Flight of a Flicker
By Jennifer Taylor, Animal Care Coordinator & Internship Coordinator
Photos By Kerry Reid
Our Office Admin Kerry, rushed to Wild Care last week with a bird that had just struck a window at her house. It was a female Northern Flicker. She knew there were babies up in a hollow part of a tree in her yard. She told us she has been watching this pair of Flickers since April – from witnessing them mating, to seeing the male bringing the female food while she brooded their eggs, to frantically flying back and forth with beaks full of bugs to feed the babies all day long. When she heard the SMACK on the window, she knew it was a bird, but it was heartbreaking when she saw who the bird was.
The bird was in shock. It had obvious head trauma and a very swollen eye. Leah immediately placed her into the Oxygen tank and we all knew there was not much hope for this
mother woodpecker. Thank goodness, or I should say thank all of our generous donors who have equipped us with our Oxygen machines! Wild Care treats many birds with head trauma. Sometimes it is raptors who crash hard onto asphalt while swooping their prey, to songbirds crashing into windows that they interpret as open sky. These birds are flying very fast and when they hit it is high impact. Oxygen is so helpful and often the first thing and sometimes the only thing we can do for these patients.
This Flicker was in O2 for almost 48 hours, and improved quickly. The swelling went down and the demeanor of the bird improved dramatically. She had vision in both eyes! She was placed in a soft dog crate, where she could grab on the walls vertically like woodpeckers prefer. We enriched it with pine needles, dirt leaves and buggy wet logs, but we could tell all she wanted was to get back to her babies. After 4 days, I called Kerry and told her she was ready to go. She had been watching the father Flicker feeding the babies as best he could, but knew it lessened the chances of survival for the young. The bird was released close to her nest and flew out without saying good bye. Just the way we like it.
SWEPT FROM THE SEA – AN ANGEL AMONGST US
This gorgeous little Blue Angelfish is one of the tiniest and most unique patients we've ever had at Wild Care. Photo courtesy of the New England Aquarium.
READ ALL NEWSCALENDAR OF EVENTS
26 October, 2024
GARV’S GREAT PUMPKIN HALLOWEEN PARTY
EVENT DETAILS
02 October, 2024
Wildlife Fall Talk Series
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15 June, 2024
Wildlife Baby Shower 2024!
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DID YOU KNOW??
Wild Care has a state-of-the-art seabird therapy pool, which allows seabirds and waterfowl to exercise on running water. This will help our bird friends recover more quickly so they can get back to their watery habitats!