Expert: Roger Lederer - 10/27/2008

Question
QUESTION: Hello Roger.I hope that you can tell me about a small bird I found in Brooklyn NY. He was a tiny little thing about 4 inches in all. Small smooth head with no bump,black eyes and a very thin , short straight black bill.The feathers on his head and back were a brownish-grey, olive drab colour and were very sleek, short and tight. They were so smooth that they almost looked like seal fur.The edges of the tops of his wings were a bit darker. His chest was a light buff colour .When he lifted his wings he had the brightest yellow feathers underneath. He also had one bright yellow feather in his otherwise brownish-grey tail.He stood on extremely thin black legs and feet,not much thicker than black thread.He was beautiful. I found him in a clothing store.He had flown in two days earlier and could not find his way out.Being an animal lover, I went to a pet store to buy a cage and some bird seed to try to catch him. The store owner called me the next afternoon to say that he had him in the cage and I went to pick him up.I thought that he would eat, drink water and rest and I would release him in the morning as I could not find anything online that made me think he was a pet bird type. I did not know at the time that his bill meant that he was an insect eater. I watched him move about the cage and sing a bit then he settled down and I went up to bed. He never made it till morning. I wonder if he would have lived if I let him go as soon as I got to the store to get him or if a total of 3 days with no food was too much for him to bear.  My husband found him on the floor of the cage.I don't have a picture of him and could not bring myself to take one after he died.I never thought that he would touch my heart the way he did, but I loved him and will never forget him. I look every day online to try and find a bird that looks like him. I hope you can tell me what kind of bird he was. Thank you so much for your time.-Brandi


ANSWER: Sounds like some sort of warbler, but I can't be sure as in the fall they have many different plumages among the 40 some species.

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QUESTION: Hello Roger. Thank you for your quick response.I forgot to tell you that I found him around the end of September.Do warblers live in Brooklyn NY ,and does the colour change with age? Also. is there any warbler type that you think may have the bright yellow underwing or might it be present in any type. Thank you again.

Answer
There are around 40 species of warblers in the northeast. The plumage changes from juvenile to adult at a year of age. Mature males are also different from mature females and both have a winter as well as breeding (spring) plumage. So among 40 warblers there are 200 possible plumages. But in september you'd only see juvenile and winter plumage - all are very hard to tell apart. Several have yellow or yellowish under the wing. Another possibility is the Red-breasted Nuthatch.
Yes, the best thing to have done was let it go immediately. If there ever is a next time you find a bird trapped in a building or room, darken the room and open the doors/windows. Birds will fly towards the light and avoid darkness.