Baby Bird SeasonBy Veronica Bowers, DirectorSongbird Hospital of Sonoma CountyWildlife Rescue26 - www.westcountygazette.com - 4/16/09Can you hear them? Familiar songsand lilting melodies are filling thesweet air of spring. Each morning I ampleasantly awakened by the NorthernMockingbird’s gleeful proclamationthat spring is here and hormonelevels are high. Soon he and his matewill invest a tremendous amountof energy raising a new generationof mockingbirds and each day willbe filled with danger and the grimpossibility that none of their offspringsurvive.Last year The Songbird Hospital ofSonoma County Wildlife Rescue caredfor over 500 birds, from swallowsand swifts to robins and wrens, andapproximately 70% were releasedback to the wild. The majority of ourpatients are received April throughJuly, the peak of baby bird season, andmost of them are brought to us becauseof an anthropogenic incident – humancaused.In a perfect world, our humanactivities wouldn’t come into conflictwith wildlife and songbirds couldlive freely without the worry of theirhomes being destroyed by chainsawsor their young killed by a housecat.However, life on earth with humansis a reality, so it’s up to us to reduceour impact on the natural world. If weare thoughtful and consider the needsand habits of our feathered friends, Isincerely believe we can work togetherto keep songbirds safe. Here are someideas and helpful tips:• Tree trimming and brush clearing– If you haven’t taken care of thisby now, wait until fall. Songbirdsconceal their nests very well,making them difficult to spot.Therefore, it is best not to riskdisplacing a nest of baby birdsby accidentally trimming awaybranches that could be holding orconcealing their home.• Cats – Free-roaming domestic catsare responsible for the needlessslaughter of millions of songbirdseach year. Please, keep cats indoors.• Don’t be a kidnapper – With theexception of swifts and swallows,most baby birds fledge the nestbefore they’re able to fly. They aremostly feathered at this stage andwill spend time on the ground orlow in the bushes for a few days.They are very vulnerable at thistime and concern for their safetyis normal, but it is important tounderstand that this is an essentialpart of their development. If youthink a fledging songbird needs tobe rescued, please call us for advicefirst.• Fly strips, glue traps for rodents,Tanglefoot, Bird-X – Don’t usethese products. These cruel devicesand materials can and do entrapsongbirds and usually result indeath.• Don’t attract predators – If you feedbirds, avoid using seed mixes thatattract jays, crows and squirrels.They are predators of songbird eggsand babies.• “Look, don’t touch” – These wordscan save a birds life. Teach childrento respect wildlife and remind themthat if they believe a wild creatureis in need of human assistance, theyshould always ask an adult for helpfirst.• Be a good landlord – If you have nestboxes and they’re not occupied yet,clean them out before new tenantsmove in. Old nests can harborharmful parasites and bacteria.Always make sure nest boxes arepredator proof by mounting themon a metal pole or pole with apredator guard.• Know the law – All native birdsare protected by federal and statelaws, making it illegal to possess,kill or harm them or disturb theiractive nests containing eggs oryoung. If you find an injured, ill ororphaned bird, do not try to care forit yourself. This is not only againstthe law, but it nearly always resultsin death to the bird.Please call the Songbird Hospital ifyou have found a bird in distress orhave any questions about bird-relatedmatters.Songbird Hospital of Sonoma CountyWildlife Rescue8050 Elphick Road, Sebastopol(707) 484-6502The Songbird Hospital is program ofSonoma County Wildlife Rescue, anon-profit organization, and licensedby CA Fish and Game and US Fish andWildlife Services.
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