‘Virginia Jesus’ Bird Sighting In Park

The Richmond Audubon Society released a press release today that confirmed a sighting of a rare ‘Virginia Jesus’ bird on Oregon Hill’s riverside park this past Monday night. “One of our members was walking down to the river just before dawn and was pleasantly surprised to see the bird sitting on a park bench”, said […]

April 1, 2011; 5:30 AM • by Oregon Hill

The Richmond Audubon Society released a press release today that confirmed a sighting of a rare ‘Virginia Jesus’ bird on Oregon Hill’s riverside park this past Monday night.

“One of our members was walking down to the river just before dawn and was pleasantly surprised to see the bird sitting on a park bench”, said the group’s President. “We immediately contacted James River Park City manager Ralph White about the sighting.”

Ralph White, who has been ecstatic about the great blue heron rookery on the Pipeline portion of the James this year, was also happy to give more details about this new avian serendipity.

“The ‘Virginia Jesus’ is a species unique to Central Virginia, although it has ‘cousins’ all over the world”, he explained. He went on to say the ‘Virginia Jesus’ bird sighting was another great sign of the James River’s natural recovery after years of pollution and neglect. Most people think of the Australian Jesus Bird, which is famous for it’s ability to walk on water.

But the Virginia Jesus bird is known for its more sedentary behavior. You can most easily identify it when it is sitting on a brisk Spring night, much like we had this past Monday. It has this extraordinary call that goes like this-

“Je-je-jesus it’s cold!”