A RARE visitor from the United States of America who died in a garden last month at Mary Tavy is causing huge interest in the birdwatching world.

One early morning last month Gillian and Ian Lamb, of Horndon, saw what they initially thought was a piece of black plastic in a tree in their garden. In fact, it turned out to be an unusual, colourful dead bird.

Recognising the unusual nature of the bird Ian Lamb contacted the RSPB who asked him to ring Julia Harris, the assistant recorder for Devon Birdwatching and Preservation Society.

The Lambs' description alerted Julia to the rarity of the bird. She took and circulated several photographs to various Devon bird experts and its identity was confirmed as an American Purple Gallinule. Photographs and details have now been posted on devonbirdnews.blogspot.com

Local ringer Tony John weighed and measured the bird. By next morning it was creating huge interest across UK birding networks as it is only the third such bird ever to be recorded here. It was just a pity the bird was dead!

Julia said: 'It is believed that the young Gallinule ventured across the Atlantic in the late autumn and was successfully finding food in Devon until it was weakened by the prolonged cold spells and finally succumbed. There were no signs of injury and the bird's weight was extremely low for the species, suggesting starvation.'

American Purple Gallinule has only been recorded twice before in the UK. One was picked up exhausted — and soon died— on the Isle of Scilly on November 7, 1958, and one was found dead in Bedfordshire in April or May 2008.

The Devon bird has been sent to join the other two specimens at the Natural History Museum at Tring in Hertfordshire.