not a good news story

nor is it about plants. If you're depressed don't read any further.

I found a songbird I thought was dead on the path (actually in the sheltered section above the labyrinth) the other day, and placed it in a crevice in the wall. It occurred to me afterwards, because it wasn't yet cold, that it could just have entered a torpor. My question (for any twitchers out there) is, can this happen suddenly leaving the bird exposed anywhere, or is it more likely to seek shelter or some protection? As I say, it was already in the covered section with the orobanchaceae.

many thanks

 

Might it have flown into a window? If not, there are of course pathogens and parasites that infect and kill birds.

 

I've never heard of a songbird entering a torpor while flying; normally they seek a roost at the very least. I'm with Ron - did it fly into a window? Did it look otherwise healthy? How old was it (how much wear did it have on its beak)?

 

True enough, could have been many things I suppose. The glass/plastic there is somewhat opaque, if I remember right. My first instinct was that it had succumbed to the cold. It looked in reasonably good condition otherwise, although I didn't check its beak nor do I know enough about birds really to know for sure.

 

So, a bird in torpor would remain in an upright position?

 

Perhaps the Bird ate from a tainted feeder?

 

From what I've seen, they either remain upright or they end up sitting; most of the songbirds here that are prone to torpors tend to look for a ledge that they can sit flat on, rather than, say, a branch they have to grasp with their feet.

K. Baron brings up a good point - if anyone has, say, toxic grain out to control mice or other rodent pests, the bird may have succumbed to that. I used to see it with warblers and vireos more than I really wanted to when I lived in Canada. At least here in Ecuador when somebody wants to get rid of rats they get a terrier or other ratting dog and let nature take its course.

 

Very few feeders on campus (and none at the garden).

And we wouldn't have used toxic grain either -- we're pretty close to pesticide-free (and some areas of the garden are), other than things like dormant oil.