MADISON, Wis.— A new inhabitant at one of Madison’s best-known parks is attracting hobby birders. 

The black-throated gray warbler usually lives in the Southwest and migrates to Mexico every winter. So why in the world has one been found in Madison’s Olin Park?​

“He's in the totally wrong place,” said birder Neil Gilbert. When asked if the bird is lost, he laughed and said,"Yes."

This warbler is a little guy, and from afar he can look a lot like a chickadee. As Gilbert walked around the park, he kept his head on a swivel, looking for him from the ground to the sky. 

So much of bird watching is actually listening. Gilbert’s ears perked up every time he heard a sound that resembled the warbler’s small chirp. 

Eventually, he found it. And he’s not the only one: Birders in Madison have been posting for weeks about finding the warbler. 

“For birders of Madison, there’s this big text group where if somebody sees something interesting, they’ll drop a pin on the map and say, 'Hey I have this bird here,'” said Gilbert. “A lot of times people will jump in their cars and try to go see it.”

Birding is an activity unencumbered by coronavirus: You can do it outside and alone. Gilbert said as some of the rarer birds pop up in forums lately, he sees the same people there, and they often become friends. 

It’s not just about the birds though, either. 

“It’s a chance to get outside, and it’s my way of meditating pretty much,” Gilbert said. “I go out and watch and listen, and it’s just a break from life.”