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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