Bird native to Russia unexpectedly shows up in Southern California

IMPERIAL BEACH, Calif., July 24 (UPI) -- A species of bird native to the Siberian tundra has made a rare appearance in California, ImperialBeachPatch.com reported.

Bird enthusiasts have been flocking to Imperial Beach in San Diego Country to see a Lesser Sand Plover, the news website said.

It is the first known visit of the plover to the area and only the third time it's been spotted in Southern California.

A native to the Russian tundra that normally spends it summers somewhere between Southeast Asia and Australia, the California sighting is the first in the San Diego area and only the third ever recorded in California, experts said.

The bird, also known as the Mongolian Plover, has been drawing crowds.

"I've seen people looking at this bird that have come from Colorado and New Mexico," said Guy McCaskie, an Imperial Beach resident and member of the California Rare Birds Committee, a group that verifies rare bird sightings.

"People will come from a long distance to see a bird of this quality."