Photo by Cheryl Reynolds
This eccentric new patient is a Common Poorwill, a species of nightjar and one of the few birds in the world known to undergo a hibernation-like state called torpor. They are nocturnal and forage through the night sky for moths and other insects.
This patient was recently transported to our San Francisco Bay center by Vallejo Animal Control, having been found on nearby Mare Island.
There are no visible injuries, but the bird is emaciated and was hypothermic upon intake. (Click on the player to the right to hear this bird.)
We gave this patient plenty of supportive care before transferring the poorwill to our friends and wildlife partners at Lindsay Wildlife Museum. Thanks, Lindsay!
Common Poorwill, Arizona, photo by Dominic Sherony/Wikimedia Commons