The week after our last blog post, the temperatures spiked for the first time this summer. When the temperatures spike, we see that more baby birds get hot and flee their nest, only to be found by the well-meaning public. On Saturday, June 11th, we had by far our busiest intake day so far this year, taking in 159 patients. Unfortunately, many of these intakes likely could have been left where they were found, if not for urban dangers such as busy roads, stray cats, etc. We’re hoping that this remains the busiest day of the year!

This chart shows the spike in intakes we received during our busiest week.

If you find a baby bird in your yard and aren’t sure what to do, visit the FAQ section on our website here: https://libertywildlife.org/emergencies/animal-care-faq/#toggle-id-2. Please make sure the animal truly needs help before bringing it in.

Cooper’s Hawks

Every year in June, when the temperatures spike, we see Cooper’s hawks of all ages start to bail out of the nest. Cooper’s hawks are Accipiters, which is a classification of hawks with short, broad wings and relatively long legs. They are smaller than red-tailed hawks and typically eat medium-to-small-sized birds.

Most of the time, the babies are fine to be left where they are, as the parents are very protective and will continue to take care of them. If they seem obviously injured from the fall out of the nest, have a swollen face and gunk build-up around their beak, are still very small and the majority of their body is covered in down, or are in imminent danger (near a busy road, in a construction lot, etc), they need to be rescued. Call our hotline number, 480-998-5550, leave a message, and we will dispatch a rescuer to bring them to the facility.

Animal Ambassador of the Week

If you’re planning to travel for the 4^th of the July, one of the birds you are likely to see (regardless of where you are in the U.S.) is a turkey vulture. Turkey vultures are scavengers, and they feed on a wide range of carrion. They spend most of their day soaring on thermal winds, waiting to smell their next meal. They are easily identified when soaring by their dark body and forewing, with paler, almost silver or white, flight feathers.

Bryce came to us in 2020 with a right-wing injury. We suspect he was hit by a car, which is not uncommon since they eat roadkill. The condition of the bone precluded surgery. When the fractures healed, it was observed that Bryce did not have full wing extension and would not have full flight ability, making him non-releasable. Bryce is one of three resident turkey vultures you can meet at Liberty Wildlife’s open hours.

The Orphan Care Process

The majority of our intakes over the summer are orphaned songbirds. There are four “sections” within our Orphan Care department that they may go to, depending on their age. The youngest of the birds start off in our brooders, where they are hand-fed at set increments of time (every 15 min, 30 min, etc). Once the bird can regulate its own body temperature, it is moved to a bin. Orphan Care volunteers will continue to hand feed the “bin birds” until they are self-feeding. Once we are sure they are self-feeding, they are moved to the Orphan Care annex. In the Orphan Care annex, they are put in with others of the same species to start socializing and getting used to the summer heat. We have a swamp cooler in the annex, to help them slowly get accustomed to the Arizona heat. Once they are accustomed to the heat and are nearing release, they are moved to the aviaries. In the aviaries, they build up their flight muscles so they can be successful in the wild.

Thank you to our Orphan Care coordinators and volunteers for helping with the long process of raising many baby birds! So far this year, we have released over 800 songbirds and doves!