The Red Bird prospect outcrops along the east flank of Mount Rabbitt, approximately 2 kilometres east of its summit and 4.5 kilometres northwest of Tulameen.
The area is primarily underlain by andesitic to dacitic breccias and tuffs, with minor intercalated flows (greenstone) of the Upper Triassic Nicola Group. These rocks are metamorphosed up to greenschist facies. They generally strike northwest and dip at various angles southwest.
The volcanics host a stratiform and lensoidal sulphide horizon of possible volcanogenic origin. The hostrocks in the vicinity of the horizon are siliceous and sericitic schists and are commonly altered white to grey. The horizon trends north-northwest for at least 1.2 kilometres. Individual mineralized zones strike 135 to 155 degrees, dip gently west and are 1 to 4 metres thick.
Mineralization consists mostly of pyrite, with lesser chalcopyrite and minor sphalerite and galena. Secondary minerals include chalcocite, malachite, azurite and hematite. The sulphides are massive to poorly banded to disseminated or as stringers, in a gangue of sericite schist and massive to blebby quartz. Chalcopyrite, sphalerite and galena occur interstitially or as blebs.
Trenching and tunnelling are largely confined to three zones, the Red Bird, Spokane-Motherlode and Shamrock. At the Shamrock zone, the most northerly set of workings, massive sulphides including pyrite and chalcopyrite, are exposed discontinuously for 150 metres. The horizon is 1 to 2.5 metres thick here. A sample taken across 1.8 metres assayed trace gold, 3.4 grams per tonne silver and 0.4 per cent copper (Minister of Mines Annual Report 1913, page 235).
To the south, at the Red Bird workings, two adjacent sulphide lenses, each up to 0.4 metre thick and 5 metres long, occur near the portal of a 120-metre-long adit. A sample taken across a true width of 1.07 metres assayed 0.69 gram per tonne gold, 27 grams per tonne silver and 2.4 per cent copper (Minister of Mines Annual Report 1913, page 235). A second chip sample of the footwall sericite schist analysed 0.828 per cent copper, 0.034 per cent lead, 0.065 per cent zinc and 15.6 grams per tonne silver over a thickness of 1.8 metres (Assessment Report 13396, assay certificate, sample 54276).
Farther south, at the Spokane-Motherlode workings, the sulphide horizon continues south for 200 metres. A sample of sorted ore from a trench assayed trace gold, 21 grams per tonne silver and 2.46 per cent copper (Minister of Mines Annual Report 1928, page 269). A chip sample across 0.5 metre of cherty silica with sulphides assayed 0.29 per cent copper and 4.8 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 13396, assay certificate, sample 6572).
Work History
This occurrence was prospected as early as 1913, and was extensively tunnelled and trenched between 1928 and 1932.
The deposit was more recently worked by Copper Mountain Consolidated Ltd. between 1962 and 1968, who completed trenching, geophysical surveys and 381 metres of diamond drilling in five holes.
Northern Lights Resources Ltd., Kenam Resources Ltd., and Ventures West Minerals Ltd. conducted additional geophysical, geological and geochemical surveys between 1978 and 1980. Similar but more intensive surface exploration was conducted by Brican Resources Ltd. and Abermin Corporation between 1982 and 1986.
In 2008, Discovery Ventures Inc. completed a 425 line-kilometre airborne magnetometer and electromagnetic (VLF-EM) survey on the area as the Rabbitt Mine property.
In late 2019 and 2020, Goldcap Resources Corp. completed a program of prospecting, geological sampling and geochemical (rock and soil) sampling program on the surrounding area as the Redcap and SBGB property.
