This rare, stunningly brightly-colored bird is not supposed to be in Maryland, but as the climate warms, a few of these tropical birds are making their way to the mid-Atlantic region.

A male achieved celebrity status by sticking around Great Falls for most of the winter of 2020-2021. Hundreds of photographers and birdwatchers flocked (haha) to the Maryland side of the river to try to catch a glimpse of one of one of the most colorful American birds.

Read more at the Washington Post. 

He wasn't the only one; there were sightings of painted buntings in 8 other Maryland counties in 2021. There were other far-flung tropical visitors such as a roseate spoonbill, Mississippi kites, a tropicbird, anhinga, and wood storks.