Cold snap taking a toll on B.C.'s Anna's hummingbirds

The extreme cold snap is taking a toll on British Columbia's littlest bird.

Fifteen frozen or injured Anna's hummingbirds were brought to the non-profit Wildlife Rescue Association of B.C. facility in Burnaby, B.C., on Tuesday alone, a record number for a single day.

Staff also said the phone has been ringing off the hook with people wanting advice about what to do with hummingbirds they've found that appear to be hurt.

"Since the temperature dropped, we're seeing all kinds of injuries from them being frozen in snow banks, sometimes actually getting their tongues frozen to bird feeders or even their feet or wings frozen to different surfaces," said Jackie McQuillan, support centre lead at the Wildlife Rescue Association of B.C.

"They're hypoglycemic, so their blood sugar levels have dropped really low. They're incredibly weak," she said. "Many of them have frostbite, and they need a lot of help."

McQuillan said the tiny birds can be rehabilitated as long as their injuries aren't too severe.

And in some cases, hummingbirds that seem close to death are actually just fine — having gone into a natural state of torpor that helps them survive freezing temperatures, assuming a cat doesn't get to them.

"It's kind of like a semi-hibernation, where they slow down their metabolism to conserve energy," McQuillan said. "So people will often find them during a cold snap in this sleepy state."

Hummingbird expert Alison Moran said anyone who finds a lifeless hummingbird should never assume it's dead.

"What we don't want people doing is burying it," said Moran, director of Rocky Point Bird Observatory's Hummingbird Project.

Birds found on the ground, or that are apparently unconscious should be placed in a covered box and kept in a warm, quiet place indoors, away from people and pets.

McQuillan suggested people then contact her centre for further advice.

People should be careful to not let a reviving hummingbird get free in their house, Moran added.

The Anna's is one of five hummingbird species in B.C., but the only one that doesn't migrate in winter.