One of our most common winter birds is the spotted towhee, a little smaller than a robin, with bright orange sides, white breast, black head and black and red eyes.
Towhees stay close to the ground, sitting low in shrubs and scratching in the soil for insects and tulip bulbs. This makes them especially vulnerable to cats.
When we received the call for a bird that a cat had dragged in, we went out straight away to get the towhee back to Powell River Orphaned Wildlife Society and the antibiotic it needed right away. Punctures on its shoulder and the loss of half the tail meant the bird would be with us for some time.
Stressed and feisty, it fought every step: going into the travel cage, the exam, antibiotic and pain medication, being placed in a care cage with lots of food and water, and the same procedure every day.
Unlike most birds, which avoid the hand in their cage, towhees think the best defence is a good offence, and charge past the hand and out the door with surprising speed. Recapture can be challenging, but this allows us to assess the bird’s flight and progress.
This one was ready to go six days after its encounter with a predator, but we waited for more of the tail to come in, as the small birds need their rudder to maneuver in the shrubbery. This spotted towhee was certainly ready when it was taken back out for release.
