Education

Keep Our Wildlife Wild!

Written by: Amanda Burke, Wildlife Rehabilitator & Intern Coordinator

X-Ray of Patient# 1683’s right wing fracture

In September 2021, a Brown Pelican was admitted to Pelican Harbor with a fractured humerus bone in its right wing. Orthopedic surgery was performed where multiple pins were placed in cross sections across the bone to stabilize the fracture and enable the bones to fuse properly. In addition to the pins, an external fixator device was also placed at the site. This involves a piece of acrylic encased in a tube that is placed on the outside of the wing to keep the pins in place and limit rotation so the bone heals properly. This type of surgery is a huge undertaking for wounded animals, as the stress of going under anesthesia for long periods of time can cause adverse reactions. Thankfully, patient  #21-1683 made it through the surgery successfully. What followed was 6 months of hard work on the part of not just the rehab team but the pelican himself. Every day he received physical therapy and medications to aid in his healing. We had to ensure he would have a full range of motion in his wing so that he could fly, hunt for food, and most importantly, live and thrive on his own in the wild.

X-Ray of Patient# 1683’s external fixator device

In March 2022, 6 months after its initial intake, release day finally came for our pelican. He had completed his physical therapy and proved to us he could fly and hunt on his own despite a persistent but benign wing droop. This is the happiest day for our rehabilitation team because it’s the culmination of all our worry and hard work. Undoubtedly, it’s the best day for the animal too! He was released with another pelican on our property here in Miami, where they flew off together, and we considered it another successful release. 

However, over the next couple of months, we got numerous calls from people worried that the pelican was unable to fly due to his wing droop. After some time monitoring him and multiple visits to the jetty, it was determined that he was not thriving in the wild due to consistent human intervention and he was brought back to PHSS for further evaluation. We decided to relocate him to an area that would not have the amount of human interaction he had in his previous release area.

Patient# 1683 with injured right wing

 Then, we started getting calls about Facebook videos being posted of people interacting with him in various ways around the Haulover Jetty area–touching him, petting him, feeding him fish, and attempting to “help” him even though he was more than capable of taking care of himself. Despite numerous attempts of release at different locations, the pelican kept returning to the Haulover Jetty, where he had seemingly become irreversibly accustomed to being fed by humans. Because of this, he was deemed unreleasable by our veterinarians and had to be permanently placed at a sanctuary, where he will live out the rest of his life in captivity. 

Please remember when you see a wild animal, they are just that– wild. Always be sure to keep your distance, and never feed wildlife. In order to thrive and survive, they need to keep their wild instincts. When animals become habituated to humans, they no longer want to look for their own food and instead spend their time in heavily populated areas. In the case of pelicans specifically, when they start to see humans as a source of food, they end up getting hooked because they hang out in fishing areas. This results in various injuries and entanglement, sometimes ingesting the hooks themselves which can ultimately result in death. Additionally, people feed them food that isn’t meant for them which can get stuck in their throat or make its way to their stomach where it then destroys their intestinal tract because it is too big for what their bodies are supposed to eat.

The best way to be a friend to wild animals is to stay as far away as possible and let them live their lives without our influence. As always, refrain from feeding, holding, or petting wild animals, no matter how friendly they may seem. 

Our Valuable Vultures

Written by: Lucy Wiedmar, PHSS Intern

We’ve all seen it - the ominous collection of large birds gliding high in the sky, seemingly flying in circles around a concentrated area. Often thought to signal that death is near, you ask yourself what the unlucky soul had to endure. The soaring birds in the distance, flying in their ritualistic circles, cruising the wind currents, are most likely members of the new world vulture family.

Florida is home to two native species of vultures, the Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) and the Turkey Vulture (Cathartes Aura). Both vulture species are in the taxonomic order Accipitriformes (which includes most diurnal birds of prey), and the family Carthartidae (consisting of five new world vulture species.) These two species can be differentiated by the distinct difference in head coloration, with black vultures having a solid black coloration on the head and bill, whilst the turkey vulture differs in a red/pink coloration of the head and a white-toned bill. While in the air, these two vultures can be identified by the difference in flight patterns observed among the two. The black vulture has a much more compact body with a shorter tail, a whitish patch on the outer primaries, and displays a powerful and sturdy 3-5 wing flap pattern. The turkey vulture on the other hand has a greater white-silver coloration along the lower border of their wingspan and tends to teeter while in flight, displaying significantly fewer wing flaps. 

 

Adult Black Vulture feeding her fledgling.

Adult Turkey Vulture rescued by PHSS volunteers.

 

Although turkey vultures currently outnumber their black vulture relatives in the United States, black vultures have a greatly expansive native range, outnumbering turkey vultures in the western hemisphere. Year round, black vultures can be located across virtually all of the South American continent up to the southern and eastern United States. Over the past few decades, black vultures have crept their way even further northward - as far north as New England. Turkey vultures have a similar native range, found essentially across all of the South American continent, as well as encompassing almost the entirety of the United States.

While these two species of vultures differ in many aspects, they are very similar in one main regard: their choice of prey - which happens to be most prominently the carcasses of the once living. Due to vultures' feeding behavior relying mainly on carrion, they tend to be associated with negative connotations in the media and are often portrayed in a more “sinister” light, often being depicted as unhygienic or a precursor to death. Even Charles Darwin, the father of evolution, once called the birds “disgusting creatures”. Vultures get a bad rep in the Animal Kingdom, and due to the unwarranted stereotypes placed upon them, there are a lot of misconceptions floating around these birds.

However, I am here to defend the honor of our native vultures! Contrary to the stigmatization of vultures bringing along the notion of death with their presence, they actually play a crucial role in the health and stabilization of their ecosystems. Vultures play an incredibly important role by devouring decaying carcasses. By consuming flesh from the recently deceased, vultures are able to reduce and/or eliminate the spread of certain diseases, pathogens, and harmful bacteria that depend on rotting flesh to grow, develop, and spread. Some of the illnesses prevented by vultures' ecological role are anthrax, rabies, and cholera. Additionally, vultures' diet on carrion further facilitates nutrient cycling by maintaining high fertility among soils for plants to flourish, keeping the overall primary producers of our ecosystems healthy and thriving. 

Because vultures are known “ground nesters”, they prefer to lay their eggs and raise their young in locations such as dark crevices, caves, hollow trees/fallen logs, abandoned buildings, brush piles, etc. Due to these nesting locations being significantly different than the depicted nesting behavior we see in many other birds (ie. collection of sticks, twigs, and leaves in high, out-of-reach areas), people may stumble across a clutch of young vultures and mistakenly believe they have fallen from their parents' reach. In the past, many people have “rescued” and brought in healthy, young vultures to Pelican Harbor with good intentions, but in reality are displacing these chicks from where they are supposed to be. 

 
 

Pictured above are two black vulture chicks that were brought into our clinic due to the mistaken removal from their nest

If you ever happen to run into a nest of juvenile vultures, never intervene unless absolutely necessary. Call Pelican Harbor or another wildlife rehabilitation center and see what steps to take next after finding the nest. Experts will be more than happy to assist in these situations, and will help to avoid any unnecessary disturbances!

With that being said, the next time you stumble across our large, bald, funky-looking friends chowing down on their favorite slice of roadkill, take your eyes of disgust and transform them into eyes of admiration! Instead of feeling repulsed, express gratitude to our native vultures for protecting us and our surrounding ecosystem from the harmful spread of disease. And remember, if you happen to stumble across a nest of our baby vulture friends, first call your local wildlife rehab center to help guide you through the best options based on the current situation.

References

Preserving our Urban Paradise

Written by: Samantha Martinez, Environmental Educator

Barn Owl 22-842

In Miami, we are constantly growing and upgrading our infrastructure as new homes, highways, and businesses are built daily to expand our urban paradise. This, on occasion, can come at the cost of the homes of our wild neighbors. This is what may have happened to patient 21-842, a juvenile Barn Owl. This owl was found on a construction site after a tree, believed to be harboring the bird's nest, was cut down. Unable to fly and with dry blood covering his feet and nares, the owl was brought into Pelican Harbor Seabird Station.  We see this all too often at PHSS, especially during the spring months as people prepare for hurricane season.

Once in care, our rehabbers noticed swelling and lameness in this patient's right leg, with x-rays confirming a midshaft fracture to the tarsometatarsus bone. The rehab team thoroughly cleaned the area and added a half splint with firm cast material to immobilize the young owl's leg during the healing process. This, coupled with supportive care, antibiotics, and pain medication, has this bird on the road to recovery. However, there is still a long way to go, and not all displaced fledglings are so lucky.

Wildlife rehabber, Carolina, renesting a displaced Eastern Screech Owl nestling.

We understand that tree trimming and construction are often unavoidable facts of urban life, especially considering the need to prevent damage from hurricanes. However, we recommend some simple ways to help avoid harm to wildlife when starting a building project or trimming trees for whatever reason. Such methods include doing an initial survey of the area to see if any wildlife is inhabiting it. You can check for droppings, nests, or nesting materials, and listen for animals in the immediate vicinity. If you find that an animal is nesting in a tree you plan to trim, we recommend leaving all branches supporting the nest as well as those protecting it from weather and predators until all babies have left the nest. Most birds will be done nesting by mid-July. Following these simple steps will help save countless nesting birds and mammals and prevent you from receiving costly fines associated with disturbing a federally protected nest. To learn more about protecting wildlife while trimming trees, feel free to reach out to us for a copy of our Animal Safety for Arborist sheet. 

View our Animal Safety for Arborist Sheet

Saved by the Power of Light

Written by: Milena Orjuela, PHSS Intern

Pelicans are meant to glide through the sky, dipping in and out of the ocean on a sunny day, and leaving your jaw dropped if they happen to catch a fish near you. That is what I thought until Pelican 21-372 came to our clinic. After taking a quick glance at the bird, I secretly thought to myself, “you are doomed.” Pelican 21-372 first came into our care after being spotted with monofilament entangling its left wing, upper body, and head. It was obvious upon examination that the bird was also malnourished and dehydrated. Our staff noted multiple open wounds in its face, abdomen, legs, and a large malodorous wound on the left patagium. A malodorous wound is characterized by necrotic tissue, or bacterial colonization, often containing both anaerobes and aerobes and is a major obstruction to healing. The patagium, the site of the open wound, is a web of elastic fibers that extends from the head to the wrist and has the very important job of assisting birds in gliding and flying. Such a grave injury on a crucial part of the bird’s wing is why Pelican 21-372’s chances were initially seen as quite poor. 

A set of X-rays determined that there were no fractures or broken bones to deal with in addition to the obvious open wounds. Subcutaneous fluids were given to aid with dehydration, antibiotics, pain killers, anti-inflammatories, and Vitamin E were administered to help the healing process, and the pelican was given one dose of anti-parasitic medication. All wounds were thoroughly cleansed and special care was given to the left wing. All dead tissue was removed from the patagium, a topical antibiotic ointment was administered, and the wing was wrapped. Though the physical treatments and medications certainly had a very beneficial role in healing the bird, the laser therapy Pelican 21-372 received is what really allowed such a miraculous recovery. 

First developed in 1960, laser therapy can heal major injuries at a cellular level by stimulating a process called photobiomodulation. Photobiomodulation or PBM works as photons enter the tissue and interact with the Cytochrome C complex inside cellular mitochondria. The absorption of light by the Cytochrome C oxidase helps the cells to increase the production of Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP), which is the intracellular energy transfer molecule. This helps to restore the oxidative process which allows the cells to resume normal functions, preventing cell death and associated complications. Additionally, laser therapy can stimulate the production of free nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS), which is a powerful vasodilator, and an important signaling molecule, respectively. Together, these chemical compounds and molecules can promote faster signaling, decreased edema, reduced inflammation, and a faster healing process. Looking at the body as a whole, PBM causes a beneficial systemic effect by expanding cellular proliferation, improving microcirculation in the tissue, and inducing growth factor production. Because the results of photobiomodulation are very dose-dependent, the strength of the therapy is selected according to the patient’s clinical presentation. High frequency (above 500hz) penetrates shallow tissue which will inhibit pain, swelling, and nerve damage. In contrast, lower frequency (under 500Hz) targets deeper tissue which speeds the healing process and is specifically used when reproduction of new cells is required.

In this case, our beloved Pelican 21-372 received low-frequency laser therapy, during which 50Hz were administered throughout the treatment. As hoped, the laser therapy significantly improved wound proliferation with comfort and ease. Treatment times should be reduced as healing begins and the injury begins to show improvement. For example, if a 3” incision takes 3 minutes to treat, then a 2” one would take 2 minutes. Any additional photons delivered over the required dose will then become inhibitory, creating a plateau in the healing process. Physical treatments, medication, and the impressive work of the laser therapy made the wound healing so significant that pelican 21-372 was described as a “healing machine” by one of our staff members. Within 16 days of admission, the pelican was spending time outside in the sunny weather, and even flying around the enclosure. It was then that the final round of antibiotics and pain killers were administered, to allow for a few more days of active healing. Although the wound was healed, the Brown pelican needed more time to regain full extension of the wing. Without full extension of the patagium, the bird would not be able to fly. To help the Pelican on the path to regain full extension and fly our staff would do physical therapy on the patient as well as allow the patient to do its own physical therapy by being outside. After nearly four months of this arduous job, all of our efforts yielded great results and Pelican 21-372 was able to be released. Next time you are at the beach and see a pelican flying by, remember that wildlife is precious and take pride in knowing they will be protected and cared for!

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