No, Kansans, you can’t count the Grey-necked Wood-rail Aramides cajanea that may very well be wandering around Topeka. An individual of the species, which is native to South and Central America, is missing from the Topeka Zoo. His name is Ty so if you see an odd rail try addressing him and see if you get a response. If it responds to “Ty” then it is from the zoo but if not I say it is a wild bird and you can count it.
Corey is a New Yorker who lived most of his life in upstate New York but has lived in Queens since 2008. He's only been birding since 2005 but has garnered a respectable life list by birding whenever he wasn't working as a union representative or spending time with his family. He lives in Forest Hills with Daisy, their son, Desmond Shearwater, and their indoor cat, B.B. His bird photographs have appeared on the Today Show, in Birding, Living Bird Magazine, Bird Watcher's Digest, and many other fine publications. He is also the author of the American Birding Association Field Guide to the Birds of New York.
Nonsense. Count it anyway.
I like the title of this post…it infers Kansas never has rare birds. (nerd humor, I know). I hope they find Ty!