Please Call Before You Rescue
Young birds grow up very quickly. They often leave the nest and end up on the ground before they can fly and before they are self-feeding. Their bodies are full-sized, but their feathers are not quite fully grown, so they cannot fly. This is a vulnerable time for young birds (young wildlife in general). It is important to keep pets confined. There are plenty of native predators for wildife to avoid, without adding dogs and cats into the mix.
Sometimes fledglings are injured while learning to fly. Sometimes a parent is injured or killed. In these cases the fledglings may need some help. Often times, however, a bird on the ground who cannot fly does not have a broken wing. It just needs a few days to learn to fly.
The kestrel above (in the front) may or may not have needed to be rescued. She was found by a well-meaning individual, kept for several days and fed hamburger. It is absolutely critical for young, growing birds to have a balanced diet, one with 1 to 1 1/2 times as much calcium as phosphorus. Meat has no calcium in it, but lots of phosphorus. The perfect diet for a young kestrel is a mouse. Her mouse diet is being supplemented with calcium.
The other kestrel, along with a sibling, was found in an oil drum. The fledglings were taken to the Tri-Cities where they were bathed twice to remove the oil. The sibling died before they could be transferred to the Pendleton Center. The remaining fledgling is doing well.
Nestlings Need to Be Rescued
This tiny American Kestrel was found on the floor of a barn. Kestrels are cavity nesters and the cavity this little guy fell out of was not apparent. He/she needed to be rescued. Fortunately, it was not injured in the fall. When offered a cut up mouse on a tiny plate, there ws no hesitation - its all in the presentation! As soon as he can hold a mouse in his feet and tear it apart in his beak, he will be put in a hack box in preparation for release.
Thank You WDFW
Blue Mountain Wildlife received notification this week of a $20,000 grant from the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife. The funds will support activities at BMW’s Tri-Cities Center during the next biennium which begins July 1. We are very appreciative of WDFW’s support of wildlife rehabilitation. To date, 81% of admissions 386 out of 478) have come from Washington!
Pelican Rescue
Interns Shakira and Jean waded into the Umatilla River (the water was waist deep in places) to capture an injured American Pelican. The bird probably hit a power line as it was attempting to land on the river. It was taken to Pendleton Veterinary Clinic. The badly broken wing was nonrepairable and the bird was euthanized.
Thank You Volunteers
BMW volunteers transported birds from the Tri-Cities, Yakima, Ellensburg, Walla Walla, Waitsburg, Milton-Freewater and Hermiston this past week. We are so fortunate to have such a dedicated group of supporters. Thank you vollunteers.
