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The normal migration route for small snails runs from northern Russia, through Europe, and then into southern Africa, where they overwinter.
– It is a dizzying sensation that a small snapper weighing only 30 grams, in its solitude, has crossed the entire Atlantic and is now in South Carolina. I was really excited when I saw it. I could barely sleep all Christmas Eve.
– It is a year born in 2020, somewhere by walruses and mountain foxes in the Russian tundra towards the north coast of the Arctic, says Magnus Hellström.
On September 9, the small snapper was caught in a net at Ottenby Bird Station, where it was ringed along with another small snapper.
– So we don’t know much more than now, three months later, he finds himself on a beach in South Carolina, where he really shouldn’t be, says Hellström and thinks he must have kept too western a coastline.
“A little detective work”
The little bustard was discovered by an American bird watcher and on Christmas Eve, Hellström received a link to an American Facebook group where images of the bird were posted and the origin of the ring was discussed.
– I realized it was our bird. Detective work followed before we were completely sure what individual it was, he says.
For a bird from Sweden to end up in North America is highly unusual, and since the beeping started over a hundred years ago it has only happened twice. In Sweden, a total of 15 million birds have been ringed.
– In principle, all migratory bird movements from Europe take place towards Africa or South Asia. This is where we have heavy traffic, just the roads.
Although it has flown a lot badly, it is not unlikely that it will find its way back this spring.
– Waders are partly long-lived and long-distance migrants. “I don’t think it’s at all incredible that this bird is ever finding its way home again,” says Hellström.
