Bennington Barred Owl
On August 5th, 2020 the Center for Wild Bird Rehabilitation (CWBR) received a Barred Owl from Bennington, VT. The finder of the owl noticed the bird hopping around their front yard, unable to fly away when approached. VINS staff advised the finder on how to safely pick up the bird and contain it in a box.
2019 at the Center for Wild Bird Rehabilitation
It has certainly been a busy year! Many may remember that our intake total was a record-breaking 652 patients in 2018. But move over, 2018 – the VINS Center for Wild Bird Rehabilitation received 705 total patients in 2019.
Ogden’s Egg
It’s been a hectic spring at VINS. The Center for Wild Bird Rehabilitation’s ongoing renovations meant we have had to move some of our education birds from their accustomed aviaries to other enclosures temporarily. Change can be stressful, so we were closely monitoring the behavior of our oldest, most “entrenched” resident, a 38-year-old Turkey Vulture named Ogden.
Erie the Northern Harrier
VINS is excited to announce our newest raptor ambassador, “Erie,” a female Northern Harrier! Erie can be found on exhibit with our male harrier, “Freedom”. They are quite the pair and provide a great opportunity to see how strikingly different male and female harriers are from one another, as one of the few raptors with different plumages between the genders.
Dewey: The Wild Resident Barred Owl of VINS
by Anna CaputoAmericorps Member Dewey. Photo by Emily Johnson. This winter has brought some interesting wildlife to VINS. Boreal migrants like Pine Grosbeaks and Common Redpolls have come into the rehab center with broken wings or head trauma. A Pileated Woodpecker came to the suet at our bird feeders. Even subnivean or “under-snow-dwelling” mammals like…
Join the VINS Volunteer Transporter Rescue Network
by Caitlyn RobertAvian Rehabilitation Intern Do you want to help wildlife? Do you live in Vermont or close by in New Hampshire? Are you able to drive long distances? We need your help! Join our Volunteer Rescue Network and you can provide the lifesaving transportation injured birds need to reach medical care at VINS! Every…
Meet Windham!
by Bren Lundborg Wildlife Rehabilitator Windham, a female Cooper’s hawk, was brought to the Center for Wild Bird Rehabilitation in early February of 2017. She was still in her juvenile plumage and having a rough first winter. Cooper’s hawks often injure themselves due to their aggressive hunting style (one study found over 20% had old…
2018 in Wild Bird Rehabilitation
By Lauren Adams Lead Wildlife Keeper 2018 was a big year at VINS for a lot of reasons. Here in the Center for Wild Bird Rehabilitation, you may not have been able to tell from the outside, but we had a LOT going on inside our little building. Around the middle of the summer, it…
In Memory of Kentucky
by Grae O’Toole, Wildlife Keeper Kentucky, approx. 2004 – 2018. Kentucky, the exhibit Eastern Screech Owl, passed away overnight on December 25th. Our records showed that he was at least 14 years old, but may have been older considering he came into care as an adult, and there is no easy way to tell the…
In Memory of Louis, the Great Gray Owl
by Lauren AdamsLead Wildlife Keeper Louis, 1992-2018. Photo by Grae O’Toole. Saturday, December 8th marked the end of an era at VINS. We lost a very special member of the VINS family, Louis, our Great Gray Owl. Louis was a favorite of visitors to VINS for many years. He lived a long life, and passed…
