About 6:50 the evening of Monday, 10/19, I happened to look down at my feet as
I walked an urban sidewalk at Ballston, Virginia. There was a small bird, wings
splayed out, inert on the sidewalk. I must have walked another step or two
while my brain processed "songbird, probably warbler, must have flown into the
building." And I stopped and picked it up. Thanks to ID help from Elton Morel,
I now believe it was a first-year BTG Warbler. I am sure the poor thing had
struck the building, and quite likely it had just happened. It still felt warm
and I thought I felt tiny movement when I picked it up. But clearly it was dead
or died within moments.
Years earlier, I had seen a beautiful Cerulean Warbler victim at the base of
another building in Rosslyn, Arlington. Afterward I had regretted not picking
that one up. So this time, with collection data, yesterday this victim went to
the birds collection at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. I
would much rather have seen the bird alive and well, but if it had to become a
building strike victim, better that it be able to support scientific research.
And I would encourage others to do the same if they come upon fresh victims in
good condition, donating them to a research collection by means of a
licensed/permitted person of course.
I can't help but wonder how many victims our human structures continue to claim
during every migration.
Cheers,
Steve Young
Arlington
