Bird-watching can be a lot of fun, especially if you’re looking to spot rare or infrequent birds in your area. You don’t have to be an expert to partake, either. While there are loads of books on the subject, there’s a neat app called Merlin Bird ID that will use your phone’s mic to detect bird calls and identify what they are. It’s free to download and install, which is awesome. If you’re sitting outside, you can load the app and set your phone down and just see what birds you encounter. But as fun as that is, you may never encounter a bird as rare as the one spotted in Texas. You could argue it’s a rare bird sighting for the ages. Luckily, it doesn’t have anything to do with the world’s most aggressive bird or this rare poisonous bird.
Reported in September 2025 in Wilson County, Texas, the double-striped thick-knee is a super rare and odd-looking bird — with somewhat of an irritated demeanor — that hasn’t been seen in the state since 1961. If you’re doing the math, that’s 64 years, which is a long time for a bird to be away from a particular area. There could be an entire generation that never saw this bird, maybe more. It also explains why birders are calling it “one of the rarest sightings in state history”. The double-striped thick-knee was spotted and photographed by a local birdwatcher and her grandchildren.
What is the double-striped thick-knee?
Described as a “medium-to-large wader” by bird experts, the double-striped thick-knee (Hesperoburhinus bistriatus) usually has a black and yellow bill, large bright yellow eyes, and a unique plumage that some have described as reptilian in appearance. Common to areas like Central and South America, the species prefers arid grasslands, savannas, and similarly dry environments. They’re also generally nocturnal, which means it’s even more rare to see them during the day, like those lucky Texans in Wilson County did. If they are out during the day, they’re known to sit or hide quietly — unusual behavior for a bird — in the shade or thick bushes.
In fact, as the birders have described the encounter, the thick-knee stayed around all day long and only flew off later in the evening. It was also able to vocalize so they heard its unique calls, which is of particular interest as some birds are forgetting their songs. A sighting more than 60 years ago in King Ranch, Texas, was the last reported in-state encounter with the double-striped thick-knee. One can only hope the reptilian-looking avian will return sooner next time, so more can bask in its feathery glory. Fortunately, it sounds like from the recent encounter that many were able to enjoy the sighting beyond the original spotter.
