This tiny black-throated grey warbler hit a window in Wildwood and was knocked unconscious.
Back at Powell River Orphaned Wildlife Society and barely standing, it was placed in a quiet spot with a light cloth covering the cage. Given anti-inflammatory meds to help reduce the swelling, it soon began to eat constantly and, being an insectivore, devoured everything available, from mealworms to bloodworms and brine shrimp.
It soon gained 30 per cent of its body weight, going from nine to 12 grams before it left. Taken back to Wildwood for release it was slow to fly off, even hanging upside down as it considered its options. Finally, it was on its way, showing itself fully capable of flight and survival on its own.
The black-throated grey warbler is well named, with a black throat and gray back, but more unique is a yellow spot in front of and above its eye. They hop between branches with deliberate movements, moving slower than many other warblers.
Females build a deep cup nest on top of a branch using dried grasses and lined with feathers.
Males sing a buzzy song from prominent perches to mark their territory and often chase away birds that enter. They spend time in pairs during the breeding season, but join mixed-species flocks during migration and on the wintering grounds in Mexico.
