Lift the BIRDen: bird conservation tips

Today we visited the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center, where we got to see many birds with missing eyes to injured wings. The goal of the sanctuary is to rehabilitate injured birds and release them back once they have recovered. The ones we met today were those that could not be released back into the wild due to the nature of their injuries. In order to avoid this in the future, here are some tips. 

First of all, if you find an injured bird, you can bring it to a rehabilitation center. This is particularly important for birds that are threatened or endangered. These populations are already low, so every individual counts. If the population were to decline completely, it would leave a niche open, causing a cascade of ecosystem changes.

Pets also pose a threat. Birds make enticing prey for cats, dogs, and other traditionally domestic animals. When these pets are released into the wild, they upset the balance of an ecosystem. Even without being released, pets can chase and kill birds while let out temporarily, so it is best to maintain supervision. Thus, another way to prevent further decimation of bird populations is to keep pets indoors or on a leash at all times. Taking in feral populations to get spayed and neutered can also help prevent future decimation. 

As more and more development takes place, birds are robbed of their natural habitat. Since they have nowhere to go, it is important to consider ways we can compromise between human and animal needs. The Florida Keys Wild Bird Center mentioned that a large portion of the injuries they see are a result of birds flying into windows. UV reflective stickers are available that can be placed in windows in order to make them more visible while also being aesthetically pleasing for people. Even if that option is out of your price range, using painter’s tape also does the trick. It is also helpful to keep bird feeders, baths, and houses away from windows so the bird is attracted to something at a distance rather than lured in.