INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – The sighting of a rare Cocos Booby (a species of seabird split from the Brown Booby in late 2024) in South Lake Tahoe in August stoked tremendous excitement among nature and birding enthusiasts from across the U.S., and despite the unfortunate demise of the bird, its widespread documentation and discussion highlights the importance of citizen science, the Tahoe Institute of Natural Science (TINS) said.

The Cocos Booby was first spotted fishing in the Tahoe Keys area on August 1st, and a photo of the bird was posted to the 3,200-member Tahoe Birding Facebook page, with a caption asking “Saw him flying at Keys Beach today, any idea what kind he is?” The page is administered by TINS, and Sarah Hockensmith, TINS Outreach Director, immediately recognized the photo as a

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