Rarely seen, ‘weird looking’ tropical bird comes in from the cold

Lindsay Kines / Times Colonist

FEBRUARY 1, 2018 06:00 AM

June Pigeon had never seen anything like it before.

She works at Ogden Point and about noon on Monday noticed a “weird looking bird” on the pier.

 “He was just sort of standing there and he had his head underneath his wings,” she said. “He was just shaking and shivering. You could get right up to him and he’d just look at you, but he wasn’t moving too far.”

It was terrible weather that day, so Pigeon took a couple of pictures and called the B.C. SPCA to ask for advice. She was told to put the bird in a box with holes in it and set the box in a dark place.

The bird put up no resistance. “He was obviously so cold,” Pigeon said.

She set the box in a building where it was warmer and, later that day, one of her colleagues delivered the bird to the SPCA.

Meanwhile, Pigeon posted the bird’s picture on Facebook in hopes that somebody could identify it.

Source  

Rare tropical bird found in Victoria dies from its injuries

A brown booby, a tropical bird rarely seen in the cool climate of the Pacific Northwest, is recovering after it was found injured at Ogden Point. Jan. 31, 2018. (Courtesy Wild ARC)

CTV Vancouver Island
Published Sunday, February 4, 2018 3:31PM PST
Last Updated Sunday, February 4, 2018 3:34PM PST

A rare bird recovering at the SPCA’s Wild Arc Rehabilitation Centre in Metchosin died over the weekend after it was found injured at Ogden Point on Monday.

A female brown booby about two years old was found with a puncture wound in its chest, about 30 per cent under weight and with cuts on its feet.

In a statement the centre says the bird’s health dramatically declined despite antibiotics and tube feeding.

 “Wild ARC staff are thankful to the finder that rescued the animal and called Wild ARC, and for all the public concern for this unique patient,” the statement reads. “Our solace is that she is no longer suffering.”

The tropical birds are typically found in California, Mexico and Hawaii and it's rare for them to be spotted here, the SPCA says.

Continued