Cape May Warbler #24-3705

On the afternoon of September 8, passersby discovered a yellow and brown warbler on the ground near a building on James Madison University's campus in Harrisonburg. Given its proximity to a building with many windows, the finders suspected that this bird had hit a window while on its migration path. This prompted the rescuers to bring the bird to the Wildlife Center, where it was identified as an adult Cape May Warbler. This species is more commonly found in Canada and the northernmost regions of the US during the breeding season, but in the fall, Cape May Warblers begin migrating to their wintering range of the Caribbean Islands and parts of Central America.

On intake, the warbler had difficulty breathing and could not walk or fly straight. These clinical signs pointed to head trauma, likely due to the window strike. Head trauma holds a poor to guarded prognosis of recovery depending on the severity – symptoms of head trauma often do not fully manifest for up to 48 hours after the trauma occurs, meaning an animal's condition can quickly decline within hours of admission. Fortunately, the warbler had no fractures or eye injuries, which are also common with window strikes. The veterinary staff gave the bird anti-inflammatories and fluids and placed it in an oxygen chamber overnight for respiratory support.

Thankfully, the warbler did not exhibit any neurological abnormalities the following day and had regained its flying abilities by its third day in care. Once the bird regained its flight, proving it did not sustain any lasting trauma from the window collision, the veterinary team cleared the warbler for release to return to its migration journey as soon as possible! Later that same day, the warbler was released back where it was found by some of the Center's volunteer transporters.

About half of North America's 650 bird species migrate south between August and November. These migrants, whether they are simply traveling to lower elevations or entirely different regions of the world, are seeking out areas with more abundant resources as the weather cools in the Northern Hemisphere. Most birds travel at night and rely on starlight to stay oriented; however, artificial light can confuse these migrants and lead to birds colliding with building windows that emit light, as was likely the case for this patient. To help protect migrating birds during this critical travel period, be sure to turn off any unnecessary lights, such as decorative outdoor lights and interior lighting in higher stories, or close your blinds at night if you are utilizing interior lighting. Visit our help & advice page for more tips on preventing window strikes in birds and information on what to do if you find a bird that has hit a window.