Fly Away (crow) (Corvus brachyhrynchos)

On July 16, 2010, Discovery Southeast, a nature education group, was on an outing with a group of kids at Juneau’s Point Louisa when they spotted a crow that had gotten stuck in a rock and couldn’t fly.

Kaitlin, the leader of the group, called the Juneau Raptor Center’s emergency pager.  Two volunteers responded and the group watched them run up and down the beach trying to catch the crow. The kids were very interested in the crow and what was going to happen to him so we spent some time talking to the group.

We later examined the crow and found nothing wrong; he was, however, a very young crow. He was kept in a kennel for a few days to make sure he was okay and then was later transferred to a larger enclosure so he could practice flying.

Before he was released we brought the group back to see the crow one last time in the flight mew.  The Discovery Southeast kids named him Fly Away because he couldn’t fly and now he could. We all left, leaving the door open for the crow to self release. We went back after a few hours and found that the crow had indeed lived up to his name, Fly Away.

Thanks to this great group of kids and their leader for taking the time to rescue this young bird and coming back to see he’s recovered and was able to be released!  Learn more about Discovery Southeast at their website:  www.discoverysoutheast.org.

Stevie (Juvenile goshawk) (Accipiter gentiles)

On August 13, 2010, three Juneau residents reported that a bird had come into their yard, was being chased by ravens and appeared to be a hawk. They were nice enough to deliver the bird to a JRC volunteer. Initial exam revealed a young and scared juvenile goshawk. She was put in a large kennel and spent time laying down.

The bird was examined soon thereafter and everything looked normal. The bird was also administered subcutaneous fluids, her tail was wrapped to protect the feathers and it was necessary to force feed her. It only took a couple more days and the bird began to eat on her own!

When put into a large outdoor enclosure, she immediately showed that she could fly to the high perches – a good sign. Being in captivity is extremely difficult for goshawks and our goal is always to release birds as soon as possible. The bird was released on August 20 on Juneau’s Montana Creek Road. Upon release the bird flew away and perched in a clump of trees. She was observed for a brief time; checked on later that day and was still in the same spot. On August 21, we checked back and are glad to report she has moved on.

Smokey (raven) (Corvus corax):

On July 29th, 2010, JRC volunteers responded to a call about a raven that was assumed to have been hit by a car in the parking lot behind the downtown Juneau fire station. Scott Philip called in the report after seeing the hurt raven.

By the time volunteers arrived, Smokey was reported to have last been seen being chased by a cat and squawking. After he was rescued, examination revealed no broken bones and he was found to be a young raven. He was kept in a large kennel to rest and recuperate.

After a few days he developed an infection on his leg and his appetite decreased significantly. He was treated with antibiotics and gradually became better, finding things to play with in his kennel, such as pulling the covering on top of the kennel through the holes. He was recently released into a larger enclosure with another raven so he can fly and get ready for his eventual release. His caretakers thoroughly enjoyed the time they spent taking care of Smokey - he is quite the character!
Updates will be posted.

Moses (hermit thrush) (Catharus guttatus):

On July 29, 2010, JRC responded to a call about a baby bird that some children had plucked out of the Mendenhall River here in Juneau. How it got there is a mystery but it seemed to be healthy. That’s also why the bird was named “Moses.”

At first force feeding was necessary it but it didn’t take long for it to figure out that if it opened its mouth it would get some food. The bird was fed every couple of hours during the day. Parent birds do not feed their babies during the night so the bird’s caretaker got some rest..

After a few days the bird was placed in a glass aquarium with mesh top and was eating some berries on its own; eventually small crickets were introduced from the local pet store. It took to those right away and was chasing them around and capturing them on its own. It really seemed to enjoy this.

A couple of days later it escaped from the aquarium when the lid was lifted to clean it. It made several passes around the room before capture. The bird’s caretaker knew it was time for it to go

On August 12 the bird was released back to the wild where it flew off and landed in a tall tree. Another success story, thanks to some great kids who were willing to wade out into the cold river to rescue a helpless little bird.

Duke (sharp-shinned hawk) (Accipiter striatus):

Early on August 6, 2010, a page was received from a resident on Juneau’s Mendenhall Peninsula Road. The caller said a bird had crashed into his window. His investigation revealed a raptor on the ground and not moving. He took the bird, put it in a box with cushioning and kept it in a quiet area.
Two hours later he reported that the bird was still alive. He graciously delivered the bird to a JRC volunteer for care.
Treatment started out with medication to treat the head injury. The bird was subdued, sometimes laying down, initially would only open one eye and had his head tucked under a wing.
By the next morning he was alert, perching, ate his first meal and appears to be doing well. Updates will be posted.

Clinger (barn swallow) (Hirundo rustica):

On August 1, 2010, Clinger, a baby barn swallow, and two siblings fell out of a nest in the Fishermen’s Bend area in Juneau’s Auke Bay. Volunteers picked up the three babies and immediately began feeding them. Baby barn swallows are hungry about every 15 minutes during the daylight hours.

Within two days, despite our best effort, two of the babies died.  Clinger however, was a survivor. At first, he would call out that he wanted food, but as soon as he saw his human caretaker, he closed his mouth. We initially had to force fed him however he quickly adapted and from then on he was ready to open his mouth when approached. I guess he didn’t like the force feeding!

We have been quite successful at keeping him alive; however, it may have been too successful as we had difficulty releasing him. He wanted to stay with his human family and would fly after them as they tried to leave which is why he was given the name Clinger. He was successfully released a few days later. His caretaker watched as he was greeted by several swallows and flew out into the sunshine to learn how to be a bird. He was a sweet bird.

Juvenile bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus): It’s a baby!

The report was typical. While walking on a trail July 24, 2010, along Juneau’s Mendenhall River, Sandy’s dog had alerted her to the presence of an eagle along the fence separating the Riverbend Elementary School from the river. Sandy described a juvenile eagle that refused to move when approached. Sandy reached the Juneau Raptor Center by calling our pager (790-5424) and then agreed to meet the volunteer and guide them to the eagle’s location. This is always appreciated by the volunteers.

Meeting at the school, the eagle was quickly found, captured and covered with a sheet to minimize stress for the bird and headed for the car for transport to a volunteer’s house. The original assumption was this was a bird from last year that was having a little trouble making a living. But as the bird was being put into the kennel: Surprise! This eagle still had down on its back, not feathers. A quick check of the wings, half covered with the white sheath known as wick,* confirmed this bird was just out of the nest and a mite too early at that as there was no way it could fly and it probably didn’t glide all that well either. The bird was wet, cold and hungry but was soon bathing in the warmth of a heat heat lamp and getting fluids to counter dehydration and provide some nutrition. The bird is currently doing very well but still sleeps on the floor of the kennel like a nestling.

After living on fluids and then chicken livers for several days the bird is now heartily eating salmon and should soon be transferred to a flight mew where he can get some flying practice before he is released. We may have to construct a temporary nest box until this young guy realizes he should be perching on branches and not sleeping on the ground but once airborne we are sure the perching will begin.

8/3/2010:  This juvenile bald eagle has now been transferred to the flight mew.  There he can exercise his wings, learn to fly, eat as much salmon as he desires, bathe in his own kiddy pool and gain strength.  We have many different height perches in the mew and we look forward to this next step in his rehabilitation. 

*Wick and feather growth. When a bird’s feathers begin to grow they have both a blood supply and a nerve and are often referred to as blood feathers as they will bleed if broken. The growing feather is tightly wrapped in wick which is similar to the material our fingernails are made of. The wick protects the growing feather. As the feather gets to be full size the blood vessel and nerve are absorbed and the wick begins to flake. After the wick is removed the barbs on the feather shaft expand to their full length and the feather is fully formed.

Photo courtesy of Jose Colon

Nootka (Canada Goose gosling) (Branta Canadensis): 

On May 22, 2010, a woman sitting on the beach at her home in Auke Bay was startled when a Canada Goose gosling hopped up on her foot. She quickly searched the area for the mother but could not find any geese around. She called the raptor center and we have been caring for the little guy ever since. He has been named "Nootka.”  We will care for him until it’s time for him to be released. 

July 2010 update: Nootka has been released back to the wild! As you can see from these pictures, he has grown up and is also doing double duty in caring for other ducks. They stay together in the pond and sleep togther on shore. Nootka is a good Papa! Like Petey, he is also enjoying being close to a pond!

Nootka with the two ducklings he is raising. These are the ducks that came from Susan Walker. Nootka has adopted them. They stay together in the pond and sleep togther on shore. Nootka is a good Papa!

A juvenile mallard ducking was picked up from the Gastineau Humane Society on May 22, 2010.   It was brought to the Society because no parent was around. He was put in a kennel with a heating pad underneath, a stuffed animal & lots of towels for it to burrow into.

I decided to call him "Petey" because his little noises sounded like peeps. He quickly adjusted to his new surroundings and he began eating shortly after being in the kennel. After a few days, he was taken outside and placed in a small enclosure to bask in the glorious sunny weather we were having at that time. He also enjoyed "swimming" in the small pan we had for him. After about an hour or so, he needed to be put back in his kennel home to warm up and rest.

We soon found that he enjoyed eating bugs, small slugs and worms that we caught for him. The whole family got involved in finding and feeding Petey bugs.

He has grown to over twice the size since we've had him and he is not as comfortable around humans as he used to be.  This is a good sign since we do want to release him one day. His real feathers are starting to grow in now, so hopefully when he is fully feathered, he can be released in a pond with wild ducks that a member has abutting her property.

July 2010 update: We don't have his most recent photo but we're happy to report that Petey was recently released and is enjoying his time in a nearby pond with Nootka and other ducks!

Fireside (barred owl) (Strix varia): 

Received on February 6, 2010. The car was traveling out-the-road as it is referred to in Juneau when the headlights lit the owl on the side of the road.  But this owl didn’t move when the car approached.  The people stopped and it was immediately obvious that the owl was injured but there was no way to tell what had happened.  These good folks picked up the owl and delivered it to a local falconer associated with the Juneau Raptor Center. The next day the owl was brought to the home of one of the Center’s rehab specialists for initial treatment.  The owl’s right eye was closed and it had all the symptoms of a severe head injury; based on the location where it was found it is assumed the bird was struck by a car.

Treatment was started and the waiting game began.   Head injures bring numerous complications and we didn’t know what was in store for this bird.  A visit to the vet revealed an eye injury but no broken bones.  Slowly the bird rallied and is now showing the inquisitive nature of the owls.  He watches the person who provides his care and food and seems to be interested in everything going on in the garage that is now his temporary home.  The bird can feed himself (he was initially hand fed during the early stages of his treatment) and is getting stronger every day.   If this bird can be released is still a question.  There is a problem with the right eye and he may be blind in that eye.   The person caring for the bird has been in contact with the Owl Foundation in Toronto, Canada about the potential for releasing this bird.  But there is still some treatment and observation needed before a decision can be made.  Check back for an update!

August 2010 update:  This bird has made quite a turnaround.  When first placed in a large outdoor enclosure, this bird was very docile and not acting at all like a wild bird.  We're glad to report that he now has transformed into a normal-acting owl; when we enter the enclosure, he will "clack" his mouth at us -- warning us to stay away.  When approached, he also flies away strongly.  He has a great appetite and has demonstated he can catch/kill live prey.  One more visit will be scheduled with Dr. Preecs, Juneau ophthalmologist, to assist in determining if this bird can be released.