The Wide World of Wild Bird Rehab

Wild bird rehabilitators are an odd lot. We put up with things on a regular basis that no normal human would suffer even once. We dedicate great swaths of our lives to rescuing creatures who not only refuse to pay us for our efforts, but sometimes attempt to kill us for even trying. Still, we persevere.

We gaze fondly, sort of, at our bird-watching compatriots, who get to go on all kinds of cool trips and see awesome birds, then go home and put their feet up, have a beer, and sleep through the night. They are able to do this because they’re not feeding nestling bobolinks every 20 minutes, or fending off enraged trumpeter swans in order to rescue a fishing line-entangled cygnet, or rising at 3 AM in order to tube-feed an emaciated rough-legged hawk.

Do they know something we don’t?

What you will find on this site are not glorious photos of birds on the wing, but stories and photos of temporarily (we hope) grounded individuals. All have suffered some kind of trouble, but their unique personalities and remarkable spirits remain intact. There will be tales of mishap and rescue, of hope and kindness, of sorrow and loss and the occasional unexpected miracle; all told by the saintly and perhaps slightly off-kilter group of people whose mission is to return an injured wild bird to the sky.

Prepare to be delighted, appalled, amazed, and everything in between.

Originally posted on The Crooked Wing.