Please Help Fix Broken Birds

blog.bird-rescue.org

Every year International Bird Rescue takes in more than 400 young, and often broken, Herons and Egrets.

Heron and Egret chicks start to leave the nest and perch on branches less than two weeks after hatching, and with all of the chaos in their crowded rookeries, many lose their balance and plummet to the ground. As our cities expand over more and more natural nesting areas, Herons and Egrets are left with the dangerous option of raising their young in places like street medians, where branches stretch out over cleared, hardened earth – and bustling streets – and after hard falls, fledglings face broken bones and no chance of returning to their nests. Without your help their odds of survival are grim.

Late last month a fallen Black-crowned Night Heron chick was rescued from Sonoma County. He was found to have a badly broken right leg, blood in his right ear, parasites, dehydration and a low body temperature. Once International Bird Rescue staff had splinted his leg under anesthesia, his complex rehabilitation plan included expensive medication to fight infection, inflammation, and parasites, doses of calcium to help form a callus over his break, vitamins A and D to help absorb the calcium, and a regimen of a few hours of sunlight each day to help metabolize it.

Young birds have especially voracious appetites – and this one has been eating up to a pound of fish every day. Our staff and volunteers are closely monitoring his progress, administering radiographs and changing his splint as he heals and grows. Since he has gained strength, he has been moved to an aviary with other Black-crowned Night Herons to allow him to develop the social and developmental skills he will need to survive. Once he is able to fly well and forage on his own, International Bird Rescue will release him back into the wild.

When you give generously to International Bird Rescue, you are giving birds like this young Black-crowned Night Heron the priceless gift of a second chance at independence. Please help us raise $20,000 by the Fourth of July and give birds like this fledgling Heron all of the medical care, medicine, and food that they need to grow up strong and make it on their own.

Heron and Egret patients that were rescued and released as chicks have been re-sighted thriving – and even breeding – in the wild years later. Reports like these remind us of the true value of our lifesaving work, and we can only hope that you are as inspired as we are to help every bird that needs us.

Click here for the International Bird Rescue Blog

Use Non Toxic Products To Clean Your Birds Cages and Your Home

I use non toxic products to clean my bird's cages and my home.  I am very sensitive and cannot tolerate toxic products.  Toxic products are very dangerous to your pet birds and humans.  My mind can rest with ease when cleaning their cages, dishes, etc.  My non toxic dish soap leaves no toxic residue on the dishes.

I discovered an ant colony in my bedroom behind the dresser with my bird's cages on top of it.  My bed is right next to my dresser, so the ants were behind the bed, too!!!  ICK!   I don't like to kill creatures of any kind, but they were in my bedroom going after traces of crumbs that had fallen from their cages!  Luckily I had a non toxic remedy to take care of it.  I used a spot remover, that I buy from my favorite store, that sells safer products.  It is strong and smells strong, but is not toxic.  I put the birds in my living room on the couch and covered them up.  Then I sprayed the ants with a more concentrated solution of the spot remover.  It killed them and I vacuumed them up.  I went over the baseboard all along the wall with the spray again and let it sit and dry there.  I did open the windows wide because it does smell strong.  Luckily it's not toxic!  I put the birds back in the bedroom a few hours later after the strong smell went away, and tucked them in for bed (I put blankets over their cages at night.)

If you would like to get some non toxic products for your bird's cages, your home and yourself please go here and sign up for more information.  Please note that you got this information about non toxic products from my bird blog.  I will be very happy to contact you via phone, skype and/or email, to help you have a safer home for you, your birds and your family.

Osprey Family Nest Cam - Audubon Live Cam!

Here is an Osprey Live Nest Cam.  This is so awesome!  It is an Audubon Live Cam!

Audubon is know for it's work in taking care of wild birds and their homes.

Here is the link to the live Osprey Nest cam.

It is Tough Being a Seagull!

International Bird Rescue’s San Francisco Bay Center recently admitted a Western Gull that had survived three life-threatening encounters with mankind! Covered in what looked and smelled like mechanical lubricant, he was captured near San Francisco International Airport. During his intake evaluation, Center staff found fishing hook wounds in the corners of his mouth. X-rays taken to ensure that he had not in fact swallowed the hook revealed that he had been previously shot with a BB. This one bird had been – on three different occasions – oiled, hooked, and even shot.

Each day International Bird Rescue offers life-saving care to birds with stories like his, and we need your help!

While the Gull’s BB wound was surely intentionally inflicted, its fishing hook injury and exposure to life-threatening lubricant were likely the result of human carelessness – and these are just some of the many threats birds face while living in close proximity to people.

Your gift to International Bird Rescue will directly impact our ability to heal the wounds of human interference by offering each avian patient the expert care it deserves.

This Gull has survived the intensive wash it required to remove the lubricant, and is rehabilitating in our Pelican Aviary, but he is just one of dozens of birds with human-caused injuries in our care right now. International Bird Rescue hopes that you will join us in saving lives by supporting the medical and rehabilitation expenses for each of these magnificent, yet fragile, creatures.

Each successful recovery that we can give to a seabird like this is a victory for the future of human-wildlife relations. Every bird matters, and so does every donation.

With heartfelt thanks.

International Bird Rescue Blog with pictures and more information on the Seagull.

What Should You Do When Birds Collide With A Window?

As spring continues and bird activity is peaking, you’ve probably noticed birds colliding with your windows, especially if you live in a wooded area.

This is a common but huge problem that takes the lives of millions of birds annually.

What can you do to keep birds from your windows?

And what should you do if you see a bird collide with your window?
Our birding expert, George Harrison (the birder, not the Beatle!) offers some tips below…..

Click here to read the full article. 

One time a big beautiful bird, a little bigger than a robin, hit my Mom’s window.  I went out on the porch and saw him sitting there with his mouth open.  He didn’t even run away.  He was very stunned! He didn’t even move.  I went inside and put on some leather gloves. The I went back out on the porch, picked up the bird and held him in my hand.  I petted him, talking to him gently while waving my hand across his eyes now and then to see if he had come out of being stunned yet.  I kept talking to him, petting him.  He finally saw my hand wave across his face and he flew to a tree limb right next to us.  He sat there for about a half an hour and finally flew away.
Barb DelGiudice:)

Non-Stick Cookware Kills Another Parrot!

Earlier this week, I heard about yet another parrot death following exposure to the toxic fumes of non-stick cookware. This death is particularly frustrating because this owner HAD heard the warnings, but didn’t take them seriously.

It astonishes me that some people still aren’t aware of this danger (for both birds AND humans) in this day and age, and it makes me wonder what we are doing wrong that the information is not reaching everyone.

But, what are you to do when someone DOES have the knowledge and chooses to disregard it? For anyone who thinks this is overcautious drama, please read the next paragraph very carefully:


If your bird is exposed to the toxic PTFE or PFOA fumes emitted by certain non-stick coatings like teflon, it is likely to die an excrutiating death as it suffocates in the fluids its lungs rapidly produce to protect themselves. The vast majority of birds die from acute edematous pneumonia before they reach the vet. Those with minor exposure that manage to survive suffer with lifelong health repercussions from the event.

 Click here to read the full article.

I don't have any coated cookware in my home.  Why risk it!  It is not worth risking the life of a sentient being.  I don't understand some peoples values.