Here's how a rare hummingbird ended up in a backyard in Saskatoon
Here's how a rare hummingbird ended up in a backyard in Saskatoon
While most birds fly south for the winter, one hummingbird decided to spend his winter in Saskatoon.
Costa’s hummingbirds are typically found in the desert. But in October, a young male was found in a Saskatoon backyard and taken to Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation.
“We went and got a feather from the bird, and we used stable isotope techniques to find out where it came from,” Environment Canada Chemist Geoff Koehler told CTV News.
Using a feather analysis, Koehler discovered the bird was hatched near Yosemite National Park.
So how did the Costa’s hummingbird end up in Saskatoon? He may just be bad with directions, according to Koehler.
“If you look at the distance between the northern part of the breeding range where it came from and Saskatoon, that’s about the same distance that it would have had to fly south. So it flew the same distance, just the completely wrong direction,” Koehler said.
With the new information about the bird’s origin, the wildlife rehab staff named the bird, Yosemite Sam.
Jan Shadick, the executive director of Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation, said Yosemite Sam is getting through his first Saskatchewan winter eating fruit flies and a special protein drink.
“He has been doing fantastically with us. He has this very expensive special diet,” Shadick said, noting that he’s been growing new purple neck feathers.
THE PLAN TO RELEASE YOSEMITE SAM
Shadick wants to release Yosemite Sam back in California. But now that the bird has entered Canadian borders, an export permit is required to get him back into the United States.
If the permit request gets denied, Shadick plans to release Yosemite Sam from British Columbia — where the same species have been spotted. But crossing provincial borders with the bird also requires an export permit.
“Otherwise, if we don’t get any of that, then he’s going to have to do his best from being released in the backyard,” Shadick said.
“I do feel like releasing him in Saskatoon would not be the best thing for him.”
As Yosemite Sam waits for the paperwork, to determine his fate, he’s enjoying his first Saskatoon winter in his cage designed to feel like California
“He has full-spectrum lighting, a plant and a waterfall in there,” Shadick said.
As Joe Biden makes his first trip to Canada as president of the United States, CTVNews.ca is offering live coverage of the leader's visit. Follow our live blog on CTVNews.ca and the CTV News app for the latest updates.
U.S. President Joe Biden has arrived on Parliament Hill for a jam-packed day of events as part of his first official visit to Canada since taking office.
Ontario’s self-described crypto king was allegedly abducted, tortured, and beaten for days as his kidnappers looked to solicit millions in ransom, his father told a court in December.
W5 investigates aging asbestos pipes across Canada and the potential health hazards if it ends up in your tap water. Watch W5's 'Something in the Water' Saturday at 7 p.m. on CTV.
An Ontario couple has filed a request with the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD) to appoint a new police force to investigate the death of their 17-year-old son Benjamin, who died during a hockey team-bonding event in September 2019.
Canada's restaurant industry is bracing for the biggest jump in the country's alcohol excise duty in more than 40 years, spurring warnings the tax hike could force some bars and restaurants out of business.
The idea of using firing squads is making a comeback in the U.S. Idaho lawmakers passed a bill this week seeking to add the state to the list of those authorizing firing squads, currently Mississippi, Utah, Oklahoma and South Carolina.
The United States' first lady will be given a sweeping introduction to Canadian sports culture in Ottawa today as Sophie Gregoire Trudeau takes Jill Biden to the curling rink.
A recent report from the province’s privacy commissioner says the Métis Addictions Council of Saskatchewan Inc. (MACSI) failed to take appropriate steps after patient treatment files were discovered in a recycling bin.
Manitoba’s labour force is growing at a rate to supply enough workers for available positions into 2026, according to the province’s labour market outlook.
Canada's restaurant industry is bracing for the biggest jump in the country's alcohol excise duty in more than 40 years, spurring warnings the tax hike could force some bars and restaurants out of business.
The Calgary Police Service confirms charges have been laid against a driver in connection with Thursday's crash of a semi-truck into the 32nd Avenue N.E. overpass along Deerfoot Trail.
With Calgary Board of Education students set to kick off spring break once the final bell rings Friday afternoon, some Calgarians are eager to leave the country in pursuit of warmer weather with their families.
Beaumont RCMP are advising the public that officers are currently on scene at École Secondaire Beaumont Composite High School after a threat was made against the school online.
The Alberta Energy Regulator has cited an energy company for causing a series of earthquakes, including the largest recorded tremblor in the province's history.
Ontario’s self-described crypto king was allegedly abducted, tortured, and beaten for days as his kidnappers looked to solicit millions in ransom, his father told a court in December.
Toronto Coun. Josh Matlow broke council’s code of conduct by criticizing two public employees on Twitter before retaliating against one of them after she filed a complaint, the city’s integrity commissioner has found.
With fares set to increase in a matter of days, a new report has found that Torontonians are already paying more than residents in most other cities for transit when compared to average incomes.
Ottawa residents are being told to expect road closures, transit delays and heightened security in the downtown core today, as U.S. President Joe Biden continues his visit to the capital. Here's what you need to know about Biden's second day in Ottawa.
U.S. President Joe Biden has arrived on Parliament Hill for a jam-packed day of events as part of his first official visit to Canada since taking office.
U.S. President Joe Biden has arrived on Parliament Hill for a jam-packed day of events as part of his first official visit to Canada since taking office.
A series of ancient landslides have been “reawakened” in British Columbia's Cariboo region, costing hundreds of millions in federal disaster assistance funds and prompting warnings that logging is connected to the problem.
Canada and the United States are negotiating a deal that could see asylum seekers turned back at irregular border crossings across the border, including Roxham Road in Quebec.
For the first time, the owner of a building in Old Montreal has responded to questions about the fire — through his lawyer — addressing allegations that the building was unsafe.
Montreal police say they don't think they'll find more than seven bodies in the rubble of an Old Montreal building that caught fire eight days ago. Police told reporters today they don't have reports of more people missing, adding that it's "improbable" there are more than seven victims.
A first-of-its kind study in British Columbia suggests salmon hatcheries could improve survival rates by optimizing the weight of the juvenile fish and the timing of their release.
A Victoria man’s life of crime has turned into one of survival, hope and advocacy amid ongoing conversations in the community about how best to tackle public safety matters.
The Tim Houston PC government remains firm in their promise they'll fix the health-care system by spending more taxpayer money on health than any previous government before.
Ontario’s self-described crypto king was allegedly abducted, tortured, and beaten for days as his kidnappers looked to solicit millions in ransom, his father told a court in December.
A St. Catherines man has been charged after a reported robbery in London. Around 6:45 p.m. on Thursday, police were called to the parking lot at Cherryhill Village Mallon Oxford Street after witnesses reported that a man with a knife was demanding items from another man.
A woman is in hospital with critical injuries after an overnight house fire in north London. Crews were called to the scene on Adelaide Street near Dufferin Avenue around 1:20 a.m.
