(Iowa DNR Facebook/photo credit: Stephen Dinsmore)
There was a very unusual bird spotted August 5th, in Marion County, one that isn't normally seen in Iowa.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says an adult "bar-tailed godwit" was spotted at the "Pinchey Bottoms" mud-flats.
The DNR says this is a very unusual site, the "godwit" typically breeds in Alaska and over-winters in New Zealand.
It has the longest known non-stop migration of any bird, making the trip in about a week.
DNR experts say they're not sure why this one strayed so far off course.