Tropical bird spotted at Trial Island, far from its range in northern Mexico

A tropical bird was spotted this week south of Victoria, thousands of kilometres from its typical range between northern Mexico and Peru.

The juvenile “magnificent frigatebird” was photographed by Trial Island lighthouse keeper John Gillivet on the evening of May 31. It hasn’t been seen since, according to watchers.

Jacques Sirois, chair of the Friends of the Victoria Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary, said it appears to be the first confirmed sighting of the magnificent frigatebird in the capital region.

“This bird is more at home in the Sea of Cortes than in the Salish Sea,” Sirois said.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology calls the magnificent frigatebird a master aerialist that effortlessly floats, using its deeply forked tail to steer.

Mature males are known for striking red pouches on