Rare Migratory Bird Lands in Kenya After Flying 6,948 Kilometers from Finland

A rare migratory bird landed in Kenya after covering a distance of 6,948 kilometers (4,317 miles) from Northern Europe.

The bird, known as Osprey, landed in West Imbo in Bondo, Siaya County on January 20th, 2020, and was spotted by Walter Oloo, who reported to the Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) team in Siaya, Citizen Digital reports.

The bird was caught in a fishing net and appeared to have struggled to release itself. It also has bruises on the legs but appears healthy despite losing some weight and being dehydrated. 

It was delivered to the KWS Veterinary Department on Thursday and will be stabilized by administering IV fluids, provided with a proper diet then monitored for a few days before being released back to the wild.

The bird’s origin was established from a refereeing ring on its leg that indicates it was ringed in Finland (Museum Zool, Helsinki Finland, M-68528).

Dr. David Ndeereh, Head of Veterinary Services at KWS said they will share the information with the East Africa Bird Ringing Association to obtain further details on the bird.