Wild Wings Educational Facility

In Morristown, NJ, I lived close to the Raptor Trust, one of the premier wild bird rehabilitation centers in the country. I only visited once, but was impressed with their facilities. It was sad to see so many injured birds, but comforting to see them being nursed back to health. It didn’t occur to me to ask what happens to the birds when they’re “better,” since most would never recover enough to re-enter the wild, and it was obvious that they couldn’t stay there indefinitely. Who knew that I’d move to a city that had a sanctuary for just such rehabilitated birds?

The day after Thanksgiving (perhaps a bit ironic, after just having eaten a bird…), we took our company – Charlie’s nephew, his wife and two little girls, and my niece and her boyfriend – to Wild Wings, in Mendon Ponds Park, where it has been for 10 years, since moving from Hilton. Wild Wings currently houses 29 birds, every one of which is permanently injured or impaired in a way that would hasten its demise in the wild, and one bobcat.

There were three handlers, each with a bird on his arm, greeting us (and lots of other visitors) as we approached. They explained that Wild Wings does not do any rehabilitation (it is staffed with volunteers, not biologists, vets, etc.), doesn’t take in birds directly from the wild, and does no breeding. They are a sterile environment, and only take birds from rehab centers, like the Raptor Trust, around the country. Apparently, there is a database of birds that are available for sanctuaries like Wild Wings, which are looking to house an array of different birds. Brook, the osprey on display, actually came from Utah, where it had been nursed after breaking a wing.

Many of the owls have been hit by cars, because they fly low and don’t have peripheral vision. Some of the birds were imprinted on humans, so could never survive in the wild. The beautiful 20-year old barn owl Melinda was captive bred to be in a breeding program, but failed breeding school! Amber, a 32-year old red tailed hawk (a breed which has a normal lifespan of 8-12 years in the wild), was a falconry bird for his first 9 years. Amber, a female Alaska bald eagle, had actually been shot by a sheep farmer (yes, it’s illegal to shoot a bald eagle…). Each bird had a sad story, but a happy ending here at Wild Wings.

Back to the bobcat. When it was offered to them, they couldn’t refuse. 20-year old Tara, who was curled up next to a volunteer in her enclosure, had been declawed as a baby, by someone hoping to illegally sell her as a house pet.

Alison feeding a chickadee

After seeing all of the caged birds, we took to the trail to try to feed some chickadees. My niece and I each stood with an arm outstretched, and a handful of sunflower seeds. Attracting the birds requires patience and stillness, as well as arm strength. I got lucky fairly quickly, and was startled by the birds alighting on my hand – they were so light, but they also wrapped their claws right around my fingers. We would have had more success if the ground had still been snow-covered, so I’m thinking of going back after the next snowfall! What a fun way to connect with nature.