Watch CBS News

Pink-Footed Goose Spotted In New Jersey For First Time

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, NJ (AP / WCBS 880) - Bird watchers are all a flutter after a pink-footed goose was spotted in New Jersey.

The bird has been hanging with Canada geese in Bergen County at Schlegel Lake in Washington Township.

WCBS 880's Sean Adams reports from Washington Township

Podcast

The birds breed in Greenland, Iceland and Norway and it's the first time that a pink-footed goose has been spotted in the Garden State.

Serious birders have been getting up early to see the unusual sight.

"This is pretty big. This is pretty big if it truly is a wild bird and not some sort of release and we believe it is, the way it's behaving, it's very shy," binocular-ready Rod McKenzie to WCBS 880 reporter Sean Adams. "I've never seen it [before]. So, this is what they call a life bird. This is a life bird for me."

Bird experts tell The Record newspaper isolated pink-footed goose sightings have been on the rise throughout New England. Some believe that's because their growing population has created more competition for space in their traditional wintering grounds.

(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.