Look at this bizarre-looking cutie pie! This is a chuck-will’s-widow. It looks like a weird new Pokemon, and— just like a Pokémon— it says its name! Like its close cousin the whippoorwill, the chuck-will’s-widow is rarely seen because it’s nocturnal and well-camouflaged. If you’re lucky, though, you may hear its characteristic high-pitched call at night.Continue reading “The Chuck-Will’s-Widow”
Tag Archives: birds
Trees Don’t Litter
If you’d ever seen how quickly our raccoon patients can devour twenty pounds of acorns or forage through six inches of fallen leaves for bugs, you’d understand exactly why there’s no need to “clean up” the gifts trees leave us in autumn! Many native animals in our area cannot survive winter without the bounty ofContinue reading “Trees Don’t Litter”
That Friendly Animal May Not Be Your Reincarnated Loved One
Ok here’s what I wrote and it will go live tomorrow. Thank you guys! The world works in mysterious ways, and people can find messages hidden in anything. Grief is painful, and it’s only human nature to look for signs that our loved ones are still with us. Sometimes we come across animals in ourContinue reading “That Friendly Animal May Not Be Your Reincarnated Loved One”
“I found a dead bird. Should I save the babies?”
Even the very best rehabilitators can’t care for baby birds as well as the their natural parents, so we always make it a priority to keep baby animals with their families whenever possible. Unfortunately, some baby birds end up in rehabilitation because well-meaning people kidnap them. It’s not uncommon for someone to find a deadContinue reading ““I found a dead bird. Should I save the babies?””
Fledglings Aren’t Orphans
Have you ever seen a human toddler in their first days on their feet? They stumble, waddle, and often fall… but it doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong or that they don’t have parents looking out for them. The awkward first days of toddling are just part of how humans learn and grow. That’s how itContinue reading “Fledglings Aren’t Orphans”
Avoid Drunk Hummingbirds: Clean Your Feeders
If you’re near For Fox Sake, this is the perfect time of year to hang hummingbird feeders! Hummingbird feeders can give you an opportunity to enjoy these beautiful little jewels during their long annual migration. If you’re not careful, though, your feeders may do much more harm than good. Nectars— whether homemade or store-bought— fermentContinue reading “Avoid Drunk Hummingbirds: Clean Your Feeders”
Raccoons Eating Birdseed: What to Do
We’ve heard people give a lot of crazy and cruel excuses for killing wild animals, but perhaps the most upsetting reason we’ve heard is, “It was eating my birdseed.” Several of our patients last year were orphans who came to us because the mothers had inconvenienced someone by nibbling some sunflower seeds. Folks, this simplyContinue reading “Raccoons Eating Birdseed: What to Do”
“Mean,” “Crazy” Bird Parents
Wildlife rehabilitators get a lot of calls in the late spring and early summer about birds described with words like “mean,” “crazy,” and “dangerous.” Blue jays, mockingbirds, geese, and robins are the ones most commonly considered aggressive— and it’s no coincidence that they’re the ones most likely to be nesting near our homes and businesses.Continue reading ““Mean,” “Crazy” Bird Parents”
Crows Deserve Love, Not Superstition
I have to admit: before I started working with wildlife, I had no idea that there were still people who had superstitious beliefs and fears about crows. It turns out these ideas didn’t get left behind in the Victorian Era where they belong. Even in 2020, a lot of people fear crows and some willContinue reading “Crows Deserve Love, Not Superstition”
Crusty-Eyed Birds? Take Down Your Feeder!
If you see birds with goopy, crusty eyes, that’s a sign to take down your feeders immediately.
