I have been doing many tasks at Wild Nest. Aside from doing the laundry and dishes, I learned how to prepare the food for the birds. Different types of birds require different types of foods. For example, hummingbirds eat nectar, and this nectar is a liquid which we put in syringes and let them self-feed from in their cages. Other birds such as doves, robins, and the waxwings have diets that consists of mealworms, avian salad, berries, insect mix, and sometimes earthworms and seeds. Some birds need special care, for example, having a heat lamp above their cage. I also learned how to properly catch a bird from their cage to take out for weighing and feeding medications. When I see the shift leaders try to catch a bird, they have to be quick with it because some of the birds fly around so fast and is hard to catch. In order to properly hold a bird, you have to put its head in between your index and middle fingers and use your other fingers to gently hold the body as to not let it fly away. I also learned how different injuries can affect a bird. Just recently, Wild Nest took in a bird that most likely got hit by a car. Upon examination of the bird, its head would go back and forth, kind of like a twitch. Its head was also extremely swollen. This is the outcome of getting hit by a car. Our project will discuss how to prevent birds from needing rehabilitation. We will discuss the common causes of bird injuries, mainly focusing on window collisions, cat interactions, and glue traps. We will also discuss possible solutions to these problems. The most interesting aspect of my service is learning how unique each bird is. Each bird has preferences for its diet. Certain species are more friendly towards other birds than others. Some birds are really easy going and easy to handle, while some are fast and full of energy. Working with birds made me realize how unique each bird is and how incredible of an animal it is. This is why we should try our best to learn about the common problems birds face and we need to learn how we can prevent injuries to birds.
Author: nmuhammad31
Introduction: Nuha Muhammad
Hello! My name is Nuha Muhammad. I am a junior at Georgia state and I’m majoring in computer science. I selected this course because I am interested in gaining experience in volunteering for an organization. I have learned a lot in this class. One of the interesting things I learned in this class is the idea of nature not just being forests and mountains, but nature also being human societies such as cities. This is an idea that I never thought of before joining this class. This idea challenges the normal view of what nature is. It has been fun reading different articles and essays by people with different views on nature. This class has been fun and I am glad I have the opportunity to be in this class.
I am volunteering for the Wild Nest Bird Rehab. This organization rehabilitates and cares for injured birds, particularly songbirds. I am interested in this organization because I am interested in learning the effort it takes to take care of the birds, such as learning about food preparation, what it can and cant eat, how to take care of them when they are injured, etc. When I was younger and even now, I have always wanted to help take care of animals. I would watch youtube videos of people caring for animals, and I have always wanted to do that. So doing this would fulfill my childhood dream. Also fun fact: I never had a pet. So I have no experience in taking care of animals. But I am ready and excited to learn. In order to be good at something you have to start somewhere, so I am taking this opportunity to start something new and learn. Upon research of the organization, I learned that this organization is the only nonprofit rehab facility that is specifically for songbirds in the state of Georgia. Knowing this makes me more determined to do my best in doing the services that they need me to do since this is an opportunity that not many people can experience. I am really excited to be working with this organization.