Wednesday, April 16, 2014

A Bird in the Hand ...

... is worth one or two sheets of tissue paper, as a rule that's the thanks I get from a bird when I save it from its own folly.

This male White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) flew upstairs in my hallway and got trapped at the window.



He's not hurt, just played out. I recall reading somewhere or other that turning a bird over on its back and stroking its tummy would put it to sleep. Though I haven't been able to verify this on any Internet sources, it's always worked for me.


Even after he woke up the little guy seemed oblivious to the fact that he was free to go at any time. The black-and-white striped crown, white throat patch, yellow lores (the area between the eye and the beak) and distinctive song make this sparrow easy to identify.



Learn more about the White-throated Sparrow at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology site.