Waterproofing
As odd as it may sound, all bird’s feathers have to be waterproof for
them to survive. Feathers keep the bird insulated from heat, cold, and
rain. A bird in captivity will not preen and clean it’s feathers, so if
you’ve been forced to keep a bird for any length of time sitting on the
bottom of a cage unable to perch, it’s feathers are most likely dirty
and in need of waterproofing before it is released. The simplest method
to check if the feathers are waterproof is to fill a spray bottle with
warm water and spray the bird all over. If water beads up on the
feathers, then they are waterproof. If the water soaks in to the
feathers and makes the bird wet, then they are in need of cleaning.
This is done by filling a basin with warm
water, adding Dawn detergent after you’ve filled the basin so you don’t
make bubbles. Gently agitate the feathers until the water turns cloudy,
approximately five minutes, then place in another warm bath and repeat.
Rinse with warm water, dry off and place in warm cage. If the bird
shows signs of stress, rinse, dry and try again another time. Place a
heating pad on low under an appropriate sized pet carrier and allow the
bird to dry before placing back in regular cage.
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Cleaning Oiled Birds
In the unfortunate event of an oil spill in your area there will be
professionals sent in to help with the clean up and to rescue birds.
This has devastating effects on shore birds and water fowl and will
require expert care to help the birds to survive. You may, however,
come across a bird that has gotten into tar on a roof or cooking oil
behind a restaurant and their feathers will be stiff and oily. In
severe cases I have used bug and tar remover for automobiles, but only
as a last resort. Several applications of warm Canola Oil and several
washings in Dawn detergent should do the trick. It may take a few days
to get the feathers back into healthy condition before the bird can be
released. If they are allowed to preen they will ingest the oil and die.
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BIRD BANDING
In the 1920s the Federal Government started the Bird Banding Laboratory
of the Fish and Wildlife Service. Since then over 58 million birds have
been banded in the nest and tracked, mostly by concerned people who
find the birds in various circumstances and report their finding to the
Laboratory. Each band has a number and that allows the biologists to
track each bird to gather data on its habits and how well a particular
species is doing.
When you pick up a banded bird the
number on the band should be recorded and sent to the U.S. Department
of Interior, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, 12100 Beech Forest
Road. Ste-4037, Laurel, Md. 20708-4037, or call 1-800-327-BAND. You
should also document the condition of the bird and what happened to it.
They will send you a certificate of appreciation with information on
when it was banded, location, and so on.
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