Rare Robin!

 

This amazing little bird somehow crossed the Atlantic Ocean and came to Montreal.  It is a European Robin (also know as the English Robin) and it was first sighted on January 7, 2026.  This is the first documented sighting of this species in Canada!  

I found out about this bird from Cornell University's daily emails of rare bird sightings in Quebec.  This sighting has drawn international attention and bird watchers from the United States and other provinces in Canada have come to catch sight of him.

Last Monday I visited the location where the Robin has been frequenting (in the yard of a house on a residential street).  It was my second attempt at catching a glimpse of this rare and beautiful little bird.  My patience paid off and I was standing at the right place at the right time to capture this photo.

The English Robin is iconic in Great Britain as a friendly, attractive bird and I always wished I could see one.  Not planning to travel overseas though, I gave up on that idea.  Imagine my thrill to have this bird arrive not just in Canada, not just in Quebec, but in Montreal where a bus and metro ride took me right to him!

You can see a couple of news articles here and here.