Rare Seabird Makes Unprecedented Ohio Appearance

A lesser frigatebird, a species rarely seen in the United States and native to the Pacific and Indian Oceans, was recently sighted in Ohio. The bird was observed on May 23 at Sippo Lake, located between Canton and Massillon in Stark County. It remained in the vicinity for several hours before disappearing the following morning. This marks the first recorded instance of a lesser frigatebird in Ohio. Records indicate this species has only been spotted a handful of times across the U.S., with the last sighting this far east occurring in 1960. Lesser frigatebirds are the smallest of their species, with distinctive markings on adult males and females. They typically inhabit tropical and subtropical waters far from Ohio's location.