May 2013
9 posts
Patient #17,000 has arrived!
It’s an adult osprey that was found in Denver, NC and picked up by our staff veterinarian early this morning. The bird was diagnosed with a midshaft, well-aligned ulna fracture.
There is a nest near where the bird was found. We are hoping that this bird was not caring for the it.
best. job. ever.
Orphan Count: 42 total
25 barred owls
11 great-horned owls
4 Eastern-screech owls
2 red-shouldered hawks
Plus, we are only 10 birds away from Patient #17,000!
April 2013
10 posts
Update on Bald Eagle Patient #16843
This eagle was admitted on March 9th with right ulna and radius fractures. The patient underwent surgeries to repair the fractures on March 11th and March 18th.
Currently, she/he is doing really well. The bird has had 14 physical therapy sessions (they are now every four days), and is progressing steadily. Due to activity and stress level, she/he has had upgraded from a 16x8x7’ cage...
Our surrogate mother, Betbait, is very good at her job. Enough said.
March 2013
12 posts
Orphan #1 is FAMOUS
Our first orphan of the year made it on the local news. Click here to read the story.
Orphan ID
In honor of orphan season (as we anxiously await the first arrival, any day/hour/second), I’ve decided to re-post an entry from a few years ago:
Below I have listed some of the common species in our area, as well as identifying characteristics.
Great horned owls (February-March)
Yellow eyes, dark beak, tan feathers
Barred owls (March-April)
Dark eyes, yellow beak, gray fuzz
Barn owls (any...
February 2013
5 posts
WatchRed-tailed hawks like their food. Especially Patient #16762.
January 2013
7 posts
A fairly large portion of our job involves answering phone calls from the public. Some of these calls are about injured birds, but many are just basic questions about raptors. The next series of posts will feature “Frequently Asked Questions.”
Questions From Concerned Citizens:
Will the raptor attack my cat/dog?
Raptors are wild animals and need to hunt their food in order to...
Attracting Raptors to Your Backyard
We often get phone calls from people that are interested in finding out how to keep in/attract raptors to their yard. Here are a few tips:
1. Plant your yard for wildlife such as butterflies and songbirds. Natural areas are much more attractive to wildlife than meticulously kept green lawns. And, raptors will only set up residence if there is a sufficient food source. Remember that raptors...
December 2012
7 posts
Things are getting crazy….
As of today, we have admitted 937 patients during 2012. There are still 26 days left in the year and we are averaging 4-5 new patients a day (today we received 8 birds). Going by this trend, there is a strong possibility that we will reach 1000 intakes for 2012. Insanity.
