Cape Wildlife Center

01/08/2026

Purple Gallinule update: Flying south has never looked better!

Most of you remember our unexpected southern guest, the Purple Gallinule who crash landed in New Bedford after a storm in December. Well, we are very happy to share that this morning, after weeks of care he, and his new traveling companion (a second gallinule from Vermont!), are both healthy and have officially boarded a return flight home.

Thanks to some attentive followers on Facebook we were connected with the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) who recently received a wayward gallinule of their own under similar circumstances (and we thought ours was off track!). After deciding the birds could safely travel together, a staff member from VINS drove their bird down to our Weymouth hospital this week where he received an additional medical checkup, a couple good meals, and a comfy place to cool his considerably sized heels until take off.

Our gallinule, which was recuperating at our Cape hospital was also brought to Weymouth. This transport trip doubled as a test run to make sure our travel container was comfortable and safe for the bird. Dr. Patel drove the bird herself to monitor for any signs of increased stress levels while en route.

After several scrapped plans to get them South, a friend of the Center and weekly volunteer, Jack, very kindly offered his services as a pilot! He and his co-pilot Laura volunteered to fly the gallinules south in their small plane to Myrtle Beach. It will be several hours of air travel for the birds, but it sure beats a two day car trip!

Bright and early this morning Dr. Patel met Jack and Laura, at the airport to see the birds off. They will make a brief stop in Maryland to refuel and do a visual assessment, and we have a veterinary resource standing by in the region just in case anything unexpected comes up.

From there, the flight continues to South Carolina where our partners at Carolina Wildlife Rehabilitation Center have very kindly offered meet the plane on the tarmac and take the birds into their care. They will do a quick post-travel medical check and give them a quiet space to rest up for a bit. From there they will facilitate their release.

(Continued in the comments)

01/07/2026

Apply now to be a student intern at Cape Wildlife Center’s Wildlife Animal Veterinary Internship Program!

Are you looking to get some real wildlife veterinary experience? Do you want to learn more about wildlife medicine and conservation? If so then our summer internship program is for you!

During the internship you'll work along side our expert veterinary team to learn hands-on while helping us treat hundreds of orphaned, injured, and sick wildlife. No prior experience needed! We're looking for applicants who are enthusiastic, motivated, and excited to learn new skills!

🪪 Must be at least 17-years-old
☀️ Weekend availability a must (typically just 1 day of the weekend not both)
🗓️ Minimum of 4 full days / 6-8 weeks
💉 Pre exposure rabies vaccines + tetanus required
🩺 Health insurance required
📑 Application, resume, and 2 recommendation letters required
🧤 Not afraid to get dirty!
🏡 Limited housing available to out-of-state applicants

We're now accepting applications for summer 2026! Apply or learn more at capewildlifecenter.com/intern-with-us.

01/06/2026

This Ruddy Duck made a crash landing during a recent storm.

Ruddy Ducks are easy to recognize by their compact size, short bill, and tail that sticks straight up when they swim. Their legs are set far back on their bodies — perfect for diving and swimming, but it makes walking on land a real challenge.

When this duck was found she was unable to walk and starting to get covered in snow, but luckily a kind person who saw her knew she needed help.

This time of year, we often see sea ducks and other pelagic birds come ashore after winter storms. If you ever spot a stranded bird that doesn’t try to move or fly away, it likely needs help. Take a photo or even better a video, note the location, and give us a call before attempting to pick it up. Sometimes these birds just need to find their way back to water, while other times they could have severe injuries or illnesses like avian influenza and then should be handled by professionals.

She came into our Cape hospital underweight with some signs of head trauma. X-rays thankfully showed no broken bones, but because of her clinical signs along with minor feather damage, she's being closely monitored by our team. We'll keep you updated on her progress!

12/31/2025

What a year!! From seabirds to songbirds, turtles to foxes, every patient represents countless hours of veterinary treatment, feeding, rehabilitation and a whole lot of support from our community and partners.

These are a few of our staff’s favorite moments from 2025 - we hope you enjoy them too!

Thank you to everyone who helped make these releases possible. From our dedicated staff and volunteers, to the rescuers and transporters, and all of the community supporters who believe in our mission and help make it happen, we are so grateful!

If you would like to help us prepare for whatever challenges and adventures 2026 has in store, make a tax deductible donation tonight before midnight. bit.ly/newcs-donate

Thank you and Happy New Year!

12/27/2025

This handsome fella is an immature long tailed duck that was found injured in Falmouth. We think he became grounded during the high winds these past few days and then was unfortunately a literal sitting duck. Seaducks like this one are not adept at moving on land like mallards so become stranded when blown ashore and grounded. A Good Samaritan fortunately found him before he could be preyed upon and brought him in for care.

Our vet team performed a full exam and immediately noticed his face was asymmetrical with a hard mass under his right eye. X-rays showed he had been shot at some point in the past. We don’t think it was a recent indecent since there wasn’t a fresh entrance wound and the shot is firmly adhered to underlying tissues. We will be evaluating his vision on that side since the eye is sunken, but since he presented in relatively good body condition with great feather quality it appears he has been able to compensate with the healed injury. Fingers crossed we can get this duck back out to sea quickly!

12/24/2025

At the wildlife center on Christmas Eve night,
The staff were finishing treatments making sure all was done right.
They made their rounds swiftly with a smile,
Checking charts, giving meds, whispering softly all the while.

The squirrels were all nestled all snug in their beds while visions of acorns danced in their tiny heads

The turtles lay peaceful, unhurried and still,
With months of healing time still left to fill.
Their shells held the warmth of a long healing stay, With hopes of release on a warm springs day.

When out from the ICU, bright as a jewel,
Stepped a patient most rare—a purple gallinule.
Feathers like twilight, a shimmer so bold,
A living reminder of wonders untold.

No sleigh bells were heard, no reindeer in sight,
Just a porcupine healing in the hush of the night.And as lights dimmed low in the hospital’s hall, Peace settled gently on creatures and all.

So here’s to the night before Christmas so dear,
At a wildlife hospital filled with good cheer.
Where every small patient, once broken or sore,
Dreams of wild places—and being wild once more.
Happy Holidays from our family to yours 🎄✨

12/23/2025

While he is not out of the woods just yet and still a bit weak, we are really encouraged by the Purple Gallinule's progress. His attitude and appetite are improving by the day. He is now strong enough to eat completely on his own and has even started showing natural foraging behaviors, which is an encouraging milestone!

Now that he has graduated from our re-feeding protocol and is eating normally, we are doing our best to spice up his natural diet with some nutritionally dense foods to help replenish his fat stores and support his recovery. So far he has been enjoying leafy greens, insects, and berries but by far his favorite food has been shellfish. He has already gained a few grams (which may not sound like much, but when you only weigh as much as a banana, that is progress!) an has also started drinking on his own which means we can stop additional fluid therapy for the moment. We were also able to send out some additional diagnostics yesterday, which will give us a more complete view of his heath and needs.

As we look ahead, we are now faced with the reality of caring for a fair weather southern bird in the middle of a New England winter. Our friends at Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) reached out to let us know they also received a Purple Gallinule recently and we are working on a plan to transport both birds south when the time is right. A Gallinule carpool... if you will. Our primary focus remains this bird’s health and stability, and we will continue working closely with our state and federal partners to ensure the safest possible outcome for this southern visitor.

Caring for a bird like this takes time, specialized diets, diagnostics, and round the clock monitoring. As we close out the year, if you are able to help support his care and the care of thousands of other wildlife patients who come through our doors, your donation truly makes a difference! Whether it's gas money for a Gallinule or a specialty nebulizer for a Porcupine with a cold, you allow us to keep saying yes when our patients need us!

Thank you all for following along, sharing his story, and being part of this incredible community. We’ll keep the updates coming!

12/20/2025

Last night’s storm brought more than high winds, it delivered us a rare visitor!

Around 10 pm we received a call from a very kind woman in New Bedford who was surprised to find an exhausted Purple Gallinule in her backyard. This species is native to wetlands far to our south, but during strong storm systems birds like this can get pushed off course and carried north along the coast. Believe it or not, this isn’t the first time one has shown up in Massachusetts. A Purple Gallinule was documented in Eastham back in 2010 under similar conditions.

The bird is significantly underweight and in delicate condition but is stable for the moment. A preliminary exam and X rays did not show any broken bones or major injuries, which is encouraging. For now our focus is on supportive care, hydration, and close monitoring.

Believe it or not, giving a starving animal a big meal can actually be dangerous! It can trigger something called refeeding syndrome, which is one of the reasons we advise finders against feeding animals before they are examined. When an animal has been without adequate nutrition for a while their body essentially downshifts. If food is suddenly reintroduced too quickly it can throw electrolytes and blood chemistry out of balance faster than the body can compensate for. To avoid this we reintroduce food gradually so the body can adjust safely.

Our first priority is getting him healthy. If he continues to improve, we’ll work closely with MassWildlife to determine the best path forward so he can ultimately get back where he belongs.

We’ll keep you posted on this unexpected storm traveler. Thanks to everyone keeping a watchful eye out this storm season!

12/16/2025

You're welcome 🥰

This North American Porcupine is spending some time with us while being treated for a mild respiratory infection. We're happy to update that she's alert, eating on her own, and clearly enjoying her veggies!!

Nothing like a good snack (and some great care from our team at the Cape Wildlife Center) to keep recovery on track.

12/15/2025

Our vets have been handling a very prickly case. 😉

This North American porcupine is currently at our Cape hospital being treated for a respiratory infection. She was transferred to our hospital from our colleagues at Leyden Center for Wildlife Rehabilitation for extended care and treatment as this has been a very busy porcupine season for them and they have run out of space to house any more.

The little porcupine patient arrived with signs of congestion and nasal discharge. Our vet team started antibiotics and fluids support which quickly perked her up, and before the end of the day started eating on her own!

As part of her treatment we are providing antibiotics by mouth as well as nebulizing them. Nebulizing meds helps the body by turning the liquid into a mist that can be inhaled directly into the lungs providing fast targeted relief.

So far she has taken the treatment like a champ! We rarely get porcupines as patients in this area of Massachusetts, so we’re honored to be able to help out with this case. We’ll keep you posted on her progress!

12/11/2025

This little silver-haired bat is loving snack time!

He was found cold and barely moving in Boston, but with a little warmth (and some food!), he’s doing much better.

Silver-haired bats are listed as a species of special concern in Massachusetts as of 2025. Because they're a migratory species, they can’t survive being out in the freezing weather.

He will remain in our care until spring when the weather warms up and the moths (one of their favorite foods!) start flying again. If you come across a bat in trouble this season, give us a call before intervening. We’re happy to help!

12/09/2025