Belted Kingfishers are a common wetland bird that I’ve observed many times from a distance, but for the first time a few days ago, I got to hold one of these magnificent birds in my hand.
Someone had called the Toronto Wildlife Centre and FLAP Canada to report an injured Kingfisher lying on the ground near the intersection of Bay and Bloor street. For those unfamiliar with the area, this section of Bloor street is not a friendly place for wildlife. A FLAP staff member was making calls looking for someone who could help the bird, and as luck would have it, I happened to be stopping by the FLAP office at the same time to return a bunch of teaching items, so I borrowed a net and jumped back onto transit to go pick up the kingfisher.
It turns out I didn’t need a net. This poor female Kingfisher was in bad shape and in no condition to fly off. I found her in an alcove between two high end fashion stores and didn’t waste time getting her into a paper bag and off the street.
Once back at the FLAP office, staff member Susan Krajnc treated the kingfisher with Arnica before gently placing her back in the bag. The bird seemed to improve after the Arnica (she was no longer open mouthed and appeared more comfortable). A volunteer driver came by the office and brought the bird up to the Toronto Wildlife Centre where hopefully the vets were able to work their magic and save her.
Alan