‘Incredibly unusual’ bird migrating from Siberia found in Cumbria – killed by cat

Siberian rubythroat was thousands of miles off course from its route to winter in south or south-east Asia

A bird that flies south from its breeding grounds in Siberia to winter in south and south-east Asia has been found thousands of miles off course in Cumbria. Regrettably, it was found by a cat.

Chris Hind, Cumbria’s county recorder for birds, said it was “extraordinary” that a Siberian rubythroat was found on his patch, albeit dead. There have been only 17 recorded instances of the bird in the UK, 15 of those in the northern Scottish isles.