Raven Trifecta
The three orphaned nestling ravens we took into our care back in April are now living life as nature intended: in the wild. The VINS Wildlife Services department successfully raised the three youngsters from nestling to fledgling, and the trio was released into the wild last week. In the photos below, VINS Wildlife Keeper Sara…
Time to Fly
Remember those three big, awkward raven babies? Well, the ravens brought into our care back in April are now full-grown and ready to go. Watch a video of the ravens flying in our flight cage! These young birds were brought to us after a logger disrupted their nest when he cut down their tree. A…
X-Ray Vision
Our “toxic crow,” who was admitted to the VINS Wildlife Services department in March, was recently brought to a local veterinarian for x-rays. While we were able to rid the corvid of toxins and bring down his fever when he first arrived, the bird still seems a bit off to us. He is eating and…
A Toxic Event
Recently, an American crow was brought to the VINS Wildlife Services department after a man had found the bird sitting in the snow, not moving and flanked by two other crows. While the other crows flew off when the man approached, the sitting crow did not. The crow’s body appeared to be shaking, so the…
When a Bird Can’t Go Back to the Wild
Not every bird that comes into our care is able to heal. Although we try our best with each bird — no matter what kind of bird it is — we are not always able to help every patient return to his or her home in the wild. Recently, a red-tailed hawk was admitted to…
A Day in the Life
If there’s one thing that holds true in the field of wildlife rehabilitation, it’s that one day is never quite like the next. Monday you may be hydrating a red-tailed hawk subcutaneously (beneath the skin), and Tuesday you might find yourself suturing an open wound on a ruffed grouse. To give you an idea of…
Confiscated Crow
I love crows. I love them so much that I’ve nearly driven off the road trying to catch a glimpse of them as they fly overhead while I’m driving. I love all birds, but crows — and their corvid cousin, the raven — are at the top of the list for me. I can’t quite…
Video Babes
Baby bird season is officially underway here at VINS Wildlife Services, and we have a bunch of videos posted here for your viewing pleasure. As of today, we have about 30 young birds in our care — ranging from wood ducklings to crows. While baby bird care has become second nature to the staff here…
‘Once upon a midnight dreary…’
In Edgar Allen Poe’s, “The Raven,” we meet a stoic raven “once upon a midnight dreary,” whose foreboding repetition of “nevermore” sends a young man into a state of madness. In England at the Tower of London, it is believed that if the ravens who reside on the grounds leave, the kingdom of England will…
I’m So Blue…
“But I’m getting better!” we can just imagine one of our fledgling blue jays saying. On May 31, a young blue jay was found on the ground in Essex Junction, VT, struggling to move. Believed to have fallen from the nest, the bird had broken his leg, with the bone poking clean through the skin.…
