with heavy camera gear and binoculars, to closely observe the little brown taiga flycatcher flittering around the park.

Compared to blue jays, known for their sharp blue colour, taiga flycatchers are ordinary at first glance.

Birder Ethan Moon, who was the first to spot it Christmas Day, said they are a rare sight in Canada, as they usually breed in Eastern Russia and Mongolia and are known to migrate to northeast India, Thailand and China.

Moon said it’s “a once-in-a-generation moment” to see the “little guy” after its unexpected journey to Canada.

Moon said he stumbled upon a little brown bird flitting near the bases of some trees Christmas Day while he was out for a walk. He took a photograph to share with his friends and help identify it.

“And then they’re like, ‘Oh, that looks like a taiga flycatcher. That’s like the first ever in Canada,'” said Moon, while standing next to more than 40 avian enthusiasts at the Vancouver park.

“So, yeah, (I) got really excited, tried to send it out to as many people as I could and obviously the word got out.”

It remains a mystery how this taiga flycatcher ended up in B.C.

Moon said sometimes younger birds get turned around, leading them to head the wrong way. Other times, they get blown across the ocean or hitch a ride on a boat. 

Moon said this taiga flycatcher, which is supposed to be in Asia now, is “really far from home.”

Melissa Hafting, who runs B.C. Rare Bird Alert, said she saw Moon’s photos Christmas Day and immediately recognized the bird. She went to the park the next day to observe the bird herself.

“He got really good pictures that show the upper tail coverts, which are dark, (and) the dark mandible,” she said.

She said the bird looks like a young female.

Seeing the taiga flycatcher in Vancouver was amazing, said Hafting, noting it’s the first time it has apparently appeared in Canada and only the second record for mainland North America.

She said the “mega rare” bird has drawn a lot of so-called “twitchers” — a term referring to people willing to travel long distances to see rare birds.

“They drove through the night, through very dangerous roads,” Hafting said.  “If you are a birder, you’ll come and see this bird.”

And more are coming.

Hafting said she has seen hundreds of posts from people saying they’re on their way from Oregon, California, Ontario and Alberta to catch a glimpse.

Among the so-called twitchers at the Vancouver park Sunday was Jennifer Standish from Seattle.

“It’s so unusual to see it here in the mainland of North America,” said Standish. 

Another birder, Emma Sutherland, said watching the bird forage and bounce around was thrilling and memorable for her and her husband.

“I’m happy for us, but I’m sad for the bird because it’s lost its way,” said Sutherland.

She said taiga flycatchers eat a variety of bugs, so she’s guessing the bird has been hanging out at the park, near the Vancouver Aquatic Centre, because the warm air coming from the centre has drawn flies to the area.

Sutherland’s husband Jim said the little one has been quite active. 

“It’s pretty good about doing its own business and not worrying about us,” he said.

Hafting said that, unfortunately, when young birds go the wrong direction, they usually don’t get back home. 

“But we can hope that she will,” said Hafting. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 28, 2025.