New species discovered at Joshua Tree National Park
Officials have been able to confirm a new species found at Joshua Tree National Park.
On Wednesday, officials announced that a park wildlife camera captured a photo of a zone-tailed hawk. It's the first confirmed sighting of the bird in Joshua Tree.
Zone-tailed hawks are typically seen from South America through Central America and into Southwestern US. While the bird typically heads south during the winter, few stay in south Texas and Arizona, according to HawkWatch International, a conservation organization.
Park officials added that the hawks have been expanding northward for the last few decades
There are more than 250 different species of birds that have been recorded in Joshua Tree National Park. The vast majority of the park's recorded bird species are migrants and vagrants.
