Laura Quinn Bird Sanctuary: Keep Them Flying

   The Laura Quinn Wild Bird Sanctuary houses injured birds native throughout the Florida Keys. Hawks, owls, finches, shorebirds, and turkey vultures are just some of the many species that make up the diverse range of birds that this rehabilitation center takes care of. All of these birds have their own stories, but share one thing in common and that is that they would probably not be able to survive on their own without the help of the staff from the bird sanctuary, as well as the many people who donate and keep this place up and running. Luckily, natural selection does not play a role in the survival of these birds because they are fed well and protected from predators in the cages that they live in.

  If you see a bird in the wild and do not know what kind of bird it is click below
  http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/birds/

   Seeing all of these injured birds really made me question how most of them got to this point. For some of the birds, there were plaques that shared their story, but other birds were just a number of the many who tried to rehab after tragic times. Sadly, I feel as if most of the life-threatening injuries that these birds have experienced are due to human interactions. I cannot quite remember what type of hawk it was, but I read one plaque on the outside of it's cage that it was shot with a pellet gun. This was crazy for me to read because who in the right mind would shoot a hawk with a pellet gun?

   One thing that I am thankful for is that I got to get so close to birds that I should not get that close to. I almost felt guilty standing on the other side of the cage from these birds because I knew if they were healthy and in the wild they would truly want nothing to do with me.

   One bird that really caught my eye was a barred owl named Leopold. I turned the corner and he stood on his perch frozen staring straight at me. I have never been this close to such a large species of owl before. Leopold was found on the Tamiami Trail with a broken left wing. This broken left wing was the result of being hit by a car. Knowing that humans are the cause of so many injuries in these birds really hits home with me. I feel as if there is so much that can be done to save these birds. Donations to this sanctuary can be given at the link below.

http://www.keepthemflying.org