Nature Blog

Nevermore: Returning a Raven to the Wild

by Jordan DaleyScience Outreach CoordinatorHalloween is not my favorite holiday. Shadows obscuring a midnight sky, dry leaves rattling against my window, scary stories, haunting and ghosts; none of these are among my favorite things. I like to spend the weeks surrounding October 31st partaking in entirely un-creepy activities, like baking or yoga. As a kid,…

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Baby Birds Have Arrived!

by Calah Beckwith, Lead Wildlife Keeper It was a little late in coming this year, but baby bird season is upon us! We are busy feeding many of these little guys every thirty minutes, but I wanted to take a moment to share some photos of the current crew. Two of the first babies to…

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Why So Blue?

by Sara Eisenhauer Wildlife Services Manager On June 18th, VINS’ Wildlife Services Department received its first baby Blue Jay of the season. Blue Jays have always been one of my favorite birds, so you can imagine my excitement when I heard of its arrival. However, this little jay wasn’t feeling so excited – it had…

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Do the Crow Jig

This American crow — who came to VINS with a swollen head and bleeding from her mouth, her eyes, and her nares (nostrils) — is on the road to recovery. We believe the bird was struck by a car, based on her injuries. While the crow is now partially blind in one eye, her spirits…

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Up Close with a Raven

Checking the mouth for signs of blood and overall hydration. Each bird that comes to VINS for care receives a full exam upon arrival. We check everything: eyes, ears, nares (nostrils), legs, wings, body, and more.  Watch a video of this raven’s exam. Yesterday, we received an injured raven who had been seen hopping around…

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Such Sweet Sorrow

The young crow who came in several weeks ago with a broken leg has successfully been released back in his home territory! Read about the juvenile crow’s history in our previous blog entries here and here. The crow was picked up from VINS last week, after we successfully splinted and healed a severely broken leg,…

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A Splint Success

Remember this juvenile American crow, whose leg we splinted after the bird came in with a fracture above his ankle? His tarsometatarsus (a bone in the bird’s leg) snapped in two after his leg became tangled in a fence. Enjoy this video of our newly-healed crow in his enclosure, making the young crow noises we’ve…

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Good as New

This young American crow first came to VINS on May 28th, 2011. He had become tangled in a fence and his leg was snapped, right between what is equivalent to our knee and ankle. He happens to be a very popular little bird, too. Not only did three humans work together to remove him from…

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Old Crow Medicine

An American crow was recently admitted to the VINS Wildlife Services department, presenting with an oozing infection in both eyes we suspected to be conjunctivitis. He showed no other injuries. In the photo above, VINS staff discuss the crow’s ocular predicament after his initial exam. Below is a close-up of one of the infected eyes.…

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Crow Allure

Apparently there are other crow-lovers out there like me — people who love the black feather, the dark eye and the wild antics of the American Crow. Crows, with their natural curiosity and bold attitude, can be found in riotous murders by the hundreds, or quietly perched atop a tall, roadside snag observing the local…

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