[…]with Wildlife Services. I oppose USDA Wildlife Services’ involvement in lethal wildlife management for several reasons. The agency lacks a regulatory framework, and behaves like a rogue agency that is totally out of control and accountable to no one. Members of Congress are demanding accountability from Wildlife Services, which is now being investigated by the USDA Inspector General for mismanagement and is under increasing public scrutiny for killing over two million native animals and pets last year alone, including thousands of coyotes, black bears, foxes, mountain lions, and other animals in California. Wildlife Services cannot be trusted to carry out […]
Bird Ally X and the Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge has an immediate need for volunteers to help care for wildlife impacted by Avian Botulism at the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Avian botulism is a strain of botulism that affects wild bird populations, most notably waterfowl and is not contagious. This is an opportunity to learn the foundational skills of wild aquatic bird rehabilitation and help by providing supportive care for local wildlife. Individuals who can commit to 1-2 week full-time volunteer days have the option of free housing on the refuge. Volunteer duties will include rescue transport, […]
A short talk by the author of Feathers, an excellent recent book on the natural history of one of the things that really makes birds […]
Nearly three weeks ago we admitted a patient for care, a juvenile, very thin, suffering from parasites, and barely able to stand. At this time of year, struggling young wild mammals are a relatively common patient for us. Youngsters run into trouble, on their own, and once weakened, succumb to all sorts of perils. Internal parasites, dogs and cats are life threatening to a youngster, and if you happen to be one of the most unloved and misunderstood animals who commonly live near the world of industrial civilization, people can be the biggest threat you’ll face – which is why […]
[…]impossible, but believe me, when Necessity is your only boss and a supportive community is your greatest ally, it’s astonishing what you can do. There’s a lot more housing needed, such as a raptor aviary, more songbird aviaries, a pelican aviary, a proper aviary for ducks, geese and herons, more mammal housing – and for all of this we need time and materials – and that means your support! Every year at this time we run low on resources – time is tight, patient needs are high, and spending a lot of time getting the word out and raising funds […]
[…]neighbors in distress! We helped ten times as many animals over the phone! When BAX took over managing HWCC in 2011, we were able to use this small underfunded facility (still small! still underfunded!) to demonstrate that highly effective patient housing can be built on a shoestring budget. The methods and techniques we developed here have gone into workshops and trainings for wildlife caregivers around the state and around the world. Helping our colleagues meet the challenge of providing excellent care on very little money is a major part of our mission. Every day we’ve rolled up the driveway to […]
[…]safe from the deleterious effects of the oily waste that comes from cleaning catch. Educational poster suitable for Marinas, Boat Launches, Fishing Docks, wildlife rehabilitation centers and other places. Designed by BAX and made possible by a grant from the Kure Stuyvesant Trust and support from the USFWS and California DFW. This poster is available for FREE while supplies last, plus shipping & handling. Available as a paper or all-weather vinyl poster. Free (plus $3.99 shipping & handling. Please note PayPal will charge $0.01 + […]
[…]BAX co-director, Laura Corsiglia took the bird on his journey south. Shannon Riggs performs a complete examination of the young Eagle. Restraining an Eagle is always challenging work. Just holding that much wild freedom, even in such a mournful condition, is a rarefied experience. It’s a lot to grasp. Dr. Riggs prepares the sedated Eagle for radiographs. A photograph of the x-ray… Even though we weren’t surprised, the results of the exam were devastating: a badly healed humerus, shortened by the injury and improper alignment; a nearly fused and immobilized left elbow; left radius and ulna suffered multiple fractures and […]
It’s a chaotic time in the world and in America especially, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic striking right when public leadership at the highest level in this country is at odds with public health. Every single day Humboldt Wildife Care Center/bird ally x opens our doors to the needs of our wild neighbors and no matter how frightening the times, our dedicated staff show up and get the job done. This is the first in a series of quick posts to catch up the news of our mission. Here we are, past mid-July, and our pandemic year is only intensifying. […]
[…]make treating wounds below their waterline difficult. Only recent advances in aquatic bird wound management have allowed for more of these birds to survive their injuries and be returned to their lives. In the past it was assumed that the weeks required for deep, penetrating wounds to heal meant that birds who need to be on water were not good candidates for rehabilitation. Many birds with such wounds were euthanized for humane reasons. With time and trial and error, rehabilitators have learned techniques that mitigate some of the negative outcomes of being kept off water as well as ways to […]