Species: Purple martin (progne subis)
Case:The fledgling bird was found fallen from his condo after a large thunderstorm. The bird was cold, very dehydrated and thin. The bird also had some abdominal bleeding. The parents had abandoned the bird.
Treatment: The fledgling was stabilized by providing it with heat and subcutaneous fluids multiple times a day. The bird was also weighed on a daily basis. It was fed a variety of insects and vitamin supplementation every hour. It was also provided with live house and fruit flies.
Outcome: The bird was banded by McGill Bird Observatory and released three weeks later at the location where it had been found – the Purple martin condos at Valois Park in Dorval, Quebec. Luckily, the bird was released just before the martins migrated south.
Did you know?……. Purple martins are the largest members of the swallow family in North America. Purple martins nest mostly in man-made houses that can hold hundreds of birds; they have been doing so for the past 100 years!