Featured Rehab Animals
Northern Parula Warbler
(Spring 2008)
May 10th, 2008, was International Migratory Bird Day, and while several of VW's permanent animals spent the day at a celebratory education program, a very small bird was brought to our wildlife hospital.
A female Northern Parula Warbler had been found injured and unable to fly, she was brought to our hospital with a broken wing.
Injuries like this are common among migratory birds, they often occur when the bird collies with a window in flight, mistaking the reflection in the glass for open space.
Migratory birds often travel by night, this allows them to avoid the predators present during the day, as well as allowing them time to search for food in the daylight hours.
The bright lights of cities reflecting off window glass increase the likelihood that a bird will become disoriented and be injured in a collision.
Although the warbler's injury did not appear life-threatening, the extent of damage done meant that she would never again be able to fly well enough to migrate.
These tiny birds' bodies must be in top condition to travel from wintering grounds to breeding grounds each year; this bird may have flown from as far as the Caribbean.
We hoped that she might be placed on display at a zoo or museum.
Unfortunately, the little bird passed away after two days at our hospital.
Sensitive, fragile, and weighing only eight grams, she may have been overwhelmed by her injury and the stress of being in captivity.
It is a sad reality that despite everyone's best efforts, some animals do not make it.
Learn more about Northern Parula Warblers
Learn more about window collision injuries
Eastern Screech Owl
(Fall 2007)
Volunteers for Wildlife received a call from a vet's office regarding an Eastern Screech Owl. This little owl hadn't been having a very good week. He had been hit by a bus in Huntington, was brought to a vet's office by the police, and stayed there for several days as we has treated for his injuries. A volunteer transported the bird to our wildlife rehabilitation clinic, where the staff was very surprised to see that this was no ordinary owl! His coloring was very different from the usual variety seen, in fact, his body does not produce some of the pigments that most birds do.
Eastern Screech Owls ordinarily have gray or reddish-brown feathers, and some fall in the middle of this range. This owl's coloring is known as "leucistic," this is not the same as an albino animal. He is missing only some of the normal pigments, so some feathers are white while others appear normal. By comparison, an albino does not produce any pigments and would appear completely white.
Eastern Screech Owls with typical coloration are very well-camouflaged and can blend in almost pefectly with tree bark.
You might expect this pale-colored bird would have a hard time hiding from predators.
However, this bird was found as an adult, was healthy, and appeared to be doing very well in the wild.
Once he recovered from his injuries due to the bus collision, he was released back to the wild.
Learn more about Eastern Screech Owls
Learn about leucism and see a leucistic Red-tailed Hawk
Common Nighthawk
(Fall 2007)
This Common Nighthawk was found in the middle of Manhattan, laying on the sidewalk. He was at first mistaken for garbage on the ground because he was not moving. It is very likely that this bird collided with a window on a tall building, confused by the reflection of the sky in the glass. The bird was brought to a VW staff member, traveling inconspicuously in a small cardboard box on the Long Island Railroad.
Birds that are injured in collisions will very often be stunned at first, but recover fully on their own within a few hours. They need only be left alone in a safe, quiet place. Sure enough, the nighthawk was well enough to release that evening.
Nighthawks are most active at dawn and dusk, their eyes are large so that they are better able to see in dim light.
Their mouths are very large as well, enabling them to catch insects in flight.
Despite their name, they are not related to hawks.
Learn more about Common Nighthawks
Learn more about window collision injuries
Piping Plover
(Summer 2007)
This bird's story begins at Jones Beach on the south shore of Long Island. Because piping plovers are an endangered species, their nest sites are monitored and protected throughout each season. One of the chicks that hatched this summer did not seem to be developing properly, his wings were deformed and appeared to be bent downwards. Unfortunately, this means that he would never be able to fly.
The bird was first taken in by the Theodore Roosevelt Nature Center at Jones Beach, then was transferred to Volunteers for Wildlife.
However, VW would not be able to provide the very specialized care that this type of bird requires long-term.
You can now visit this plover at the Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford, Massachusetts, where he lives in the company of several other shorebirds.
Learn more about Piping Plovers
Learn more about Piping Plover conservation on the Atlantic coast
Chimney Swifts
(Summer 2007)
Volunteers for Wildlife received a call regarding four young chimney swifts that had been displaced from their nest by a storm. As their name implies, chimney swifts nest inside chimneys, and in this case strong winds had caused the young birds to fall all the way down to a fireplace. The homeowner had observed a pair of chimney swifts successfully raising chicks around his home for several years, and he hoped this storm would not bring an end to their ususal pattern of success. Unfortunately, it was not possible to place the four young birds back at the top of the chimney where their parents would be able to reach them. The young birds were admitted to our wildlife hospital for a short time, then released at the Fuchs Pond Preserve in Northport.
Chimney swifts are unlike most other birds in that they do not perch upright.
Instead, the structure of their feet and legs allow them to cling to the sides of trees, buildings, and of course, chimneys.
They fly almost constantly throughout the day, and catch insects in midair.
Chimney swift populations have recently been in decline, possibly as a result of habitat loss.
Learn more about Chimney Swifts
Learn what to do if birds move into your chimney