Home Sweet Nest Box
‘Tis the season for nesting. And if you love birds, it’s a great idea to help them out by providing a nest box, which offers a protected, dry home for cavity-nesters. With deforestation on the rise, lots of birds are losing their natural homes — trees — and we should give them a hand.Recently, I…
All That Glitters…
… will soon be gold! Come May, the male American goldfinches now frequenting your feeders will shed their drab green-yellow wardrobe in exchange for bright gold and black feathers. It’s spring, and male birds need to woo their lady friends with handsome, eye-catching colors. Now a drab gray, the female goldfinches will molt into a…
The Smallest of Splints
While being bitten by a cat is far from pleasant, it’s even more of a drag if you’re a bird. If you are a bird and a cat sinks its teeth into your feathered flesh, you are at risk of dying even from a tiny bite. Why? Well, there are bacteria in a cat’s saliva…
The Allure of the Wild
Many people crave a close connection to nature. The allure of wild animals freely roaming the land and the mystery of the deep, dark woods has a strong pull for many. Sometimes, that craving for a deep connection to what is wild takes a troubling turn. Above, the northern cardinal in his mesh enclosure.Watch a…
The Fab Five
Five baby goldfinches made their way to VINS Wildlife Services last week. The little birds were brought to VINS when the tree the goldfinch family was nesting in was cut down. Received as nestlings, this quintet of black and gold cuties is beginning to fledge… causing just a bit of chaos (and lots of laughter)…
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Incubator Potatoes
VINS Wildlife Services has gotten its second wave of babies. Bird moms and dads are busy with their second clutches of babies, and that means we’re busy taking care of those that have become injured or orphaned. (Above: Two young robins asleep in the baby bird incubator; one dangling his head over the edge of…
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…
Got Waxwings?
UPDATE: VINS Wildlife Services was able to release this waxwing on Sunday in a Hartland neighborhood home to at least one known flock of cedar waxwings. Thank you to those who offered suggestions of locations to release the bird. We do appreciate your help! The VINS Wildlife Services department needs your help! We have had…
A ‘Small’ Procedure
Every bird that comes into VINS Wildlife Services for treatment receives a patient number. It’s great for keeping track of multiple birds of the same species, not to mention it’s the best way to maintain clear records of each bird’s examination and treatment papers. The first two numbers represent the current year, and the last…
