As the days get shorter and colder and insects and flowers disappear, thousands of birds migrate along the Atlantic Flyway to move to warmer more hospitable climes. Warblers, orioles, swallows, flycatchers, martins, and mimids among others take this perilous trip Along with the mockingbird, the catbird is a member of the mimid family—birds that can mimic other bird and animal sounds; in fact, the catbird received its name because its call sounds like the meow of a cat. The migration time in New York City is a dangerous time. Birds fly into skyscraper and even store windows and suffer serious injuries and often death.
We found a dead catbird on 88thstreet between Broadway and West End Avenue yesterday. It must have flown into a store window after seeing its reflection. The bird was so beautiful—its deep gray color both soft and luminous; its black eyes and its black skullcap. I have tried to draw catbirds many times and have never totally captured the extraordinary gray of these birds, but I tried again—this time with a small drawing in my little sketchbook. I did not draw from life (or should I say death) as I know many bird illustrators including Audubon do. I have drawn from skins of stuffed birds in NYBG classes and even those skins do not capture the beauty of the gray bird we saw on the sidewalk. So for this drawing, I found a picture on the web of the bird in a position that showed its curious nature as well as its sense of pride. I did the best I could to show those things and to create its amazing gray to pay homage to the beauty of the little bird we found.
Finding a dead bird is devastating, but the Wild Bird Fund of New York City says that it is getting an enormous number of dead and injured birds this fall. I just received this from the Wild Bird Fund:
This morning, October 2, was the worst window collision day of the year so far, with more than 100 birds found dead in the World Trade Center area, and some 50 or more survivors brought to the Wild Bird Fund from there. The numbers were also high at the Time Warner Center, and reports of dead and injured birds are coming in from all over town. We may have more than 100 intakes today.
They suggest that if you find an injured bird, you should pick it up carefully and put it in a paper bag to keep it calm. Call the Wild Bird Fund at 646-306-2862 or go to it on Columbus Avenue and 88thstreet and they will help your bird and save its life if it is possible. The WBF always needs funding. They do extraordinary work for the wild life in our area. Check their website www.wildbirdfun.org for more information about exactly what you should do to help any injured bird or to report any dead bird you find.
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