This Week at Liberty
September 10, 2024
Hoots, Howls, and Hollers
Megan Mosby
Executive Director
(Bird) Migration Crisis
Last night as you slumbered securely in your comfortable bed in your cozy abode, millions of birds passed over on their migration journey. They are hard-wired to make these heroic trips not because of the threat of cold weather per se in their breeding digs but because of the possible paucity of the food they depend upon as summer fades to winter. They are leaving their breeding grounds and moving into their non-breeding habitat in search of the perpetual summer where food is more plentiful. But not all of their journeys pass without issue.
At Liberty Wildlife during this time, we see an influx of new patients and avian visitors. Two of the main reasons for intake of these different species are presumed window collisions (head and spine injuries) and malnourishment. The path these avian aviators must take can be long, hard, and stressful. These long-distance fliers, like all pilots, need fuel. If food supply along the way is interrupted, they can present to us as mal-nourished. This can happen for many reasons….weather related, habitat challenges, or the mixed results of global warming. In addition, over half (millions to billions) of birds are the victims of window strikes. But, the purpose of my blog today isn’t to identify or address all of those global problems so much as to suggest what you can do to help, in your own little part of the world.
For instance, you can help by adding food, particularly native plants, and clean water to your yard as a respite for them.
Reducing hazards by adding decals to windows, screens to prevent the bird from seeing its image in the window can further prevent collisions. Hang various things to break up the large space that looks to them like more blue sky or perhaps make an effort to dim outdoor lights that confuse them at night. A cheap solution to window collisions is to disguise windows using tempera paint to paint designs (perhaps fall décor) over windows. These designs can easily be cleaned off after the migration is completed, or just when you want to choose a new design. There are many resources available and products to prevent window strikes.
Another critical step you can take is to stop using pesticides in your yard. One seed coated with neonicotinoids can kill a songbird. And don’t get me started on rodenticide, which moves up the food chain to all predators, including your neighborhood dogs and cats. And speaking of pets, keep them inside, particularly cats. It’s a no brainer—they are predators, after all!
Leaving leaf litter on the ground instead of raking it up neatly will allow for natural foraging and maybe provide some cover for the birds that normally utilize this foraging technique to obtain food. Leaving snags, bare limbs or “planting” a dead tree will allow for a resting place and a lookout point for a migrating bird.
Every little bit helps. Awareness is critical. Migration will go on, and we can either turn a blind eye to the problems, or embrace the simple changes in our environs that can help. I choose to appreciate it and to look at these new visitors with the hope for their immediate return to their migration path.
In the meantime, here is a list of new “faces” that we have seen recently at Liberty Wildlife.
- Sora rail
- Black headed grosbeak
- Summer tanager
- Western tanager
- Brewers Sparrow
- Scott’s oriole
- Bullock’s oriole
- Hammonds flycatcher
- Green tailed towhee
- Warbling vireo
- Bell’s vireo
- Plumbeous vireo
- MacGillivray’s warbler
- Lucy’s warbler
- Orange crowned warbler
- Nashville warbler
- Wilson’s warbler
- Black chinned sparrow
- Others seen on property as a natural migration visitor… just passing through.
- Green tailed towhee
- Black phoebe
- Rock wren
- Black throated warbler
This Week @ Liberty
I know I’ve been a broken record this year in talking about taking time off to explore the world and get back to nature. I have to admit, while I do love exploring Arizona (and everywhere else I can get to), I love my job enough that being gone this long makes me ready to be back. Refreshed, for sure, but willing to dive right back into the chaos that is wildlife rehabilitation.
And, with the changing of the seasons, that means the chaos is going to be shifting. Where we’ve had a ton of intakes (we’ve passed 9,000, people!), the hospital will slow down and we’ll see an influx of education programs, both on-site and off-site. That means field trips, desert botanical gardens for Las Noches de las Luminarias, and whatever else comes along, will give our education team the chance to chat about all our amazing wildlife here in Arizona.
Don’t worry, we’re totally ready for it!
Introducing the Most Widespread Bat in the United States…the Hoary Bat!
As most of you know, Liberty Wildlife will take in any native Arizona wildlife. From javalina to raccoons to bobcats, if a wild animal needs help, we’re here to get the job done. And while we won’t necessarily keep these animals at our facility to treat them (bats, for example, will many times be transferred to Arizona Bat Rescue where they can get more specialized care, and medium to large sized mammals will go to Southwest), we’re still able to utilize our staff and volunteers to stabilize them before deciding on the next course of action.
Animals included in this endeavor are, of course, the only flying mammal in the world… bats!
Here in Arizona, you might be surprised to learn there are twenty-eight species of bats (more than almost any other state). For the most part, they are our natural insect controllers; these little flying mammals can eat hundreds of insects a week, helping farmers with their crops, and us with, well, just keeping them away from us. And while we don’t see these little guys too often, every once in a while, we have one come through our doors, and my oh my are they a sight to behold.
This Hoary Bat was driven to Liberty Wildlife after flying into a wind turbine (did you know an estimated 76,000-152,000 Hoary Bats are killed this way each year?) As a migratory species, these bats spend their winter months migrating to warm, winter habitats (kind of like ours!). They tend to go for deciduous and coniferous trees, where they use their furred tail to wrap around branches with lots of leaves to hang out.
Primarily solitary creatures (in fact, so solitary it’s rare to see them), after mating in autumn, the female will head either to the north, south or central US to give birth to pups (sometimes twins, which is rare for bats) between May to July. Their male counterparts, however, head in the exact opposite direction, where they’ll hang in the mountains of the western US.
While I’d love to go on and on and on (and I absolutely could) about our newest addition, alas, it’s time to move onward. For now, this Hoary Bat has been transferred to Arizona Bat Rescue for continued care.
**Please note, while bats are mostly harmless, some may carry rabies, which is 100% fatal. Although rare, caution should be used when coming in to contact with a sick, or injured, bat. More information on the appropriate way to transfer a bat to our care can be found here.
Reference: https://www.batcon.org/species-spotlight-hoary-bat/
Lesser Nighthawks: Camouflage Central
Some of you may say you’ve never seen a nighthawk, but I will disagree; you probably have, and just didn’t realize what you were looking at!
These highly camouflaged birds are crepuscular (most active at dawn at dusk), and sit motionless during the day in rocks, foliage, and other areas to keep them safe from predators (and our summer heat). Once the sun begins to set, these zippy flyers (who tend to fly lower to the ground) make their way into expansive areas like parks and vegetated flats where their prey hangs: insects!
It can be easy to spot them when you know what to look for. Their long-winged, with a long tail and slightly rounded wings with a white bar near the tips of their wing feathers. Their grey and brown, too, which blends right in with our desert landscape. Around my area, they tend to hang around street lights, where all those moths and gross bugs I can’t stand to deal with hang out.
In fact, these guys only eat while they’re flying, which can make rehabilitation difficult. We take great care in dealing with these nightjars (medium-sized nocturnal or crepuscular birds which are characterized by long wings, short legs, and very short bills) as their beaks, while large, can be insanely delicate. Our volunteers are taught how to feed these little birds carefully.
Like our bat friend, I could go on and on, but I have to say, one of my favorite things about these birds are the kids. Nestling nighthawks can walk short distances from the nest just days after hatching. And, when being fed, they run right to the insects being given to them. Though they don’t fledge for twenty-one days, even at such a young age, these birds (like the one you see in these photos) are masters of camouflage. If you happen upon one, we always recommend waiting before grabbing it; mom and dad nest on the ground (literally in dirt and rocks beneath foliage), which means the babies hang there, too. Its most likely mom and dad have simply gone out hunting, but, on the off chance they don’t come back, carefully grab these tiny kids and bring them to us for the proper care.
Notable Mentions
It’s that time again! August has come and gone, meaning public hours is back at it! On Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, we’re open from 9am-11am with no scheduled programing (but you can still see all your favorite animal ambassadors!). Soon, these hot summer months will fade and we’ll be back to our fall/winter shenanigans, which means another busy education season, along with new events (so make sure to keep an eye out!).
Without further ado, there are this week’s notable mentions:
Three nestling cactus wrens find their way here after being removed from a bad nest situation (4 pictures)
The goaties hang in the dust aka the goat flowers (1 picture)
Laura Hackett hangs with Cisca, a three-year-old Bald Eagle, at a convention in Glendale (2 pictures)
Our Coachwhip snake friend is doing well with his treatment! (1 picture – taken by Dr. Schultz)
I’m a little short this week, but I promise to make it up to you the next blog! As always, thanks for being here and taking the time to read and catch up with all the happenings at Liberty Wildlife.
Until next time!
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