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Workers at a wildlife rehabilitation clinic north of Calgary say their new enclosure will assist wild birds higher get well from harm.
The Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC) in north Rocky View County lately accomplished building of a brand new 2,650-square-foot chicken enclosure. Dubbed ‘the Runway,’ the area can accommodate a higher variety of birds than its two earlier enclosures, in line with employees.
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The enclosure is customizable, with options like adjustable perches, shelters and doorways between pens. AIWC’s communications coordinator, Scottie Potter, mentioned the area’s design will permit the animal hospital’s veterinarians to extra precisely assess birds as they resume flying upon restoration from their accidents.
Whereas the wildlife clinic has two related enclosures, Potter mentioned neither of these comprise curved corners, which assist employees higher consider a rehabilitating chicken’s turning and looking expertise.
“We now have an ideal right-angled one, however that’s not fairly what we would have liked, so this challenge was applied to switch the outdated enclosures in addition to develop one thing new and that met extra of our rehabilitation wants,” she mentioned.
“It’s all about ensuring our capacity to evaluate the birds is as correct as doable.”
The Runway has already been examined by two nice horned owls which might be being handled for wing and eye accidents.
Different chicken species that may profit from the enclosure embody juvenile hawks, eagles and ravens.
“One of many first birds that shall be testing this website is a bald eagle that we simply received into our care a few weeks in the past,” Potter mentioned. “She’s not fairly prepared but to do a full flight pen testing, however she’s going to seemingly be in there (quickly) for our staff to evaluate her flight.”
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Majority of chicken accidents consequence from interactions with people
Based mostly close to the hamlet of Madden, about 40 kilometres northwest of Calgary, AIWC has been rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing orphaned and injured wildlife from all through southern Alberta for 31 years. In line with its web site, the clinic has admitted greater than 36,000 animals into its care since opening in 1993.
Birds make up a good portion of these numbers, Potter mentioned. The non-profit clinic treats upwards of 1,000 injured birds yearly, with greater than 1,400 arriving on the facility final 12 months.
The clinic’s busiest time of 12 months is in Could or June, after the annual “child growth” spike every spring, when many wildlife species give delivery or hatch their younger.
The vast majority of chicken accidents consequence from interactions with people, the commonest trigger being vehicular collisions.
To assist cut back the variety of injured or orphaned birds, AIWC lately launched a video — the second episode of its Alberta Wildlife Insider collection — with info on the way to reduce the possibility of inadvertently harming wild birds, particularly nice horned owls.
“With regards to particular issues, one of the essential issues could be driving safely — that’s one of many greatest threats to nice horned owls,” Potter mentioned.
One other human-caused hazard for wild birds is getting caught in barbed wire fencing, she added.
Those that come throughout injured or orphaned wildlife are inspired to name AIWC’s wildlife hotline at 403-946-2361.
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