16 Jan 2012

Ringed bird in Marshalls baffles experts

12:43 pm on 16 January 2012

The arrival of a bird in the Marshall Islands carrying several identification rings, including one with the words 'British Museum of London', has sparked international interest.

The tag on the bird - a Pacific Golden Plover - links it to a bird research program in England and Ireland, where volunteers put rings on over 900,000 birds each year, to learn about bird populations, migrations and life spans.

The bird was discovered by a Majuro resident, Derek Horiuchi, who caught it with a net near his home.

A second ring on the bird suggests it might have been put on in Hong Kong amid speculation it may have ben added by a researcher in Alaska or Siberia.

Efforts to determine the bird's origin are continuing.