Photo by Isabel Luevano
Our first orphaned baby bird of the year has arrived. (Update: And we now have this bird on our live BirdCam.)
Among the patients in care at our San Francisco Bay center is this Canada Gosling, found injured at Heather Farm Park in Walnut Creek, CA and transferred to us from our partners at Lindsay Wildlife Museum.
Our veterinarian, Dr. Rebecca Duerr, splinted the fractured tarsometatarsus as you can see in the photo above. The gosling is currently in a warm incubator, and we’re limiting human contact to avoid habituation.
Goslings grow incredibly fast, reports rehabilitation technician Isabel Luevano. “He weighed 77 grams yesterday, and today he weighs 95,” she says.
We expect him (or her) to heal quickly. Once large enough, we’ll place this orphan in a special enclosure with shallow water and plenty of food.
Further reading on Canada Geese:
• Canada Goose profile on All About Birds
• Profile on National Geographic
• Canada Goslings on YouTube
• Also: Found a baby bird? Audubon gives tips on what to do.
One week in, we’re over halfway to our spring drive online goal of $25,000. Will you join us? You can make a donation at any level, or become a sustaining member as part of our Seabird Circle. We never know when the next wildlife emergency will strike, sending stricken birds to our doors, but thanks to the generosity of donors like you, we can be prepared to care for them whenever they arrive.
Photo by Cheryl Reynolds