Spring is here!

 Spring is in the air, and with the coming of spring there is an eruption of baby birds in the wild. 

At the World Bird Sanctuary, our animal hospital receives about 400 patients a year.  These are mostly birds of prey such as eagles, owls, and hawks.  Sometimes we receive baby birds that are “rescued” that do not actually need our help, and this blog post will help you know when to help, and when to leave a baby bird alone.

There are a few questions to ask yourself when deciding whether or not to help a wild bird.  They are:

 

Is the bird injured? 
If you find any bird that is visibly injured or sick, this is a bird that needs help.  The presence of blood or flies around the animal is almost always a sign of injury.  You can help by contacting your local wildlife rehabilitator.

 This barred owl chick suffered from head trauma and was brought to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.

Is the bird feathered?
If you find a baby bird that is naked (without feathers) or covered in fuzzy down feathers, this is a baby that should still be in the nest.  If you do not see any injuries, often you can place the chick back into its nest.  If you do not see the original nest, you can make a homemade nest yourself out of a basket or a container with holes in the bottom.  Makeshift nests should be lined with paper towels—not dry grass, pine needles, or other vegetation (these can hold moisture and cause the babies to become chilled).  You can then hang the nest in a nearby tree out of harm’s way, and place the chick inside.  Watch for the parents to come back and care for the chick. Most birds will look for a missing baby bird for at least 4 days.  If they do not visit the baby within a couple of hours, call a wildlife rehabilitator.

These robins have no feathers on their body, and they are not ready to be out of the nest.  They need to eat every half hour to keep growing strong.

If you find a baby bird that has its wing and tail feathers, this is a fledgling bird.  Baby birds will often leave the nest before they can fully fly.  The parents will care for these babies on the ground until they get the hang of flying.  Fledglings are vulnerable, and can be found hopping on the ground for days before they fly off.  If the chick is in danger from dogs, cats, or people, move the bird to a nearby bush for cover.  If possible, it is best to leave them where they are.  A baby’s best chance of survival is with its parents.

Pictured is a fledgling bird.  Even though it is a baby, notice the bird has feathers on its wings and tail.

Should I care for this baby bird myself?
No.  Caring for sick, injured, and abandoned wildlife requires extensive knowledge and skills.  It can also expose you to harmful bacteria and diseases.  The bird in need will have the best chance of survival in the care of a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.  Wildlife rehabilitators have all of the tools, medicine, and training necessary to give their patients the highest chance of survival.  Not only that, but it is illegal to possess wildlife without the correct permits.  By getting your bird to a wildlife rehabber as quickly as possible, it will have the greatest chance to be released back into the wild.

To find a local wildlife rehabber in your area, you can search the directory of rehabilitation centers by state at: http://wildliferehabber.org/

Submitted by Paige Davis, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist

Ooh! Baby, Baby

Here at the World Bird Sanctuary Wildlife Hospital we receive many calls regarding young birds that seem to have fallen from the nest.

A baby Great Horned Owl (photo: Sherry Seavers) 

If you find a baby bird the best thing to do is leave it alone.  The parents will find it and continue to take care of the baby, wherever it is.  If the bird is in immediate danger of being attacked by a cat or dog, whenever possible, remove the cat or dog from the area until the bird is able to fly (1-2 weeks).  Put the bird in a nearby bush, shrub or on a tree limb out of harm’s way. 

Most birds have a poor sense of smell and the parents will not abandon a baby bird touched by humans.  If you happen to find a baby with little or no feathers and you know where the nest is, go ahead and return the youngster to its nest.

If the nest is destroyed, cannot be found, or cannot be reached safely, make a substitute nest using a small basket or margarine tub. Punch holes in the bottom and line the container with paper towel – not with grass, as moisture in the grass can cause birds to become too cold. Secure the new “nest” with duct tape in a branch fork near the old nest.

If you are certain the bird is an orphan, prepare to transport the bird to a rehabilitation facility.  Carefully place the baby bird in a small open container lined with paper towels and place both in a cardboard box.  Do not attempt to feed or give water to an orphaned bird.  A bird’s diet is very particular and they have a feeding schedule that must be followed if they are to survive.

If you are tempted to keep the baby bird---don’t!  Migratory birds, including songbirds, are protected under federal law.  Possession of a bird, its nest or its eggs without a permit is illegal.

Submitted by Joe Hoffman, World Bird Sanctuary Rehabilitation Hospital Manager

Baby Season

With the passing of a long winter, spring has finally sprung.  We are now entering the season that most of us at WBS have nicknamed “The Baby Season.”

With birds of prey, which species will arrive when at WBS’s Rehabilitation department is pretty predictable.  First will be the native owl species, then around mid-May the native hawk, falcon, and eagle species will start showing up.  There are some simple yet very important steps to take if a baby bird of prey were to show up in your neck of the woods.

Baby Barred Owl (photo:  Adam Triska)

The World Bird Sanctuary is home to the Catherine G. Favre Wildlife Hospital, where we specialize in the rehabilitation of sick and injured birds of prey.  Around this time of year we experience a particularly high influx of birds to treat in the hospital.  Because of limited funds and manpower, we cannot go out on individual calls to bring back birds ourselves.  We must rely almost exclusively on the individuals who discover these birds.  We examine the birds to look for any ailments or injuries here in the Wildlife Hospital.  After the initial examination, we go on to determine what should be done in the best interest of each individual bird.

While instinct may lead you to want to pick up a cute, fluffy, lonely baby birdie, it may not be a smart idea.  The parents are usually in the area, and unlike smaller songbirds, bird of prey parents may be aggressive and quite dangerous.  I caution you to only intervene if the baby bird appears sick or injured.

Unlike the parents of these baby Bluebirds, bird of prey parents may attack would-be rescuers (photo: Adam Triska)

The most beneficial action to take if you were to stumble across this situation would be to call us here at the World Bird Sanctuary, while keeping your eyes on the bird.  One of our representatives at the Wildlife Hospital can walk you through what to do next.

If that isn’t possible, try to answer these three very important questions:

1. Are the parents nearby? 

2. Is it safe and necessary to remove the baby from its natural habitat?

3. Is the bird able to fly?

If the parents are in the area actively feeding and guarding the baby, it would be best not to disturb the family and to let nature take its course.  For the first several days after leaving the nest, baby birds aren’t usually very skilled at flying.  In this case we would instruct you to return the baby to a safe place near or at the location where it was found.  If the bird can stand well, put it on a low branch, top of a fence or the top of a shed, so it isn’t as vulnerable to ground predators.  Be careful if you have to leave the ground to place the baby.

If it is indeed necessary to rescue the baby bird, there are again precautions to consider.  The equipment needed to capture a baby bird includes:

°  A good pair of leather gloves (welding gloves or garden gloves)

°  A towel, sheet or jacket of some sort

°  A box with a closeable top for transportation that is large enough to hold the bird

Once you have contacted the World Bird Sanctuary and explained the situation, if the suggestion is to bring the bird to the Wildlife Hospital you need to gather your supplies and do the following:

°  Put the gloves on and slowly approach the bird with the sheet/towel/blanket/jacket spread between your hands.

°  Then simply drape the sheet over the baby and grab for the feet.

°  Once you have a good hold of the feet you can place the bird and the sheet into the box. Make sure that you always have someone else with you when handling a wild animal.

°  Once the box is sealed, as soon as possible make arrangements to get the bird to WBS or another Wildlife Hospital that accepts birds of prey.

 

In closing, I’d like to remind everyone that it is unlawful and morally incorrect to keep a baby bird as a pet. Birds of prey are protected under federal and state law, and require specific diets so they grow correctly.

Submitted by Adam Triska, World Bird Sanctuary ETC Supervisor

Helping Baby Birds

It's Spring!  This time of year we receive many calls regarding young birds that have fallen from the nest. 

Some are in genuine need of our help, like the baby green herons whose nest was destroyed when a tree was felled and parents failed to find the makeshift nest. 

 Baby Green Herons

Others are baby birds that you may think need help, but don't always need our well-meaning 'help' – like this baby Barred Owl that was admitted.  It was a fledgling and was spending time on the ground learning how to fly, while his parents still cared for him.  Instead he had to learn to fly in our rehab flight cage.

  Baby Barred Owl

Follow the guidelines below to determine whether or not a young bird needs your help:

If you find a baby bird that has feathers, it's eyes are open, and it is able to move away from you:

·      The best thing to do is leave it alone!  The parents will find it and continue to take care of it wherever it is.  Sometimes baby birds do not leave the nest knowing how to fly very well.  They initially flutter out of the nest, and start clinging to branches or brush.  They stay close to the ground for about 1-2 weeks, and start flying with short hops from branch to branch.  The hops gradually get longer, until the bird eventually flies.

If the bird is in immediate danger of being attacked by a cat or dog:

·      When possible, remove the cat or dog from the area until the bird is able to fly (1-2 weeks).

·      Put the bird in a nearby bush, shrub or tree limb, out of harm's way.  Most birds have a poor sense of smell, and the parents will not abandon a baby bird touched by humans.

·      Don't stay in the immediate vicinity of the bird – the parents are probably watching and will not approach if you stay around.

If you find a baby bird with little or no feathers and you know where the nest is:

·      Return the bird to its nest, of course keeping your safety in mind!

If the nest is destroyed, cannot be found, or cannot be reached:

·      You can make one using a small basket or margarine container.  Punch holes in the bottom of the container and line it with dry material from the old nest or dry grass or leaves.  Do not use materials that are not already brown and dried as it may grow mold if it gets wet, or retain moisture and chill the babies. 

·       Secure the 'nest' with duct tape in a branch fork near the old nest, but make sure the ‘nest’ is taped in a way that the bird(s) cannot become caught in the tape.  The parents will find it.  Check out our blog about a makeshift basketball net nest for a family of Cooper's Hawks last year.

If you are certain the bird is an orphan:

·      When you are certain the parents have been killed, prepare to transport the bird to a rehabilitation facility.  Carefully place the baby bird in a small open container lined with paper towels, and place both in a cardboard box

·      Do not attempt to feed or water an orphaned bird.  A bird's diet is very particular and they have a feeding schedule that must be followed.

Baby Great Horned Owl  

If you are tempted to keep the baby bird:

·      DON'T.  Migratory birds, including songbirds, are protected under federal law.  Possession of a bird, its nest, or eggs without a permit is illegal.

Which rehab facility?

The World Bird Sanctuary Kathryn G. Favre Wildlife Hospital admits 300-400 birds per year.  We are unable to do pick-ups or rescues due to staffing issues.  We are open to accept birds from 8am to 5pm every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas Days.  We accept all birds of prey (hawks, owls, eagles, vultures, falcons etc.) as well as herons, pelicans and swans.  We do not accept songbirds.

If you find a songbird – Cardinal, Bluebird, Bluejay etc. – you can call Wild Bird Rehab at 314-426-6400.

As always, if you are in any doubt and need further guidance, please call our wildlife hospital at 636-861-1392 for more information or advice.

Submitted by Joe Hoffmann, Sanctuary Manager for World Bird Sanctuary