
“I’m speeding for a good reason,” I say in a rush, “There’s a wild bird in my back seat.”
The officer looks over my front seat to the dog crate on my back seat.
“It’s an injured osprey,” I say without smiling. “I’m its ambulance and it’s surprisingly hard not to speed.”
The officer raises his eyebrows in surprise. He asks for my license, but doesn’t ask me to open the crate. Good thing because that’s the other instruction I have to follow. Don’t open the crate. The bird will want out. The person I’m meeting in Victor is a trained raptor handler. She gets to open the crate, not me, and she’s opening a lot of crates lately.

There are no broken bones or joint problems so her injuries are rehab worthy. She has two injuries, not three. That matters too.
“If a bird has three significant injuries, that’s too much suffering and trauma,” Schonegg says. “That’s a lot to come back from and be successfully released. A great-horned owl hit by a car that has both wings broken and a broken leg, that’s three strikes. We should not treat that bird. We should let it have a peaceful passing.”

If she’s not ready by then, she’ll winter at the center and re-enter the wild when osprey return in April 2021. Her case is promising, but not all cases are. Some injuries don’t warrant rehab and some birds don’t need rescue.
“Young raptors leave the nest but don’t fly a lot, especially owls. They spend a lot of time on the ground,” Schonegg says. “We get a lot of calls about birds on the ground that can’t fly, but we try not to kidnap birds if we don’t need to.”

Here’s what to do when you find a grounded bird in your backyard or beyond.
Document:Take pictures or record video of the bird’s behavior. Keep your distance while doing this so you don’t add more stress to a bird that’s already stressed about being grounded. The rehabilitator will ask for photo or video so they can see what you see and determine the best course of action. They’re looking for signs of injury like a droopy wing, a limp leg or closed eyes.
Dial:Call your state wildlife agency or the nearest raptor center. Every state has a department that manages wildlife. They may not host injured animals, but they’ll know who does. Raptor centers can be operated by the government, but often are specialized non-profit organizations instead. The closest raptor center may be a few hours away, even in states that have multiple facilities.
Dark:The center may ask you to keep the bird safely covered in a dark place until they arrive. That means different things for different birds and has a lot to do with size. If the bird is palm-sized and barely moving, putting it in a box is doable. That’s out of the question for an angry eagle with a wingspan that’s wider than you are tall. Skip the box and try to cover a big bird with a blanket or towel that limits wing flap and what they see.
Diet:Refrain from tinkering with the animal’s diet. Raptors don’t drink water like we do. They don’t drink water like your dog does either. Raptors get much of their moisture from food. That food isn’t chicken and for many (ospreys being a notable exception) it isn’t even fish. Don’t offer wildlife food or drink while you’re waiting for help to arrive.
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