Birds on the Road to Recovery in Rehab

Our Wildlife Education & Rehabilitation Program is just starting the busy season right now, so it can be difficult to pause long enough to share cool animal photos and stories. We did manage to photograph three current avian patients during treatment this week.

The first is a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak with an injured leg. Grosbeaks live in any type of woods, and have a very distinctive song that is said to sound similar to that of a robin, but more melodic, as if it were sung by an opera singer. The Center also has a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Click here to see the differences between the male and female Grosbeaks and to hear their song.


We also have a female Belted Kingfisher that is being treated for a fractured clavicle(collar bone). Unlike most bird species, the female Belted Kingfishers are more colorful than males, with a rust-colored band on their breast. Kingfishers are known for having a large head and bill for their small body size, which allows them to easily catch fish. They can even dive at 25 mph from great heights while hunting! The Belted Kingfisher can live in any area where there is an open body of water.


Another bird currently in treatment for a wing injury is a baby Rock Pigeon. Although many people often see pigeons as “dirty city birds”, humans have valued them for thousands of years for many reasons including as food and to carry messages. Their natural environment is rocky cliffs in the mountains and coasts of Europe. They are highly adaptable often utilizing man-made structures such as bridges and buildings for nesting which has allowed them to establish healthy populations worldwide.

The rescuer of the baby Rock Pigeon is actively searching to find the roost site in the hope that we can return the baby to its nesting family following treatment. Wild baby animals belong in the wild to learn from their parents. Please do not approach a baby animal unless it has been seriously injured.

Oftentimes baby animals may appear to be abandoned, when in fact the parents are staying away to protect them. A baby animal’s best chance of survival is to remain in the wild where their mother can care for them. If you have questions regarding a wild animal, please call Lake Erie Nature & Science Center at (440) 871-2900.