The Wild Bird Fund is a nonprofit wildlife rehabilitation and education center in NYC.
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Meanwhile, in the tiniest patient category, here’s one of 11 ruby-throated hummingbirds we’ve received this fall migration. Weighing just 3 grams, this bird collided with a window and managed to be rescued. After a couple of days enjoying our real nectar among not-so-real flowers, this beauty was released to have another go. We wish hummer well!
🎥: Lily Lugo
What an honor to attend the blessing of the elephants this afternoon and to meet our own elephant, Flowerpecker. This herd of exquisite sculptures has arrived in NYC as part of the Great Elephant Migration, spreading the message of coexistence with wildlife, amplifying the work of indigenous artisans and raising money for nonprofit organizations like ours.
The elephants are in the Meatpacking District for the next 6 weeks. Come on down to visit them at 14th and 9th Avenue and all around the neighborhood.
YOU CAN BUY OUR ELEPHANT! Flowerpecker will be lovingly reproduced up to 10 times, with a portion of proceeds benefiting our work for the great (if small) migratory creatures of NYC. For more information about the project or to buy our elephant, visit thegreatelephantmigration.org.
Our heftiest guest is a mute swan who was found wandering injured near Dead Horse Bay. He’d suffered a wound to his right wing and had fairly high lead toxicity.
It’s been 3 weeks of care so far for this big guy, named Tony Montana. He’s receiving wound care and sling therapy. It’s a slow process, but we’re encouraged. The wing is looking much better, and he’s holding it more evenly. His lead is also down after multiple rounds of chelation therapy.
A lot of care for a lot of patient! If you’d like to help Tony Montana and all our other patients in care, please consider a donation: bit.ly/wbfdonate
📷: Cynthia Vasquez, Erika Mansourian
Look who’s here! The Great Elephant Migration herd has finally arrived in NYC. There will be a public blessing on Friday at 4pm Gansevoort Plaza. Come on out! Or just drop by the Meatpacking District thereafter to visit these beautiful sculptures, which were crafted by a collective of indigenous artisans in India.
They are spreading the message of wildlife coexistence, and they've arrived during our own season of migration — when millions of birds cross the continent in pursuit of winter habitat.
We are honored to be a nonprofit partner in this project, and to have our very own elephant, a calf named Flowerpecker. You or your organization can purchase made-to-order copies of our calf by visiting https://thegreatelephantmigration.org. A portion of proceeds will benefit our work for NYC wildlife.
🎥: Moe Phillips
Black-and-white warblers, those zebra-striped beauties who walk on the trunks of trees, are among our most numerous window-collision patients during spring and fall migration. Just today, we admitted SIX. And these are just one of the 30+ warbler species that migrate through NYC! What a bounty! What a spectacle. What a beautiful world.
Help us protect these precious migrants!
If you see a bird sitting or lying on the sidewalk, it has hit a window and needs your help. Please contain the bird in a paper bag or box, close the container securely and bring it to the Wild Bird Fund or a wildlife rehabber near you (use ahnow.org if you need to find one). In NYC, if you can’t transport to us right away, please contain the bird, keep it with you and contact [email protected] to see if a volunteer is available to bring it to the clinic.
Your support makes this work possible. Please consider helping today: bit.ly/wbfdonate
🎥: Phyllis Tseng
So many tiny beauties heading south, trying to find a few quick meals and a rest here in NYC before continuing on their journeys. Here are just 2 (Tennessee and Connecticut warblers) of the 36 we’ve admitted since yesterday, all victims of window collisions.
Most window-collision victims die on impact. Those we receive are the lucky few survivors. Please help us spread the message about this problem. The solutions exist!
1) turn out lights overnight
2) apply treatments to problem windows
If you see a bird sitting or lying on the sidewalk, it has hit a window and needs your help. Please contain the bird in a paper bag or box, close the container securely and bring it to the Wild Bird Fund or a wildlife rehabber near you (use ahnow.org if you need to find one). In NYC, if you can’t transport to us right away, please contain the bird, keep it with you and contact [email protected] to see if a volunteer is available to bring it to the clinic.
Report any collision victims you find, dead or injured, to dbird.org.
Support your local wildlife rehabbers! The work we do is only possible because of your donations. bit.ly/wbfdonate
🎥: Phyllis Tseng
A busy morning here for window collisions after a fairly big wave of migration last night. This yellow-breasted chat is among 15 migrators we’ve admitted so far (and 30 other patients!). He collided with a window at 4 World Trade Center, one of several buildings in that area that continue to kill hundreds upon hundreds of birds every year with no effort on the part of building managers to make change.
Easily mistaken for a warbler, and once classified as one, the chat is now thought to be more closely related to blackbirds. Despite their bright hue, they can be tough to see in the wild, where they love to forage in bushes.
If you see a bird sitting or lying on the sidewalk, it has hit a window and needs your help. Please contain the bird in a paper bag or box, close the container securely and bring it to the Wild Bird Fund or a wildlife rehabber near you (use ahnow.org if you need to find one). In NYC, if you can’t transport to us right away, please contain the bird, keep it with you and contact [email protected] to see if a volunteer is available to bring it to the clinic.
If you live or work in a building that regularly kills birds, please say something! Talk to the management. There are many good products and design solutions. Bird-friendly windows are beautiful windows.
And donate to your local wildlife rehabilitators! bit.ly/wbfdonate
🎥: Phyllis Tseng
Please 🚨NEVER🚨 put sticky traps or lanternfly tape on trees to catch lanternflies! This practice is DEADLY to birds, bats, squirrels and loads of native insects, and it does absolutely nothing to prevent the spread of lanternflies.
If you see this tape in public, take it down or speak to the owners. Insanely, we keep hearing stories about communities asking and even requiring their residents to use this deadly wildlife hazard. If you live in one of those places, please protest. There are safer solutions.
This downy woodpecker was extremely lucky only to have lost his tail to the trap. But he’ll need a long recovery to regrow the tail before release. The last woodpecker we received under these circumstances ultimately died. Most birds caught on these traps wind up dying from stress.
If you find a bird stuck to any kind of sticky trap, please do not try to remove the bird yourself, as this will cause much more damage to the feathers. Cut the tape around the bird and cover any remaining sticky surfaces with a paper towel or anything handy to prevent further sticking, then place the bird inside a dark, quiet and well-ventilated box (trap and all) and take it to a wildlife rehabber immediately. Find one via ahnow.org if you aren’t in NYC.
And furthermore, ARGGHHH!
📷: Phyllis Tseng
The subtle beauty of a red-eyed vireo never fails to amaze! This gorgeous migrant collided with a window in Queens and was lucky to be rescued and brought to the clinic for care.
If you’ve had a bird hit your window, please take steps to prevent it from happening again. External markings on the window will solve the problem, as long as they are applied 2 inches apart over the whole pane. There are many great solutions. Visit our friends at for ideas.
More than 1 billion birds are killed in the U.S. every year by colliding with windows, and the vast majority occur at low-rise buildings and houses. All those “one-offs” add up to a massive crisis for our migrating songbirds. But this is preventable! Turn off lights at night and add bird proofing to the outside of your windows. If you don’t have control over the outside of your windows, please talk to the management in your building.
This bird is one of 66 patients we admitted yesterday! And fall migration is just beginning. Your donations make our work for NYC’s wildlife possible. Please consider helping: bit.ly/wbfdonate
🎥: Phyllis Tseng
⭐️Special guest alert!⭐️ We had the immense privilege of caring for this piping plover, a precious, threatened migratory shorebird that nests right here in NYC. This bird was rescued out on the Rockaways. A wing injury had kept him down for some time, as he was emaciated and extremely weak on arrival.
These birds are highly stressed in captivity, with specific nutritional and habitat needs, so our waterfowl team deployed all their expertise and creativity to help Pippy Longstocking (😊) feel at home, including supplies of fresh beach wrack for foraging and seawater.
We’re pleased to report that, after a week in care, Pippy was active, putting on weight and enjoying the carefully curated meals, The prognosis for the wing is still guarded, but because more time may help, we’ve transferred the plover to a shorebird-specialist rehabber with facilities more suited to longer term care. We are so grateful to all involved in this effort!
There are just 6,000-8,000 piping plovers left globally, and fewer than 100 come to NYC each year. They’re listed as endangered in NYS and threatened federally, and very few of their chicks survive each season. It’s critical that we do all we can to protect them, including keeping clear of their nesting sites during the summer months and obeying beach rules, such as keeping dogs, drones, fireworks and other deadly disturbances off the beaches for the short time these and other nesting shorebirds are here each year. Temporary beach closures can make all the difference in the survival of their chicks.
Follow our friends NYC Plover Project to learn how you can help save this species or volunteer with their corps of plover protectors.
Our rehab work is possible because of thousands of kind people who support WBF. Please consider helping with a donation: bit.ly/wbfdonate
📷: Lily Lugo
This little bird looks like a thrush, and spends a lot of time on the ground like a thrush, but is actually a warbler. This is an ovenbird, and like millions of other warblers, he’s on the move, migrating south for the winter, possibly as far as South America. Some fly directly to the Caribbean from here over the Atlantic, and some fly over land and cross the Gulf of Mexico (according to Audubon Migration Explorer). It’s astonishing to imagine them making that long journey.
Of course, far too many are killed by colliding with windows, and a very few survive the collisions, are rescued and brought into care. We do all we can for those survivors and try to send them back on their routes.
You can help:
If you see a bird sitting or lying on the sidewalk, it has hit a window and needs your help. Please contain the bird in a paper bag or box, close the container securely and bring it to the Wild Bird Fund or a wildlife rehabber near you (use ahnow.org if you need to find one). In NYC, if you can’t transport to us right away, please contain the bird, keep it with you and contact [email protected] to see if a volunteer is available to bring it to the clinic.
If you live or work in a building that regularly kills birds, please say something! Talk to the management. There are many good products and design solutions. Bird-friendly windows are beautiful windows.
And donate to your local wildlife rehabilitators! bit.ly/wbfdonate
🎥: Phyllis Tseng
Fall migration has barely begun, but we’ve already admitted 40 warblers in the past few weeks! Our baskets and flyway are hopping with these colorful migrants, all victims of window collisions.
If you see a bird sitting or lying on the sidewalk, it has hit a window and needs your help. Please contain the bird in a paper bag or box, close the container securely and bring it to the Wild Bird Fund or a wildlife rehabber near you (use ahnow.org if you need to find one). In NYC, if you can’t transport to us right away, please contain the bird, keep it with you and contact [email protected] to see if a volunteer is available to bring it to the clinic.
More than a billion birds are killed in the U.S. every year by windows. But window collisions are preventable! Turning out lights at night and adding approved markings to the outside of windows are the simple solutions. If you live or work in a building that regularly kills birds, please say something! Talk to the management. There are many good products and design solutions. Bird-friendly windows are beautiful windows.
And donate to your local wildlife rehabilitators! To support our work, please visit bit.ly/wbfdonate
🎥: Lily Lugo
Weighing in at just 3 grams, this ruby-throated hummingbird can fly across the Gulf of Mexico in one go! This one was rested and ready for the trip south when she collided with a window in Midtown Manhattan. We’ll be providing a quiet, safe place for her to recover, along with a constant supply of nectar. Thank you to her rescuer!
If you see a bird sitting or lying on the sidewalk, it has hit a window and needs your help. Please contain the bird in a paper bag or box, close the container securely and bring it to the Wild Bird Fund or a wildlife rehabber near you. In NYC, if you can’t transport to us right away, please contain the bird, keep it with you and contact [email protected] to see if a volunteer is available to bring it to the clinic.
📷: Phyllis Tseng
On this episode of Yellow Fuzzballs: Where Are They Now? we meet Gold, an up-and-coming fledgling pigeon and former ball of fuzz.
This young talent arrived at WBF as a hatchling on July 6. Birds are so vulnerable at this age and typically arrive cold, needing an incubator. It’s extremely challenging to raise a baby this young, which is why we are so grateful for the expertise of our nursery guru Kaori!
If you ever find a pigeon this young, please keep it warm and bring it to a wildlife rehabilitator immediately. Never provide food or water.
Gold is now flying well and socializing with other teens. He can look forward to a September release.
Please consider helping all our young hopefuls! bit.ly/wbfdonate
📷: Kaori Oda (current and 5 days after arrival), Luis Ochoa (photo 3 as hatchling)
Big bill, little feets! This is a black skimmer, such a unique seabird that breeds right here in NYC. This juvenile likely hatched near Jamaica Bay, where she was found tangled in aquatic plants, weak and emaciated.
She’s feeling a bit better with care and is really enjoying her bespoke cage setup courtesy of our creative waterfowl team. She’s just been cleared to swim, so we’re excited to get this one in the pool.
These birds have an unusual fishing style. They fly low along the surface of the water, opening their longer mandible to skim fish off the surface.
Your donations make it possible for us to care for this beautiful skimmer and hundreds of other patients in house right now. If you’d like to help, please visit bit.ly/wbfdonate.
🎥: Emily Einhorn
Monk parakeets have survived and thrived in NYC since the '60s or '70s, and there's a famous flock that nests in the Gothic spire at Brooklyn's Green-wood Cemetery. One of their crew collided with a window not far from the cemetery and was brought to the clinic for care. Gumby (sorry, buddy, that's your temporary name) needed a full week to recover from a concussion but was happily released back to his flock.
This bird is an adult who'd lived his whole life in the wild so a release was the best thing here. Occasionally we receive monks who are tame or tame up quickly, and in those cases, a member of our team or community adopts them.
We thought you'd enjoy this beautiful burst of green on your Tuesday. 💚
🎥: Luis Ochoa
It’s not clear what got this young black-crowned night-heron into trouble, but he was found on Staten Island severely emaciated. We’ve been treating him for 3 days, providing supportive care and introducing nutrients according to a strict protocol for birds in this condition. Callisto is still very weak and not able to stand regularly, but we’ll keep doing all we can to help build his strength.
These herons breed right here in NYC, and while common and widespread, their population is declining. Your donations make it possible for us to care for Callisto and hundreds of other patients in house right now. If you’d like to help, bit.ly/wbfdonate.
📷: Cynthia Vasquez
Fall migration has begun! And yes, we’re already starting to receive birds who have collided with windows, including this gorgeous worm-eating warbler. This bird breeds just north of here and migrates all the way to Central America for the winter.
Let’s help these hard-working migrators navigate the city safely! Turning out lights at night and making windows visible to birds by providing bird-safe markings to the external surfaces can dramatically reduce collisions. If you live or work in a building that regularly kills birds, please say something. Talk to the management. There are many good products and design solutions. Bird-friendly windows are beautiful windows.
🎥: Phyllis Tseng
Such a sweet face on this juvenile red-tailed hawk, who was rescued in Tompkins Square Park earlier this week (thank you, Ranger Rob and Urban Park Rangers!). Possibly one of the graduates from the nest there, this young bird was lethargic, unafraid of people and thin. He hadn’t eaten in awhile and has a poor body condition and weak grip, so something has been off with this one for some time, either because of illness, a window collision or both.
We treated him for potential rodenticide poisoning and common bacterial infections, and we’re caring for his swollen eye. He’s a bit stronger and taking food well, so we hope to see continued improvement for this handsome youngster, named Currant.
Your donations are feeding, medicating and providing expert care for beautiful Currant, among hundreds of other patients in the clinic right now. If you’d like to donate, please visit bit.ly/wbfdonate
📷: Emily Einhorn
Itty, the teeny mourning dove hatchling, is growing up! Here she is at 5 and 7 days after arrival (photo 3 shows her as a hatchling). All credit goes to our modo magicians Kaori and Eugene, who are giving this precious orphan the extra care and attention she needs.🧡
📷: Kaori Oda, Erika Mansourian (3)
When the Cub Scouts of Bear Den 777 asked us for a woodworking project they could do for our patients, 8 furry faces appeared to say, why YES.
We needed nest boxes for our juvenile squirrels, and the scouts enthusiastically agreed. These boxes not only give the squirrels a home to sleep in, but they make it possible to transport the squirrels to their soft release cage. When squirrels reach a certain age, it’s impossible to catch them, even in a cage. But while they’re snug in the nest boxes, you can just close the exit and transport the box, squirrel and all. Then the nest box literally becomes their home away from home.
Our squirrels are currently acclimating to the outdoors in Millbrook, N.Y,, and before long they’ll be allowed to leave the cage. They may come back for a time to sleep or eat, but eventually they’ll become fully independent.
These 8 perfect boxes were made by 3rd graders Enzo, Frankie, Jai, Robert, Seb, Teddy and Thomas, with guidance from den leader Jeana. Thank you all! Great work!!
We admitted more than 100 baby squirrels already this season, and every step of the process requires careful planning, care — and money. The second breeding season starts now, so if you’d like to help, please visit the link in our bio or bit.ly/wbfdonate to donate.
🎥: Jenny Lee Mitchell
📷: Bear Den 777
“I don’t have anything to put it in.”
“I don’t know anything about birds.”
“I have cats at home.”
“I don’t have a car.”
We’re here to tell you that rescuing a small bird is easy, it requires no special equipment, and your cats never need to know! It will be our secret. If you see a sick or injured bird on the street, the fact that you’ve noticed at all means you’re:
1) awesome
2) likely that bird’s only chance to get help
As long as it’s a small bird, such as a pigeon, mourning dove or songbird, it can’t hurt you. Slowly approach the bird. If it doesn’t move, you can simply pick it up with both hands around the wings. You can also place a sweatshirt or other cloth over it to immobilize it, then gently pick it up. Gloves are great if you have them, but if not, just wash your hands after.
A paper bag makes the perfect ambulance for all small birds, including pigeons. If you don’t have one, ask at a local store or enlist a bystander. A cardboard box or any small container will work too. Close the container, and make sure there are holes for ventilation. Avoid talking to, petting or overly handling the bird (although we think you’re a hero, the bird thinks you’re a predator). And please don’t provide any food or water, as this can cause greater harm to a bird that’s already sick. Birds are very susceptible to inhaling water, so never pour anything into a bird’s mouth.
If you must keep the bird overnight because it’s after clinic hours, just make sure the bird has plenty of ventilation in a closed container and put it behind a door where your pets can’t get to it.
Then bring the bird to our clinic or a rehabber near you right away. Yes, the subway is fine! If you can’t transport yourself, in NYC contact [email protected] to request the help of a volunteer.
If the bird is a raptor, heron or other bird too large or dangerous to handle, please don’t try to catch it yourself. Contact us, NYC Bird Alliance (email above) or the park rangers via 311.
Finally, feel excellent for the rest of the day! You did good. 🥇
📷: Winston Qin
On this we’re delighted to introduce you to our very own elephant, Flowerpecker, a member of the Great Elephant Migration herd.
Flowerpecker is a life-sized calf, sculpted from lantana camara reeds by indigenous artisans of The Coexistence Collective in India. She and her herd are inspired by the Asian elephants native to the Nilgiri Hills in southwest India. In a nod to our work with NYC birds, she’s named for a bird native to her region, the Nilgiri flowerpecker. She’s smiling. We adore her!🐘
What do elephants have to do with the Wild Bird Fund? We’re honored to partner with the Great Elephant Migration, a herd of 100 elephant sculptures traveling across the U.S. spreading the message of coexistence with wildlife, amplifying the work of indigenous artisans and raising money for nonprofit organizations like ours.
YOU CAN BUY OUR ELEPHANT! Flowerpecker will be lovingly reproduced up to 10 times, with a portion of proceeds benefiting our work for the great (if small) migratory creatures of NYC. For more information about the project or to buy our elephant, visit thegreatelephantmigration.org.
YOU CAN VISIT THE HERD! The elephants are currently in Newport, R.I., but they’re coming to NYC Sept. 6 and spending peak bird migration season among us. Much celebrating will ensue. Prepare to join us!
We’re honored to be hosting two juvenile American crow guests, Emily and Chess!
They each suffered injuries, one from an unknown cause, possibly a collision, and the other got entangled in fishing line. And they both have some parasites (who doesn’t amirite). They’re healing and learning to share a space — sort of. They’re such curious and intelligent birds that it can be hard to devise ways to keep them engaged while they’re in care, but we try to shake things up day to day with new puzzles, toys and foods to keep them on their talons.
Every patient is so important to us! Despite the record numbers of patients we’ve taken in this summer, our team gives each precious one the care they need.
Keeping the clinic operating at a high level during the busiest season is so expensive. If you would like to help, please donate via bit.ly/wbfdonate
To all our supporters, we 🩷 you so much!!
🎥: Emily Einhorn
This fledgling kestrel might look mean but he's actually the sweetest little... nope, he's mean. Very mean! Angry and ready to fight! Talons blazing.
And that's how we like 'em! Humans are just predators to wild birds, so a healthy defensiveness is a good thing —and why you should handle a rescued bird as little as possible. If you ever watch an Instagram reel where someone is cuddling an injured wild bird, petting it, talking to it, please know that the poor bird is terrified, thinking they're about to be eaten — 100x more terrified than they would be if the rescuer had just put the bird in a quiet, dark bag or box and left it alone while transporting to a wildlife rehabber.
We'll be giving this juvenile some supportive care and healthy meals (quietly!) and then sending him to join this year’s class of young kestrels at The Raptor Trust.
📷: Phyllis Tseng
You can be part of the solution this migration season! Volunteer with NYC Bird Alliance Project Safe Flight to help monitor window collisions and rescue the survivors. This is rewarding work that provides valuable data.
Over 1 billion birds die in the US annually due to building collisions. Help us make NYC a City by as a collision monitor this fall!
Our program recruits over one hundred dedicated volunteers each migration season to patrol the streets of New York in the early mornings in search of dead or injured birds. Join us to help build the dataset that will affect city-wide change for birds.
Online Info Sessions:
🐦 Tuesday, August 13, 6-7pm
🐦 Wednesday, August 14, 7-8pm
🐦 Friday, August 16, 9-10am
Sign up and learn more: https://nycbirdalliance.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/nycbirdalliance/neonPage.jsp?pageId=19&
We are so proud of our artistic swimming competitors! They’ve been training their hearts out but unfortunately failed to qualify due to waterproofing technicalities.
These young talents are not deterred and will be back, in adult breeding plumage and better than ever, in 2028.🥇
🎥: Emily Einhorn
Mourning doves come in size extra smol🥹
Itty was found on the ground as just a hatchling. It’s so difficult to raise a baby this young. But our nursery superstars Eugene and Kaori have worked their magic to help this little one continue to get strong.
It’s been an insane year for babies. And they’re still coming! If you’d like to help, please consider donating via bit.ly/wbfdonate
📷: Erika Mansourian
Pool time is happy time for our growing gulls, who need to build up their waterproofing and take pressure off their delicate feet, but also just splash, bob, let their webbies dangle in the cool water and generally be the seabirds they are. Having a friend to do it with, however uncooperative, makes it even better.
Puma, a juvenile herring gull, arrived at the clinic emaciated, with damaged flight feathers and injured feet — all the classic signs of a juvenile gull who had a rough landing into the world. During 17 days of care, we got him back into fighting and flying shape (and floating!), and we’re delighted to announce that he was just released with another clinic friend. Good luck out there, kids!
Your donations make this work possible. If you’re able to help us during this busy season, we’d be so grateful. Visit bit.ly/wbfdonate
🎥: Cynthia Vasquez
We were happy to provide a quick pitstop for this Virginia rail, who had been sitting in front of a busy store doorway in the Flatiron District for hours. A window collision was the likely cause. Fortunately, amazing rescuer Amy was there and knew what to do.
Amy (the rail, named after her savior) perked up quickly in care and really just needed a couple of days to recuperate from her brief ordeal. Urban Park Rangers were kind enough to release this bird for us in a marshy, suitable habitat — much better than Fifth Avenue!
📷: Katherine Figueroa, Amy Aversa
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Meanwhile, in the tiniest patient category, here’s one of 11 ruby-throated hummingbirds we’ve received this fall migration. Weighing just 3 grams, this bird collided with a window and managed to be rescued. After a couple of days enjoying our real nectar among not-so-real flowers, this beauty was released to have another go. We wish hummer well! 🎥: Lily Lugo
What an honor to attend the blessing of the elephants this afternoon and to meet our own elephant, Flowerpecker. This herd of exquisite sculptures has arrived in NYC as part of the Great Elephant Migration, spreading the message of coexistence with wildlife, amplifying the work of indigenous artisans and raising money for nonprofit organizations like ours. The elephants are in the Meatpacking District for the next 6 weeks. Come on down to visit them at 14th and 9th Avenue and all around the neighborhood. YOU CAN BUY OUR ELEPHANT! Flowerpecker will be lovingly reproduced up to 10 times, with a portion of proceeds benefiting our work for the great (if small) migratory creatures of NYC. For more information about the project or to buy our elephant, visit thegreatelephantmigration.org.
Look who’s here! The Great Elephant Migration herd has finally arrived in NYC. There will be a public blessing on Friday at 4pm Gansevoort Plaza. Come on out! Or just drop by the Meatpacking District thereafter to visit these beautiful sculptures, which were crafted by a collective of indigenous artisans in India. They are spreading the message of wildlife coexistence, and they've arrived during our own season of migration — when millions of birds cross the continent in pursuit of winter habitat. We are honored to be a nonprofit partner in this project, and to have our very own elephant, a calf named Flowerpecker. You or your organization can purchase made-to-order copies of our calf by visiting https://thegreatelephantmigration.org. A portion of proceeds will benefit our work for NYC wildlife. 🎥: Moe Phillips
Black-and-white warblers, those zebra-striped beauties who walk on the trunks of trees, are among our most numerous window-collision patients during spring and fall migration. Just today, we admitted SIX. And these are just one of the 30+ warbler species that migrate through NYC! What a bounty! What a spectacle. What a beautiful world. Help us protect these precious migrants! If you see a bird sitting or lying on the sidewalk, it has hit a window and needs your help. Please contain the bird in a paper bag or box, close the container securely and bring it to the Wild Bird Fund or a wildlife rehabber near you (use ahnow.org if you need to find one). In NYC, if you can’t transport to us right away, please contain the bird, keep it with you and contact [email protected] to see if a volunteer is available to bring it to the clinic. Your support makes this work possible. Please consider helping today: bit.ly/wbfdonate 🎥: Phyllis Tseng
The subtle beauty of a red-eyed vireo never fails to amaze! This gorgeous migrant collided with a window in Queens and was lucky to be rescued and brought to the clinic for care. If you’ve had a bird hit your window, please take steps to prevent it from happening again. External markings on the window will solve the problem, as long as they are applied 2 inches apart over the whole pane. There are many great solutions. Visit our friends at @nycbirdalliance for ideas. More than 1 billion birds are killed in the U.S. every year by colliding with windows, and the vast majority occur at low-rise buildings and houses. All those “one-offs” add up to a massive crisis for our migrating songbirds. But this is preventable! Turn off lights at night and add bird proofing to the outside of your windows. If you don’t have control over the outside of your windows, please talk to the management in your building. This bird is one of 66 patients we admitted yesterday! And fall migration is just beginning. Your donations make our work for NYC’s wildlife possible. Please consider helping: bit.ly/wbfdonate 🎥: Phyllis Tseng
This little bird looks like a thrush, and spends a lot of time on the ground like a thrush, but is actually a warbler. This is an ovenbird, and like millions of other warblers, he’s on the move, migrating south for the winter, possibly as far as South America. Some fly directly to the Caribbean from here over the Atlantic, and some fly over land and cross the Gulf of Mexico (according to Audubon Migration Explorer). It’s astonishing to imagine them making that long journey. Of course, far too many are killed by colliding with windows, and a very few survive the collisions, are rescued and brought into care. We do all we can for those survivors and try to send them back on their routes. You can help: If you see a bird sitting or lying on the sidewalk, it has hit a window and needs your help. Please contain the bird in a paper bag or box, close the container securely and bring it to the Wild Bird Fund or a wildlife rehabber near you (use ahnow.org if you need to find one). In NYC, if you can’t transport to us right away, please contain the bird, keep it with you and contact [email protected] to see if a volunteer is available to bring it to the clinic. If you live or work in a building that regularly kills birds, please say something! Talk to the management. There are many good products and design solutions. Bird-friendly windows are beautiful windows. And donate to your local wildlife rehabilitators! bit.ly/wbfdonate 🎥: Phyllis Tseng
Fall migration has barely begun, but we’ve already admitted 40 warblers in the past few weeks! Our baskets and flyway are hopping with these colorful migrants, all victims of window collisions. If you see a bird sitting or lying on the sidewalk, it has hit a window and needs your help. Please contain the bird in a paper bag or box, close the container securely and bring it to the Wild Bird Fund or a wildlife rehabber near you (use ahnow.org if you need to find one). In NYC, if you can’t transport to us right away, please contain the bird, keep it with you and contact [email protected] to see if a volunteer is available to bring it to the clinic. More than a billion birds are killed in the U.S. every year by windows. But window collisions are preventable! Turning out lights at night and adding approved markings to the outside of windows are the simple solutions. If you live or work in a building that regularly kills birds, please say something! Talk to the management. There are many good products and design solutions. Bird-friendly windows are beautiful windows. And donate to your local wildlife rehabilitators! To support our work, please visit bit.ly/wbfdonate 🎥: Lily Lugo
Big bill, little feets! This is a black skimmer, such a unique seabird that breeds right here in NYC. This juvenile likely hatched near Jamaica Bay, where she was found tangled in aquatic plants, weak and emaciated. She’s feeling a bit better with care and is really enjoying her bespoke cage setup courtesy of our creative waterfowl team. She’s just been cleared to swim, so we’re excited to get this one in the pool. These birds have an unusual fishing style. They fly low along the surface of the water, opening their longer mandible to skim fish off the surface. Your donations make it possible for us to care for this beautiful skimmer and hundreds of other patients in house right now. If you’d like to help, please visit bit.ly/wbfdonate. 🎥: Emily Einhorn
Monk parakeets have survived and thrived in NYC since the '60s or '70s, and there's a famous flock that nests in the Gothic spire at Brooklyn's Green-wood Cemetery. One of their crew collided with a window not far from the cemetery and was brought to the clinic for care. Gumby (sorry, buddy, that's your temporary name) needed a full week to recover from a concussion but was happily released back to his flock. This bird is an adult who'd lived his whole life in the wild so a release was the best thing here. Occasionally we receive monks who are tame or tame up quickly, and in those cases, a member of our team or community adopts them. We thought you'd enjoy this beautiful burst of green on your Tuesday. 💚 🎥: Luis Ochoa
Fall migration has begun! And yes, we’re already starting to receive birds who have collided with windows, including this gorgeous worm-eating warbler. This bird breeds just north of here and migrates all the way to Central America for the winter. Let’s help these hard-working migrators navigate the city safely! Turning out lights at night and making windows visible to birds by providing bird-safe markings to the external surfaces can dramatically reduce collisions. If you live or work in a building that regularly kills birds, please say something. Talk to the management. There are many good products and design solutions. Bird-friendly windows are beautiful windows. 🎥: Phyllis Tseng
When the Cub Scouts of Bear Den 777 asked us for a woodworking project they could do for our patients, 8 furry faces appeared to say, why YES. We needed nest boxes for our juvenile squirrels, and the scouts enthusiastically agreed. These boxes not only give the squirrels a home to sleep in, but they make it possible to transport the squirrels to their soft release cage. When squirrels reach a certain age, it’s impossible to catch them, even in a cage. But while they’re snug in the nest boxes, you can just close the exit and transport the box, squirrel and all. Then the nest box literally becomes their home away from home. Our squirrels are currently acclimating to the outdoors in Millbrook, N.Y,, and before long they’ll be allowed to leave the cage. They may come back for a time to sleep or eat, but eventually they’ll become fully independent. These 8 perfect boxes were made by 3rd graders Enzo, Frankie, Jai, Robert, Seb, Teddy and Thomas, with guidance from den leader Jeana. Thank you all! Great work!! We admitted more than 100 baby squirrels already this season, and every step of the process requires careful planning, care — and money. The second breeding season starts now, so if you’d like to help, please visit the link in our bio or bit.ly/wbfdonate to donate. 🎥: Jenny Lee Mitchell 📷: Bear Den 777
We’re honored to be hosting two juvenile American crow guests, Emily and Chess! They each suffered injuries, one from an unknown cause, possibly a collision, and the other got entangled in fishing line. And they both have some parasites (who doesn’t amirite). They’re healing and learning to share a space — sort of. They’re such curious and intelligent birds that it can be hard to devise ways to keep them engaged while they’re in care, but we try to shake things up day to day with new puzzles, toys and foods to keep them on their talons. Every patient is so important to us! Despite the record numbers of patients we’ve taken in this summer, our team gives each precious one the care they need. Keeping the clinic operating at a high level during the busiest season is so expensive. If you would like to help, please donate via bit.ly/wbfdonate To all our supporters, we 🩷 you so much!! 🎥: Emily Einhorn
We are so proud of our artistic swimming competitors! They’ve been training their hearts out but unfortunately failed to qualify due to waterproofing technicalities. These young talents are not deterred and will be back, in adult breeding plumage and better than ever, in 2028.🥇 🎥: Emily Einhorn
Pool time is happy time for our growing gulls, who need to build up their waterproofing and take pressure off their delicate feet, but also just splash, bob, let their webbies dangle in the cool water and generally be the seabirds they are. Having a friend to do it with, however uncooperative, makes it even better. Puma, a juvenile herring gull, arrived at the clinic emaciated, with damaged flight feathers and injured feet — all the classic signs of a juvenile gull who had a rough landing into the world. During 17 days of care, we got him back into fighting and flying shape (and floating!), and we’re delighted to announce that he was just released with another clinic friend. Good luck out there, kids! Your donations make this work possible. If you’re able to help us during this busy season, we’d be so grateful. Visit bit.ly/wbfdonate 🎥: Cynthia Vasquez
The only wildlife rehabilitation center in New York City, the nonprofit Wild Bird Fund treats more than 7,000 patients a year, including red-tailed hawks and peregrine falcons, as well as gulls, robins, songbirds and, yes, lots of pigeons. Squirrels, opossums and groundhogs too! The city can be a tough place for wildlife, but it’s also a thriving habitat, with more than 250 species of birds recorded in Central Park. We aim to keep it that way. To this end, we also provide wildlife education programs to schools and organizations throughout the city. We do all this through the generous donations of many caring New Yorkers.
Photo: Groucho, the Eastern screech-owl by Ardith Bondi
Loros y Aves a la venta en Puerto rico
Columbus Avenue
Throw Me A Bone Inc. / Dog Daycare, Grooming
W 42nd Street
The Schwarzman Animal Medical Center
E 62nd Street
