Two red-bellied woodpeckers and two black-and-white warblers were among the ninety-eight animals admitted to the von Arx Wildlife Hospital at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida this past week. Other admissions include four chimney swifts, a black skimmer, a barred owl, a nine-banded armadillo and a peninsula cooter.
Residents in a gated community noticed two red-bellied woodpeckers on the ground next to a fallen palm tree. They watched the babies throughout the day but didn’t see any parents, as the evening progressed, they were concerned the babies wouldn’t be safe on the ground overnight so they contained them in a box and took them home.
The family brought the nestling woodpeckers to our wildlife hospital the following day. Hospital staff had a long discussion with the family about the situation in which the woodpeckers were found. Staff always seeks to find out if renesting is a possibility. The family said they would go back to the scene and text photos of the yard. Pictures allow hospital staff to determine if renesting is possible.
A physical exam showed the babies were alert, vocal and while they didn’t have any visible external injuries, they showed signs of increased respiratory effort that indicated they were experiencing pain from the fall.
Hospital staff provided pain medication, electrolytes and settled the nestlings in an intensive care unit in the nursery. Due to their young age, the woodpeckers were placed on an hourly feeding schedule. Both woodpeckers looked strong the following morning and after monitoring them for several hours without having received additional pain medication, they showed no further issues and were cleared for release.
The woodpecker rescuers continued to be incredibly helpful. Not only had they sent pictures that showed two palm trees near the fallen palm, they spoke with the homeowners where the nest tree was located. The homeowners were so cooperative. They had been watching the woodpeckers, were also concerned when the tree fell down and were thrilled at the prospect of the renesting. Conservancy staff member, Ray Erickson, and von Arx Wildlife Hospital Volunteer, Michon Floreani, gathered renesting gear, a red-bellied woodpecker nest box, the two nestling woodpeckers and headed to the address where they were found. The family who rescued the woodpeckers met them at the location so they could watch the renesting.
Michon played a red-bellied woodpecker call on her cell phone to draw the parents back to the location, and their babies, as Ray attached the nest box to a palm tree. The baby woodpeckers were vocalizing once placed in the nest box and the adults were heard vocalizing from a nearby tree. Everyone cleared the scene with a plan for Michon to check back an hour later to see if there was any activity at the nest box, and there was. Michon saw the adults coming and going from the nest box, bringing food to their babies.
A similar situation with another red-bellied woodpecker nest occurred two days later. Three nestling woodpeckers were found on the ground. After spending a night at the von Arx Wildlife Hospital, Ray went to install a nest box and actually found a fourth baby woodpecker that had been overlooked in the debris of the fallen tree. The babies were placed in the nest box and their parents soon returned. Two successful renestings in one week was truly rewarding.
Wild animals are invested in raising their young but sometimes need help. These situations were inspiring because everyone was committed to fixing the situations so both pairs of woodpeckers could continue to care for their young. Having homeowners who are willing to accommodate the needs of native wildlife was inspiring, without support from the community, we aren’t able to do all we can for native wildlife.
Consider helping wildlife by installing nest boxes on your property. Many species of wildlife such as woodpeckers, purple martins, flying squirrels, bats and eastern screech owls will use nest boxes. Providing a nest box is a great way to encourage native wildlife to set up residency in your yard and most importantly, a secure nest box provides a safe place for wildlife to raise their young.
The two black-and-white warblers as well as three mourning doves and a red-bellied woodpecker were admitted after sustaining significant neurological injuries from window collisions. Treatment protocol is typically similar for head trauma cases that aren’t too severe – the warblers and two mourning doves received pain medication and were placed on supplemental oxygen in darkened animal intensive care units to rest. With most neurologic injuries, limited activity, minimal handling and cage rest are vital to make a full recovery. One mourning dove and the red-bellied woodpecker had severe head trauma and did not survive their injuries.
If you find a bird that has hit a window or lanai screen immediately place it in a ventilated box and bring it to the wildlife hospital. Even if the bird isn’t bloody or showing signs of severe injury (unconscious/unresponsive, broken wing or leg), they frequently have internal injuries that require medical attention and extended supportive care.
Collisions with glass kill millions of birds every year. Window strikes during breeding season are particular devastating because most birds have babies relying on them for survival. The death or injury of an adult bird can result in multiple deaths if they are actively nesting and caring for babies.
Please, if you have large expanses of glass on your home or office, take preventative measures to reduce or eliminate the reflective quality of the glass. Glass windows mirror the images of the sky, trees and clouds that fool birds into mistaking glass for an open flyway. Shutting mini-blinds, hanging wind socks in front of windows or applying decals to windows can alert birds to dangerous expanses of glass. For more information on preventing window strikes, visit www.abcbirds.org.
Recent Releases
A loggerhead sea turtle, a Florida softshell turtle, three blue jays, an anhinga, a black-and-white warbler, five mourning doves, two gopher tortoises, a laughing gull, two fish crows, an eastern cottontail, a common grackle, an eastern screech owl, and two brown pelicans were released this past week.
Opportunities to Help
Please visit the Conservancy website to view all the great work being accomplished at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. The von Arx Wildlife Hospital receives no local, state or federal funding; our work is supported through memberships and donations. Your volunteer time, donations, and memberships are vital in helping us continue our efforts to protect Southwest Florida’s water, land, wildlife and future.
Joanna Fitzgerald is the Director of the von Arx Wildlife Hospital at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, 1495 Smith Preserve Way, Naples, Florida 34102. Call 239-262-2273 or see conservancy.org.