This Week at Liberty
March 25, 2025
Hoots, Howls, and Hollers
Megan Mosby
Executive Director
Baby Season: The Busy-ness Ramps Up!
It’s here! The baby season is upon us. My annual nesting visit from the hooded oriole and the Lucy’s warbler has occurred in my yard. To solidify the season’s arrival our supporters came out this past weekend to give us a hand at our Annual Orphan Care Shower, which is a huge boost to our preparation for the year’s orphaned wildlife arrivals in our hospital. It is never too late for you to jump in and help. And, there are many ways you can assist this year’s crop of badly needed babies.
Here are a few suggestions from our Wish List:
- 24 pack of paper towels (preferred: Kirkland)
- 24 pack of TP (any brand)
- 5-6 lb bag of bird seed (any brand)
- 5-6 lb bag of dry kitten food (preferred: Iams)
- 5-6 lb bag of dry cat food (preferred: Kirkland)
- Gift Cards valued at $10 or more to Frys, Chewy, Amazon or PetSmart
- Direct monetary donations are always welcomed, and we’ll do the shopping! Make a donation.
- And, we also welcome your time and hands to volunteer for an orphan care shift! Sign up to volunteer. We’ll train you!
However, let’s not forget the babies who are lucky enough to remain snugly in their nests with their parents for the entire breeding season…the really lucky ones. Many homeowners and observers of the nature in their environs are eager to assist mom and dad birds. Giving seeds, nuts, fruit and grains is a boost for the adult birds, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But, if you observe closely that isn’t what most adult birds are feeding to the nestlings.
Watch what the parents bring in to fill the gaping mouths of their hatchlings. The regular seed eating species do a big switch with the fastly growing little ones and mostly bring in insects.
The unfortunate catch to this is that sometimes our “pest”phobic society wants to get rid of the insects that might come into the yard and enjoy the garden or maybe make the big leap into the home….arrrrrrrrgh! By your adding food for the adult birds, this still leaves them with the huge burden of feeding their littles, who need the insects that are frantically being disappeared by the flagrant use of pesticides.
The ants, bees, larvae, worms, roaches, flies, etc… all those annoying infiltrators, to us…are being poisoned, killed, and taken out of the food chain. Those poisoned but not quite deceased…those just on their way out…often become easy prey for the parent bird who unknowingly passes the poisons along to their precious off-spring…leaving a failed breeding season for animals hard wired to reproduce. These insects are not just “pests,” they often are the most nutritious food source, and part for keeping the balance in our ecosystem. The birds feed them to their children supplying a great source of nutrition while keeping the insect population in balance… if left alone. So leave the work to the bird, and there’s no need for pesticide if we all can just be a little patient and let the system work.
If after the breeding season, you find the annoying pest problem is still a problem, then that might be the time for you to look at more drastic interventions. But, for the breeding season, I would suggest giving the poison a rest…well I would give it a rest forever because despite what some people say… poisons do go up the food chain.
The spring baby season is indeed here with all of its glories. We need to do everything we can to help it be a good year. If Mother Nature sends winds and rain at a bad time, take note. If bitty babies are found on the ground or come into harm’s way, at Liberty Wildlife we are equipped to help them. None of us, even the parent birds can protect against all odds, but let’s do everything we can to give this year’s babies a hand up.
There’s a lot you can do…now be a good doobie and take it to heart. If you need us, call our Hotline at (480) 998-5550 and leave a message…press #1 and then press #2. Some wonderful Hotline volunteer will call you back to help.
Thanks for caring.
This Week @ Liberty
The intake total for the year is now up to 785.
It’s always nice to take a little break, especially when you know the upcoming months are set to be busy. Admittedly, I’m lucky in the regards that a friend coming to town means I get to do that. Chill time at the house, reading, hanging with the pups…that’s my way of stepping back, rewinding, taking a deep breath, and readying myself for what’s to come.
Orphan Care season officially starts tomorrow! For those looking to volunteer their time, this is a seasonal position, once a week for four hours. And we definitely need people for this. You’ll be trained on-site to feed hummingbirds, doves, pigeons, and a whole lot of songbirds so that once they’re big and strong, they get released back out into the wild.
So apply today to help Arizona’s native wildlife get back out to do what they’re meant to do: Enrich our lives and be an integral part of our ecosystem!
Sometimes All You Need Is Time
Feathers are an imperative part of a bird’s life. Flight feathers provide the lift and thrust birds need to fly; down/semi-plume feathers trap air to help keep a bird warm; patterns help to create camouflage; and some, like on a great horned owl’s facial disk, help to push sound up into their asymmetrical ears to assist in triangulating sound to help them hunt.
Each feather does a different job, yet they’re all equally important. Which is why birds keep such good care of them. They preen and clean themselves with a gland on their backside that secretes an oil to do so. They bathe regularly. They rouse (where they lift all their feathers and shake them back down) to remove dirt and debris. Even when they molt, their body knows to molt the same feathers on each side to help balance things out.
This is why oil and other man-made substances can be detrimental to a bird. Getting caught in sticky substances makes it difficult, if not impossible, to fly. Which also means hunting for prey is hopeless (…and all that entails is never fun).
This great horned owl came in with an oily substance all over his feathers. Skinny and malnourished, the team of Midwestern University veterinarians and students were quick to get this raptor on a healing plan. With daily baths to assist in removing the substance, hand feeding, daily fluids and medicine to assist in preventing sickness, this magnificent bird of prey is well on his way to getting better.
But much like our western screech owl friend that was stuck on a sticky trap (next article), this healing takes time. Despite daily Dawn baths, substances like oil are difficult to remove, and often the bird will have to molt all their feathers before they’re approved for release. And with most birds typically molting only once to twice a year, this can take some time indeed.
The good news is that this raptor is a rambunctious eater and well on his way to getting stronger. For now, we give him time, and we wait.
Glue Traps and Why They’re a Bad Idea
Glue traps seem like a good idea; they’re small, manageable, and easy to use. They fit into tight spots that are hard for us to reach, where bugs like to hang. And for the most part, they do their job. They catch cockroaches, crickets, mosquitos; all the things we don’t want in our home.
The unfortunate reality, however, is that they don’t just catch bugs. They catch lizards, snakes, and yes, even birds: wildlife with delicate scales and feathers that succumb to the sticky glue on those traps that can harm their skin, and potentially even cause fractures as they attempt to get themselves free.
This western screech owl was lucky; with no fractures to speak of, it’s the feathers we have to worry about. With a combination of patience and (chinchilla) dust, medical service volunteer Teresa was able to carefully remove this little owl before giving him a Dawn bath to remove excess glue. Yet the issue remains; the glue, sticky as it is, not only removes feathers from birds, but it remains long after. Most, if not all, birds who come through our doors stuck to glue traps are not removed and released quickly. Between molting the feathers still stuck with glue, consistent daily baths to help remove the residue, and overall general healing, this can take a lot of time (depending on the bird).
Thankfully, this little guy is currently in ICU, getting daily baths with Dawn soap and hanging in a brooder. His weight is good, and over time, we’ll be able to get him outside to regain even more strength before being released.
With all that being said, I highly recommend other options besides glue traps. With as much as they help grab those pesky insects, the risk is great to grab others, too. You can find a good list of alternatives here!
Notable Mentions
Well well well, here we are again! Our seasonal Orphan Care program is officially open starting tomorrow, and events are on the rise (both those we throw ourselves and those by people coming to rent our campus!). Life is good. A lot has been happening these past few weeks, and I’m happy to indulge in the randomness that is my phone camera.
Without further ado, here are this week’s notable mentions:
A teeny noodle (aka night snake) is brought in from the cold, and promptly released back where he was found (4 pictures)
On a beautiful Sunday afternoon, we spotted at Liberty Wildlife: a green heron at the wetlands, a turkey vulture flying low, and a third-year bald eagle heading to the Rio Salado (3 pictures)
Logan the long-eared owl finds himself in a sun coma (3 pictures)
Thanks so much for reading, folks! Remember public hours remains from 10am-1pm on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, and our intake window is open 8am-6pm, rain or shine, 7 days a week. New events will pop up, too, throughout the year, so make sure to keep an eye out for announcements!
Until next time!
More Posts from Liberty Wildlife
January 28, 2025
Being an Arizonan is funny; I’m ready for the summer to be over as soon as those high temperatures hit, but once the cold comes (the true 30 degree kind of cold), I’m ready for that heat again.
September 24, 2024
The cooler morning weather is not just well deserved, it also means that our Orphan Care season has come to a close and our rehabilitation side is slowing down.
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