Lily Morello
Limpkin. Photograph by the author.
In the last several years, Limpkin (Aramus guarauna) records have dramatically increased throughout the eastern United States. A major pulse of more northerly records in the summer of 2022 was perhaps the first obvious push, and birders affectionately titled the phenomenon “hot Limpkin summer.” Despite the name, extralimital Limpkin records continued into the fall and winter, and an even larger push occurred in summer of 2023. Many have suggested that this expansion of Limpkins is due to an increase in invasive apple snails, a food source, throughout their range. Mutchler, Nemecek, and Robbins (2025) suggest that drought conditions in their breeding range may have had an effect on extralimital Limpkin records. Several environmental factors are likely at play.
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