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PROWLS: Rescue of the week

Fox sparrow recovers from concussion at Powell River Orphaned Wildlife Society
Powell River Orphaned Wildlife Society

Chocolate brown with a speckled breast, this young fox sparrow was doing the “funky chicken” in a driveway.

With the changing seasons and moving sunlight, birds are vulnerable to hitting windows. This small one was bitten by a cat after hitting the window; it had both a concussion and a physical wound needing a course of antibiotics.

On day two he was found to be covered with ticks and also received an antiparasitic treatment. By day three the ticks were gone except as a layer of dust on the floor of the cage. Now the bird could recover quicker and more comfortably from his other wounds.

Within the week he became impatient to leave even though not physically ready.

Moved into a larger cage, the fox sparrow continued its restless flight waiting for release back in the Stillwater area south of Powell River, periodically singing its rich, whistling song.

Similar to but smaller than a towhee, fox sparrows find their food by enthusiastically kicking up the leaf debris on the ground, hopping forward and immediately backward while simultaneously scratching.

Contributed photo