Cold weather likely cause of death for rare bird in St. Anthony

People in St. Anthony who've been enjoying a rare bird sighting for the past couple of months were saddened this week to learn that a sandhill crane that's been seen around town has died.

The feathered visitor first showed up in southern Labrador in September, but spent most of its time the past couple of months in and around the town of St. Anthony.

Even people who are not seasoned bird watchers would look at it and immediately know it's something unusual.- Darroch Whitaker

"I think any sandhill crane that winds up in Newfoundland for the winter, its days are probably numbered," says bird biologist Darroch Whitaker.

Whitaker said the sandhill crane is the most common crane in the world, but it is an unusual bird to be seen in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The bird can be found breeding anywhere from the Arctic to the tropics, but it should have flown south much earlier this fall.

The fact that it was still around after the snow started is a sign to him that the bird was either sick or injured.

Talk of the town

The sandhill crane became a conversation piece around St. Anthony, and people had become accustomed to seeing it and taking and sharing photos.

"Bird watchers are becoming quite connected with social media, so there were several people who's put pictures up of it," says Whitaker.

"It's a really striking bird, so even people who are not seasoned bird watchers would look at it and immediately know it's something unusual."

Survival unlikely

But the rare bird was definitely out of its comfort zone, he said.

"A lot can go wrong on a bird's migration," Whitaker told CBC Radio's Corner Brook Morning Show.

It's not uncommon for young birds to go off course, but Whitaker said he could tell from the plumage that this was an adult bird.

"That probably means it was more likely a bird that got caught in a weather system or for some other reason got sent off track during its journey of thousands of kilometres."

Whitaker said once the snow arrived, it would have become extremely difficult for the sandhill crane to make it through the winter.

"Their foraging strategy is a lot like chickens or turkeys. They actually feed on the ground," he said. "They're picking up grain, slugs, worms, anything like that that they can find on the ground."

Out of its misery

But Whitaker reminds people that the bird must have been ill or injured to have not continued on its journey.

"I would guess that it was suffering already, and then the weather was sort of the final straw for it. It was unable to survive and perished."

As for any help that could have been provided, Whitaker said you'd need specialized skills, training and equipment — not to mention proper permits — in order to intervene to save the crane.

He suggests people who are concerned about a bird in their local area should call a conservation officer or the wildlife division.