Horned Grebe, Cold Waters

This Horned Grebe, a small migratory water bird, hit a window in our great city and descended to the walkway below. Like Loons, Grebes are meant for diving not for walking on or taking off from dry land. Grounded, he sat waiting for help. A passerby picked him up and phoned our Northerly Island bird hospital.

We treated the Grebe for minor head trauma and returned him back to water once he recovered. Unaffected by the cold waters of Lake Michigan, he flapped happily. We imagine that he was on his way from his summer home in northwestern Canada headed towards his winter home in the southeastern United States.

Thank you, Bob Vogelzang, for taking photos of this release and for giving us permission to use them on our blog!

Northern Saw-whet Owl Release

I am overjoyed that we were able to return three Northern Saw-whet Owls back to the wild. All three originally became injured by colliding with windows. Two have been in our care since spring migration while the third became injured just a couple of weeks ago during fall migration.

Northern Saw-whet Owls weigh half as much as Illinois' smallest year-round resident owl, the Eastern Screech Owl. Like all birds of prey, males are smaller than females. For a Northern Saw-whet, that might mean 70 grams for a male and 100 grams for a female - less than 1/4 of a pound.

Northern Saw-whets passing through Chicago probably summer in Wisconsin or Canada and spend winters as far north as southern Illinois to as far south as the southern United States. One of our volunteers informed me that a Northern Saw-whet has been known to winter at Morton Arboretum and has been sighted in the same tree winter after winter. Flint Creek Wildlife has never admitted a Northern Saw-whet except during migration.

Check out the photo gallery on our website for additional release photos.

Safe travels.

Two Endangered Birds Return to Wild

Yesterday was the first time in Flint Creek Wildlife's history that we've released two endangered species in one day....both birds were American Bitterns, a medium-sized heron that is known for being secretive.

American Bitterns are deceiving. When not extending their necks, they seem fairly small. But watch out and wear safety glasses! An experienced Bittern rehabilitator will always control a Bittern's head else risk losing an eye. Bitterns spring on their legs like pogo sticks and they extend their necks like being ejected from a cannon. (Our photo gallery contains release photos from October 24, 2006 that illustrate this very well.)

Anyway, we've admitted three American Bitterns thus far during fall migration. One has a broken wing (ulna) and will be with us for some time. The other two suffered from head trauma - one severe and one mild. These are the two that were released today.

We videotaped the second release, so we only have one still photo of the second bird. See our photo gallery for all of today's release pictures and stay tuned for video....

And, yes, we released this bird in wetlands, but he flew off to the woods instead of the wetlands. We're confident he went back to the wetlands after we left. The second Bittern flew along the water until we finally lost sight of him....what a breathtaking sight.

Dawn

Blue-headed Vireo Release

Back in May, I reported on a Hooded Warbler that our rescue and recovery teams picked up after it hit a building in downtown Chicago. The Hooded Warbler was at that time the first of that species that we'd ever treated at Flint Creek Wildlife. Fortunately, like 90% of the head trauma cases triaged at our Northerly Island facility, the bird recovered and was released.

Many of you probably don't realize how many different avian species we treat each year. At our Northerly Island facility alone, we treated 74 different species of birds in 2007. (The total species count between Northerly Island and Barrington was even higher.) Still, Chicago, which lies on a major international migratory flyway, provides respite to a wealth of bird life. And even though most species we treat aren't a "first" for Flint Creek Wildlife, we are occasionally surprised.

So when a member of the public phoned saying that the injured bird with the amazing coloring must be an escaped pet bird, I responded that it was probably a migratory bird that hit a window. I admit that even I was surprised to see this little beauty with a blue head almost reminiscent of a parakeet.

The Blue-headed Vireo recovered from her head trauma and was released. We opted to videotape the release, but offer you the below still photo just before her release.

Blue-headed Vireos summer in the far northernmost reaches of Michigan and in much of Canada while they spend their winters in the southeastern United States. Cornell's Department of Ornithology reports that they very infrequently collide with windows....perhaps this is why we've never before treated one. Let's hope that they never again collide with windows in our great city!

Good luck, little Vireo.

Dawn

It's Migration Season Again

The start of fall migration is here and it's time for us to get ready to rescue birds that have hit the buildings in downtown Chicago.

Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation's rescue and recovery teams patrol buildings in Chicago's downtown loop each morning during migration in order to save birds that strike buildings. These birds are transported to Flint Creek Wildlife's nearby Northerly Island location where they receive prompt medical care for their time-sensitive injuries.

Thousands of birds strike glass on Chicago's many buildings during their twice-yearly migration through the city. These stunned birds fall to the ground where they lie unconscious. Without intervention, they are stepped on by unaware pedestrians, eaten by hungry gulls or die a slow death without the benefit of medical treatment. These birds include many beautiful warblers, woodpeckers, thrushes and buntings, among others. Last year, an amazing 90% of birds that arrive for treatment at our Northerly Island facility recover and can be released back to the wild. Timely treatment is important to survival rates and rescue teams ensure that birds can be treated by our trained staff at Northerly Island where they will have their best chance of survival.

Training will be provided. Interested volunteers should complete the volunteer application on our website at www.flintcreekwildlife.org/volunteer.htm.

Thanks for helping us Save Lives.