We’re about six weeks into baby bird season at the Center for Wild Bird Rehabilitation and Ambassador Care. Although the season got off to a slow start at first, our intakes jumped precipitously in the last few weeks. With over 100 intakes in the last week of May and more than 260 in June alone, this has been our busiest early season since 2021.
So far, we’ve cared for over 240 young birds ranging from nestlings to fledglings. Our patients have included songbirds, ducklings, raptors, woodpeckers, and more. Notably, we successfully wild-fostered a record 8 goslings to local Canada Goose families at Dewey’s Pond.
In recent weeks, we’ve seen a steady flow of insectivores and young raptors coming in for care. Among the more unusual cases this season: a nest of Red-winged Blackbirds, a pair of baby Eastern Screech Owls with suspected foot burns, and two baby woodcocks – the first of the season – who were successfully released over a month ago.
With more than two months left in the season, we’re preparing for the arrival of Chimney Swifts, mid-summer nesters like warblers, and a new wave of juvenile raptors and corvids navigating the challenges of survival in the wild. Our dedicated staff and volunteers are working from the early morning hours until long after the Nature Center closes to be sure we’re ready for whatever the second half of the season brings.
By Bren Lundborg, Director, Center for Wild Bird Rehabilitation and Ambassador Care