Patient Updates

Hello everyone!

The babies here are growing up fast and I want to share their progress with you. The following photos are updates on just a small hand full of our patients. Next week I'll try to introduce you to some of the new patients coming through the door.

Photo above: These are 5 of the 6 baby Bald Eagles we currently have in our care. You can see that they are exploring beyond their nest and trying out the high perches in their enclosure. One even decided to lounge on the ground behind the nest, and he looks quite comfortable all stretched out like that.

Photo above: The Sandhill Crane colt is out for one of his many daily walks following the leader, Katherine. Believe it or not, he is larger in this photo than when he was admitted! This tiny kid will soon be his adult size!

Photo above: These adorable Eastern Blue Bird fledglings were first shown in our May 25th blog. Back then, they were just tiny, naked little nestlings, and now they can fly! This photo only shows two of the little babies, but all four are all grown up and are flying around their flight enclosure.

Photo above: This Red-breasted Nuthatch came in as an orphan, and he wasn't introduced to you when he was a naked little baby, but you can see him here, almost all grown up. He's even been practicing that classic nuthatch move... walking down the tree upside down.

Photo above: These two beauties, an American Robin and a Mourning Dove, were first introduced to you in our May 25th blog as little nestlings. Now they have fully fledged and are in a flight enclosure with many of the other song birds, gaining flight muscles and continuing to grow up. Thankfully, these guys are beginning to learn how to eat on their own, a relief for our rehabbers who, until now, have put every bite they've eaten into their mouths.

Photo above: Check out this little guy. This American Robin is lounging quite comfortably on one of the perches in his flight enclosure. It is so fun to see how much he has grown!

Photo above: These are the three Great Horned Owl fledglings with their foster father. Oddly enough, the adult male is the smallest owl in this photo on the far right. It is also very interesting to see the huge variation in colors and sizes among the unrelated fledglings. Great Horned Owls show lots of color variations depending on region and genetics. They can be more grey, to more rusty, to very light in color, and it will be exciting to see these kids transform as they get their adult feathers.

Photo above: This is the Red-shouldered Hawk with a broken leg that was mentioned in the previous blog. When he was first introduced to you, I mentioned that he was giving us hope by standing up from time to time. Well, you can see for yourself that he is standing. His leg still bothers him, but he is beginning to put some pressure on it. We hope that he continues to improve and perhaps gain at least partial use of that leg.

Photo above: The seven young Belted Kingfishers have been moved to an outside enclosure so they can begin practicing using their wings. All are doing well, and are looking so grown-up! One of my favorite things about kingfishers are their odd proportions. They have giant beaks and large eyes, but the teeniest feet! Gosh, they're fun to see!

Photo above: Here's an update photo for the little Green Heron. He still has a funny fuzzy little head, but his adult feathers are growing in nicely.

Now that you've seen some of our patients, I'd like you to meet... a thief!

Photo above: I know this isn't a bird, nor is he one of our patients, but I found this little guy sneaking food from some of our bowls. Look at how much he stuffed into those cheeks! What a little devil! ;)

Have a safe and happy holiday everyone! Independence Day is the time to celebrate our freedom and accomplishments as Americans, and to honor our brothers and sisters over seas. Most importantly, we must celebrate in a safe manor; safe for us, and safe for our wild neighbors. Please remember that birds and other wildlife are raising their families right now so limit your use of fireworks. Instead of buying your own fireworks, enjoy the show your town puts on; it is much safer for everyone that way (and cheaper!). The loud bangs associated with fireworks can cause acoustic concussions that can kill birds by damaging their internal organs, not to mention frighten and confuse them. If your child or pet is scared by the loud booming explosions of fireworks, imagine how the wild ones feel.

Have fun, but BE SAFE!

Thanks everyone!

Karissa Mohr
Wildlife Educator

Eagle Release, More Eagles Admitted, Lots of Baby Birds, Model A Club Tour, and Patient Updates

We are having a whirlwind of a summer! (And it's only June! Oh my!)

As many of you know, we released 7 Bald Eagles yesterday that were found in Eagle River, WI suffering from poisoning. The eagles were found on April 9, 2011 and rescued by REGI staff members Katie Farvour and Robert Prinsen with help from Ken Pedersen, a volunteer from the Northwoods. If it weren't for the fast action of these wonderful people, these eagles would not have survived. Marge spent two full days and nights caring for these birds, and through exceptional care, all of them recovered! Survival of birds with poisoning like this is unheard of, but yet, we did it here at REGI. We would like to recognize the wonderful work of REGI rehabilitators Katie Farvour, Robert Prinsen, and Alberta Halfmann, and REGI volunteer, Stacie Wild for caring for these birds during their nearly 2 month stay. Marge always says that her staff is among the best in the world, and with these 7 eagles, this statement is proven to be true.

Many people "flocked" to see the birds off, and while looking around the crowd, I saw so many awed people. Working with these birds everyday is an absolute privilege and a joy, but seeing people react to them with a sense of wonderment reminds me how amazing the birds are and how lucky I am.

Photo above: Marge Gibson walks near the crowd with a juvenile Bald Eagle to give them all an up-close look. This was a first time experience for many of the visitors.

Photo above: Marge Gibson releases the first of the 7 Bald Eagles.

Photo above: Katie Farvour releases one of the 7 Bald Eagles she helped rescue and rehabilitate.

Photo above: Robert Prinsen releases one of the 7 Bald Eagles he helped rescue and rehabilitate.


The very day we released the 7 Bald Eagles, three more found their way to our clinic to join another who arrived a couple days earlier. Release seven and admit four... things are never quiet here for long.

Photo above: This Bald Eagle has a possible shoulder luxation (dislocation). You can see that she holds her wings unevenly. Luxations are difficult injuries for birds to bounce back from because it usually limits their ability to the fly in the future.

Photo above: This Bald Eagle has a damaged iris (the colored part of the eye) and is somewhat thin. Her injured eye may have limited her ability to hunt therefore leaving her skinny; however, many raptors are able to adapt to hunting with one good eye so there may be an underlying factor affecting her weight.

Photo above: This juvenile Bald Eagle has multiple injuries from an unknown source. His left eye, left wing, and right foot all are injured. He is unable to stand and it is likely that he will not regain sight in his injured eye. He is fighting for life and that keeps us hopeful.


On top of the three adult Bald Eagles, we also admitted our THIRD baby Bald Eagle. Our foster father is getting the "father of the year" award from us this year!
Photo above: This baby Bald Eagle was found blown out of his nest in Northern Wisconsin after some high winds experienced earlier this week. We are watching him for signs of injuries sustained from the fall.

Photo above: The new baby Bald Eagle joins his "instant" family, and all (including daddy eagle) are doing well! As you may have remembered from earlier posts, we nicknamed the first two eaglets Wisconsin and Kentucky. Well, to accommodate for another Wisconsinite their nicknames have been adjusted. From left to right we have "Southern Wisconsin" or "SW", the first eaglet to arrive, we have "Northern Wisconsin" or "NW" the third eaglet to arrive, and we have "Kentucky", the second eaglet to arrive. SW has "fledged" and is exploring areas outside of the nest. As you can see, they are getting along swimmingly.


BABIES! We have admitted a lot of new babies and I will try to introduce most of them to you.

Photo above: This is the third baby Great Horned Owl currently in care here at REGI. He was found orphaned along a road and is thin, and is now being tube fed to improve his weight and digestion before we start giving him whole mice. As soon as he is well again, he will join his new siblings and foster father outside. The other two owlets are doing well and growing fast!

Photo above: We admitted two baby Wood Ducks who are enjoying childhood. To me, ducklings always look like they are having the most fun teetering around. They have been introduced to a foster mother Wood Duck to prevent imprinting.

Photo above: We admitted three more orphaned Mallard Ducklings and introduced them with the three we admitted earlier. The three larger ducklings in the photo were the first to arrive, and have grown quite a bit. Visit our earlier blog post from May 25th to see how little they were when they arrived. All 6 are now a happy ducky family.


Photo above: Two more orphaned Mourning Dove chicks have been admitted and are doing well.


Photo above: Here's an update on the the two Mourning Doves mentioned in the May 25th blog post. They are outside in screen cages now, and with their newly grown feathers, are looking very different from when they were admitted.


Photo above: An American Robin with an eye injury has joined our first Robin outside. The new baby is on the right and the first baby is on the left. Both were having fun bathing and splashing around in their water bowls before the photo was taken which is why they look a little water-logged.

Photo above: Here is a picture of the first American Robin mentioned in the May 25th blog post. Here he has dried off from his bath and is practicing his singing. He has grown so much in the short time he has been here.


On top of all the excitement with releases and patients, we have started giving some tours. Last Thursday we were visited by the Northwoods Model A Club. They all came puttering up the driveway in their awesome Ford Model A cars, some stopping to blow their "Awooga!" horns.

Photos above: The old time vehicles looked fantastic lined up along the REGI driveway!

Photo above: I spotted a bird on one of the cars! Almost as beautiful as the live birds here at REGI! ;)

Photo above: The Model A Club learns about Hawks with help from Education Coordinator, Molly McKay and Red-tailed Hawk, Xavier.

Video above: I watched as all of the amazing vehicles left the REGI property.

It was a big treat to see the amazing cars! We really enjoyed speaking with the members of the Model A Club and we hope they come back again next year!

As always, we will do our best to keep you updated as the summer continues.

Thanks everyone!

Karissa Mohr

Wildlife Educator

Patients Pour In, Barred Owl, Saw-whet Owl, Mourning Dove and Visit from UWSP Captive Wildlife Class

( Photo: This Barred Owl had a bit of bad luck. He has both a broken wing and a broken leg.)

Spring certainly is in the air. The warm temperatures brought with it baby birds earlier than any other year. While the calendar says it is April, the breeding birds seem to think it is May. I just hope the Warblers and other more delicate birds hold off arriving in Northern WI until later in May when our chance of freezing weather is minimal.

Dr Shelli Dubay brought her Captive Wildlife Class from UWSP here for a field trip on Friday. It is always a great class. We are excited to show them around and cover as many aspects of captive wildlife care as possible in the two hours they are here. It is exciting for us to know their bright minds and energetic spirits will be working with wildlife for many years to come.



( Photo: Dr Shelli Dubay's Captive Wildlife class from UWSP tours the REGI clinic as I explain what happens when birds are admitted. Two birds were admitted during the field trip.)



( Photo: An adult Saw-whet Owl with a fractured right wing spent some time on the ground without food as it is near starvation.)

A Saw-whet Owl was admitted with a broken wing during the time the UWSP Captive Wildlife class was at REGI. The little one, is an adult but weighs only 54 grams. That weight indicates starvation. The little owl must have been injured a few days previous and spent some time on the ground before it was noticed and brought to REGI. We re hydrated him and put him on heat to bring his body temperature back up to a normal level.



( Photo: A baby Mourning Dove was admitted after a homeowner found it in her dogs mouth. Thank goodness it was a retriever. Note to pet owners...Do you know where your pet is and what it is doing?)

I took a call very early in the morning from a homeowner in Mosinee, WI. Her dog brought home a baby bird the night before. She looked for a nest but was not able to locate it. She keep the little one warm and brought it to REGI soon after contacting us. It turns out it is a baby Mourning Dove. The nest of a Mourning Dove is a weak structure which consists of few sticks. It looks more like "a few sticks" on a branch than a nest. I am not surprised the nest was not located.

Mourning Doves drink crop milk from their parents crop rather then being fed in the more typical open mouth gape most people associate with baby birds. It is an interesting twist in the world of birds.



( Photo: UWSP Captive Wildlife Class tours the Eagle flight building to learn the importance of conditioning or birds before release to the wild as well as specifics of housing raptors.)



( Photo: UWSP Captive Wildlife Class got to visit with several of REGI education birds up close with Education Coordinator, Molly McKay and Education Director, Steve Fisher.

It is sure to be another busy day. We have high winds today. For us that means baby birds being blown from nests and adults occasionally colliding with solid objects like trees as they are buffeted around on wind currents. Wildlife rehabilitators see life so differently than regular people.:)

Have a great day everyone.

Marge Gibson ©2010

Storms Come Through Wisconsin Passerines Affected, Tours and Programs

( Photo: Young American robins are delightful patients.)



( Photo: A tiny baby American Robin snuggles in soft towels after his nest came down in a storm.)

Storms have been riping through the Wisconsin landscape taking with them many nests of late nesting passerines such as the American Robin, Eastern Bluebird, Mourning Dove and Cedar Waxwing. As a result the REGI passerine section is filled with cheeping and peeping little tykes. Some of the babies have feathers but some are newly hatched and naked.

Passerines are labor intensive for staff. They must be fed every twenty minutes their first week of life from sun up to sun down. As they grow a bit they are put in screened cages we affectionately call "screen porches" `



( Photo: Natasha feeds young robins, and a mourning dove inside a "screen porch". )

Young passerines grow rapidly. Some species can go from hatch to flight in only 8-10days! Can you even imagine that? Of course when they are raised at REGI that time span is longer. While the diet we feed youngsters is very good in terms of having all the elements needed for their growth and development, we can never be a perfect as their own parents. As a result they grow a bit more slowly. After they are grown we have to make sure they know how to secure food and interact with other birds they will encounter in their life once released to the wild. The good news is our passerine flights have a wide variety of species most of the time, often including adults of the same species as the youngsters.

It was a busy weekend for programs. ON Saturday we gave three programs, two at the REGI site and one at Rib Mountain in Wausau. I will include some photos below of the Rib Mountain event. You can see from the photos how beautiful Rib Mountain State Park is. The Rib Mountain event is held yearly and put on by the Friends of Rib Mountain. They are a terrific conservation group. It rained during the presentation. Super educator Steve Fisher continued on even with the rain. His mantra is that as long as the audience was willing to stay he is. Now THAT is dedication.:) There were about one hundred folks the braved the rain with him.




( Photo: Steve Fisher with Peregrine Falcon,Ishmael at Rib Mountain State Park.)



( Photo: Steve Fisher walks with Red-tailed Hawk Juliet, just as it began to rain during the presentation. )

Off to feed those little passerine babes.

Have a great day everyone,
Marge Gibson 2009