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All Things Wild And Wonderful
John Trott
ence many times. On occasion, a
bird is so conscious that he or
she can respond enough to give
a painful bite. After all, the rescuer
is just another predator to
the bird. Cardinals do this, so
be careful; the heavy, strong bill
of a cardinal can inflict a
painful pinch, though I have
never had one break the skin.
A dead bird can benefit science. Write species, place, date and time on a small card, tie this to the bird’s leg, and put the dead bird in a plastic bag in the freezer.
If persistence is a part of your personality, you can then get on the telephone and wade through the switchboard at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., until you reach someone in the bird division. Tell the person at the other end you have a dead (fill in the blank) in your freezer and ask if they want it. Museums often need new specimens in their collections, for they contribute to plumage studies and, in some cases, education.
Roger Tory Peterson, conservationist, artist and author of the first truly useful field guide to birds, died in 1996. Peterson had great influence; he made thousands of Americans aware of birds, and his death was a great loss. His spirit lives on in the hundreds who were influenced to become bird watchers and conservationists.
A short time before Peterson’s death, I found myself in company with him on Roosevelt Island in Washington. It was one of those endeavors planned to raise consciousness of bird conservation. We had a pleasant talk.
I was always surprised that he remembered me among the hundreds of admirers he encounter. “Birds colliding with glass is taking a toll on bird populations,” he remarked. Peterson went on to tell me that he daily heard stories of birds being killed by flying into windows.
It is happening everywhere, all too frequently. I have the same concerns. At the same time, I know that one individual helping a bird survive makes a difference.
Virginia naturalist John Trott welcomes reader mail sent care of this newspaper: PO. Box 59, Washington, Va., 22747.
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