Limpkins are large wading birds, related to rails and cranes; they are the only member of their family in the Americas. Scouring freshwater marshes for snails and other mollusks, they are common in tropical and subtropical life zones; in the U.S., they were primarily found in Florida but their range has expanded in recent years.
Yesterday, a limpkin was discovered in the Twin Lakes Recreation Area along the MKT trail, here in Columbia, Missouri; of course, the local birding community has been notified via eBird. Limpkins have become permanent residents along the Gulf and Southeastern Coasts of the U.S. and summer sightings have increased dramatically, as far north as Minnesota and Southern Canada and as far west as the Front Range of Colorado.
Formerly non-migratory, this bird, like many others, seems to be expanding its range northward as our climate warms. One assumes that those observed in the northernmost climes move southward in winter but data is limited at this point; on the other hand, limpkins have been observed in central latitudes of the eastern U.S. in winter. Great blue herons are permanent residents across the Snow Belt, why not limpkins?
