The first thing to keep in mind is that baby birds, along with all other types of wild animals, have the very best chance of survival when left to be raised by their own parents. We wildlife rehabbers certainly try our best to raise orphans when there truly are no parents, but ultimately we can never recreate the lessons that an animal parent can teach their growing young. That’s why we always tell people to leave nests undisturbed, even if they are in an inconvenient spot. We do not want people to take babies away from their parents. In fact, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and international l ..read more

Bats need our help now more than ever! A recent report determined that over 50% of our native bats are considered at risk. Besides adding diversity and flair to local wildlife, our bats consume countless pest insects every single night. These nocturnal neighbors need our help now more than ever. Bat Conservation International’s Community Engagement Manager Erin Cord informs us about our local bats, the threats they face, and how we can help them right in the comfort of our own backyards! She also shared Bat Conservation International’s Guide to Gardening for Bats and a list of local native pla ..read more

Baby wild animals have the best chance to survive and thrive when under the care of their parents. Wildlife rehabbers do all they can to care for and raise orphaned animals when no other options are available, but a rehabber should always be a last resort. However, a squirrel should be brought immediately to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator if the animal: Photo courtesy of Newhouse Wildlife Rescue is bleeding, has an open wound, or clearly has a broken bone, has been in a cat’s or dog’s mouth, is covered in fly eggs (see photo, left), is cold, wet, or crying non-stop, is approaching humans o ..read more

“How insupportable would be the days, if the night with its dews and darkness did not come to restore the drooping world.” Henry David Thoreau The hours when the earth is dark are frequently thought of as a time when not much of significance happens. But as certain Indigo Buntings demonstrated in the 1960s, that isn’t really true. It was known that during migration these birds flew at night to reach their winter home in the Caribbean, but no one understood how they knew which way to go. Behavioral ecologist Stephen Emlen utilized a planetarium to determine that the birds used the night stars ..read more

City Wildlife Clinic Director Dr. Sarah Sirica presents a behind-the-scenes look at what happens with wild animals after they are dropped off at our center. Using videos and photos taken during the course of our work, she demonstrates how we perform physical examinations, treat common injuries and illnesses, and care for patients, large and small, common and rare. The post From Rescue to Release: A Behind-the Scenes Look at Wildlife Rehabilitation appeared first on City Wildlife ..read more

Collisions with buildings kill more birds than any other human factor besides habitat loss and domestic cats, and in urban areas, the problem worsens during periods of migration.  Researchers estimate that one billion birds die annually due to collisions with glass. Most neo-tropical songbirds migrate at night to avoid turbulence in the air and they navigate by the stars.  Passing over cities, they are often attracted to artificial lights and frequently strike transparent or reflective windows.  The blow can be fatal, or it can leave the birds injured and vulnerable to predators ..read more

A Red-Shouldered Hawk chick whom we could not save from rodenticide poisoning. It can start at the bird feeder, or maybe a public garbage can. Discarded food waste and garbage offer a smorgasbord for small rodents, who scavenge for a living. From there, it only makes sense that the animals who feed on those smaller animals, wild ones and feral or outdoor cats, are attracted secondarily. It’s a whole food chain, right in your neighborhood! In a city, rodent infestations are nearly guaranteed as populations grow out of control. Where there’s one rat or mouse, there are usually more. Unfortunatel ..read more

Insect pollinators are an essential part of the food chain’s foundation, both for humans and for all other animals. They are necessary for the reproduction of over 85 percent of the world’s flowering plants, including more than two-thirds of the world’s crop species. Alarmingly, a 2019 study reports that 40 percent of all insect species are declining globally and that a third of them are endangered. In North America a significant proportion of native bee species are at risk of extinction, as are 19 percent of the butterflies. Xerces Society Ambassador Tom Lindeman spoke to us about the importa ..read more

Take action for migratory birds – Join Lights Out DC online! Help City Wildlife save birds! If you see a dead bird on a sidewalk in Washington, DC, please take a picture and upload it to https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/bird-safe-dc, entering the address where you found it. If the bird is still alive, call DC Animal Care and Control at (202) 576-6664. Or between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., bring the bird to City Wildlife, (202) 882-1000. You are most likely to find migrating birds in April, May, September, or October. Your observations will give Lights Out DC a more accurate picture of the n ..read more

On March 23, 2023, Dr. Peter Paul van Dijk of the Turtle Conservancy, the Turtle Survival Alliance, and other turtle conservation groups presented a webinar on the status and conservation of Eastern Box Turtles. Here is a recording of his talk: The post Living with Box Turtles appeared first on City Wildlife ..read more