The Wrong Way Warbler

In 2023The Wildlife Rescue Association of BC rescued an incredibly rare Prothonotary Warbler. This species has only been sighted in BC eleven times ever, and this was the first time it had been seen in BC during winter. After being spotted flying into a South Vancouver parking garage there were concerns for the warbler’s health. WRA’s expert rescue team retrieved the warbler from the garage without incident.

“The Prothonotary Warbler is an accidental species in BC, meaning it isn’t normally found in the area,” says Jackie McQuillan, then Wildlife Rescue Support Centre Manager. “It’s a migratory species that summers in Ontario and Quebec, and it should be in the Gulf of Mexico or even South America right now. We don’t know how it got here, but as it is an endangered species its condition is a highly sensitive matter.”

It’s clear that the warbler wouldn’t survive the winter in the wild, but as a highly sensitive species it might struggle to survive a lengthy plane ride to its usual wintering grounds.

After almost five months in care, the warbler was released.

“She was challenging to take care of, to say the least, Warblers are highly susceptible to stress, and don’t do well in captivity. We had to maintain a very hands-off approach while we continually monitored the health of the bird for nearly half a year. A lot of work went in to making sure its exercise and dietary needs were met in captivity, while keeping human contact to an absolute minimum,” says McQuillan.

The Prothonotary Warbler was banded by scientists to help us better understand her history in case she is ever encountered again. During the banding procedure the warbler was identified as female and was hatched in 2021 or earlier at the time of cataloguing.

“Our hope is that when the other local warblers migrate south this fall, they’ll guide the Wrong Way Warbler in the right direction!” says McQuillan.

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