"This is the first time a bird marked in China has been found in Sweden," Thord Fransson at the museum's bird ringing center told AFP.

"This is a very unique find, since this species is not considered a migratory bird. It only moves in search of food. Now we know that it can fly over the entire Palearctic," he added.

The bird, a small finch with a red crown and black chin weighing about 10.5 grams (0.37 ounces), was found on December 29 west of Stockholm, some 6,670 kilometers (4,144.5 miles) from where it was marked in China.

"We sent an e-mail to our colleagues in Beijing and got a reply within five days (that) the bird had left China two winters ago. It has probably spent time in various locations in Russia along the way," Fransson said.

While this is the first time a bird marked in China has been found in Sweden, a redpoll bearing Chinese markings was found in neighboring Norway in 2003 and three birds of the same species marked in Europe have turned up in China.

"This shows that there is some kind of pattern here and that this bird didn't just happen to fly astray ... It is a sensational find," Fransson said.

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