Endangered bird not native to B.C. found in Vancouver parking garage

There is excitement among the birding community in Vancouver around an “incredibly rare” and endangered species that was rescued in the city.

According to the Wildlife Rescue Association (WRA), the Prothonotary Warbler was spotted flying into a South Vancouver parking garage, where it was eventually retrieved by an expert rescue team “without incident.”

Jackie McQuillan, manager of the Wildlife Rescue Support Centre, says the bird is not normally found in B.C.

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“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,” she said.

“We don’t know how it got here but as it is an endangered species its condition is a highly sensitive matter.”

The WRA says there have only ever been 11 sightings of the bright-yellow bird in the province, with this being the first time in the winter.

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Rescuers emphasize that crews will carefully monitor the condition of the bird, given the “excitement in the birdwatching community” about it.

“The warbler is currently stable and Wildlife Rescue’s intent is to keep it in care over the winter and release it to join a flock of local warbler species when they return to the region in spring,” the association said.

According to Birds Canada, there are estimated to be only 30 Prothonotary Warblers in Canada, with populations drastically declining since the 1990s.