For their community partner, Wild Nest Bird Rehab, Grace Brawn and Diane Kong created a presentation to inform the public about ways to mitigate injuries to migrating songbirds passing through Atlanta each year. Their presentation emphasizes window collisions, a major cause of bird deaths annually and an event that brought 30 Cedar Waxwings into their care this semester, only three of which were able to survive their injuries.
Reflecting on my experiences at Wild Nest Rehab as I near the end of my required hours with them, I have developed sympathy for these vulnerable creatures in our modern, industrial society. This journey has been full of unexpected discoveries, challenges, and moments of deeper understanding. Overall there is an issue about the lack of knowledge about avian species among the general population. Many of these incidents could have been prevented if people were more knowledgeable about bird behavior and nesting habits. It’s a reminder of the importance of education and awareness when it comes to coexisting with wildlife in our increasingly urbanized environments. For instance, one of the most surprising revelations has been the extent of bird injuries caused by collisions with windows and other structures—an issue often overlooked in the hectic schedule of everyday life. Another example of this was when an individual brought in baby house finches whose nests had been inadvertently removed by a pressure washer worker, leaving them orphaned. Although Wild Nest Rehab is about treating and rehabilitating injured birds; it’s also about preventing these incidents from happening in the first place through informed action and respect for wildlife.
I highly encourage others to volunteer with this organization; the supportive atmosphere and meaningful contributions make it a truly fulfilling experience. Looking forward, I find myself considering further involvement with this cause. Throughout this experience, I have admired the organization’s dedication to caring for injured birds. I was able to have first-hand experience with avian care from thorough injury assessments to precise treatment administration.
In my time with Wild Nest Bird Rehabilitation I have been able to help with baby birds, juvenile birds, and adult songbirds. I have learned how to feed baby birds worms and formula, how to catch an escaped bird, and about the diets of the many species of songbirds that are in our city! I think seeing firsthand how many species of songbirds are in our city has been extremely interesting. As baby season is now upon us, I have definitely found being in the baby room to be the most satisfying and fun task. The baby birds are on 15, 30, and 60 minute feedings and there are so many of them! It can be very tiring to feed all of them because as soon as you finish feeding them you have to start the entire process over again, but I really enjoy it. It is very calming to be in a silent room with only the sound of baby birds chirping. I did unfortunately witness a Blue Heron get put down. It was definitely the sad part of volunteering with Wild Nest. Unfortunately not all the birds can be saved and putting suffering birds down is the most humane thing to do. Rounding on all of the birds is also very interesting. Everytime I have gone into volunteer something is different. Birds grow up so fast and this makes it so you can follow a birds journey to recovery, which is extremely rewarding.
I do feel that my time with this organization has made an impact. Wild Nest is such a busy organization, so I feel that every volunteer that is able to contribute any amount of time is absolutely helping with the mission of Wild Nest. There would truly be no one to do what is done everyday at Wild Nest without volunteers. This has made it so I feel that I am actively helping with the mission of Wild Nest everytime I am there volunteering. I am very hopeful that our project will contribute to Wild Nest. Bird collisions are such a major contributor to bird deaths nationally. While it can be easy to blame the big glass buildings in our cities there are far more houses that have glass. Raising awareness of the windows and glass in our homes and how they harm birds can hopefully have a dramatic effect on reducing the amount of birds that die because of these windows. Allowing access to our powerpoint, that will include important statistics on window/bird collisions and the things everyone can do to prevent bird deaths from window collisions, I believe would further Wild Nest’s mission. This would hopefully reduce the amount of deaths and injuries from window collisions and allow for our bird population to improve. I wish I could include images of all the beautiful baby birds, but I am not allowed to. We have as of Wednesday baby woodpeckers, nuthatches, mockingbirds, blue birds, cardinals, and robins to name a few. They are also so tiny and so amazing to be around!
I have been volunteering with Wild Nest Bird Rehabilitation and have already learned so much in my short time with them! On a normal day volunteering we round on the birds in both the juvenile room and adult room as well as any birds that may be in the outdoor aviary. We check to make sure each bird is well and has adequate amounts of food and water. Some of my favorite birds to see up close and personal, so far, have been the hummingbird and the American crow. It has been very eye-opening to see how many birds are brought in because of injuries sustained from cats, window collisions, and car collisions, to name a few. Window collisions are the third leading cause of death for songbirds and learning this information prompted our interest in doing a project about this topic.
In addition to volunteering with Wild Nest, I have also been able to speak and learn more about the issue of window collisions from Adam Betuel, who is the director of Conservation with Birds Georgia. He told me how window collisions cause 365 million to 1 billion bird deaths each year. He also went through different factors of glass that can make them more likely to confuse birds. As more and more buildings are being built with large amounts of glass this issue is becoming ever more pressing, but more details on this will be shared in Diane and I’s project :).
I was also able to attend the event at Legacy Park called “Humans and/as Animals”. The event was very interesting! We walked around the lake where Wild Nest is located and heard from several professors from Emory University, Georgia State University, and Morehouse College as well. The panel discussion was about how we can all be more in tune with animals and essentially be grounded and reminded of the fact that we too are animals. Carolyn, Professor Finck, and I also shared our stories of volunteering with Wild Nest at the end of the event. I have attached pictures that Professor Finck took from our walk around the lake. I would include pictures of the birds as well, but we are not allowed to do this.
So far, I have been able to hold a few birds such as the American crow and several mourning doves. I really enjoy being in the exam room with the new intakes and seeing how different, yet similar treatment of birds is to human treatment. I have also been able to help prepare a lot of the foods and formulas that are needed for the different types of songbirds that Wild Nest helps. I even witnessed several birds being tube-fed!
Engaging in voluntary service at the Wildnest Rehabilitation Center has been both a privilege and an educational journey. My experiences there have provided unique insights into avian diversity, notably through encounters with drastically different bird species such as the American woodcock and waxwing. At first glance, the American Woodcock seems like an unusual bird, notably due to its prominent beak and ground-dwelling nature, often requiring a pile of leaves for comfortable rest. In stark contrast to the peculiar appearance of the American Woodcock, the waxwing emerged as the most striking bird I encountered at the rehabilitation center. Its silky-looking feathers, adorned with vibrant yellows and bright reds make it stand out from the other birds.
The beginning of April marks baby bird season and has presented invaluable opportunities to actively participate in the care and rehabilitation of vulnerable avian populations. Engaging in tasks such as hand-feeding and nurturing these fledglings has given me a sense of stewardship and responsibility toward wildlife conservation. Conversely, challenges have also arisen, serving as a reminder of the threats faced by avian species in the wild. The majority of birds that have been admitted to the rehabilitation center have suffered injuries due to window or car collisions, resulting in neurological damage that impairs their ability to stand or fly properly, often with devastating consequences. Last week, I encountered a bird so severely injured that it could barely move, prompting the rehab team to make the difficult decision to euthanize it, recognizing that its chances of recovery and survival in the wild were slim. Witnessing such heartbreaking situations has been a sobering reminder of the fragility of wildlife and the importance of conservation efforts to mitigate human-induced threats to their well-being.
*The following image is found on Google Images and not taken at the rehab facility*
^ Waxwing
^ American Woodcock
Greetings everyone, I am Diane Kong, pursuing a Biology major with a premed concentration. My decision to enroll in this course stemmed from its focus on community service within the urban environment, which was something I had been interested in but never had the opportunity to delve into. This honors course promised a unique opportunity to explore the intersections of nature and community engagement. As I immerse myself in the material, I am uncovering the intricate nuances of nature that often go overlooked. From the interconnectedness of ecosystems to the delicate urban biodiversity, I am realizing the depth and complexity of the natural world.
I am thrilled to collaborate with Wild Nest Bird Rehab, a vital organization dedicated to bird welfare. I was interested in working with Wild Nest because of my deep love for birds, particularly hummingbirds, and the sadness I feel seeing them fall victim to human activities. Wild Nest’s commitment to treating 1,500 birds annually, educating the local community, and advocating for approaches to reduce bird deaths and injuries is truly inspiring. Through my engagement with Wild Nest, I’ve learned the staggering statistic that billions of birds perish each year due to habitat loss, free-roaming cats, building collisions, and other causes. I am eager to contribute to projects aimed at directly assisting birds, whether through treatment or feeding. Moreover, I hope to learn invaluable skills during my service assignments, such as bird weighing, medication administration, and tube feeding, all under the guidance of licensed professionals. I believe that by working with Wild Nest, I can make a meaningful difference in the lives of birds while growing personally and professionally.
Hi! My name is Grace Brawn and I am a Biomedical Science and Enterprise major and am minoring in Biology. I selected this course because I have wanted to become more active in the community, but did not know where to even start. In this course we have talked about what nature is, which is much more difficult to define than you might think, why nature is important, and how humans affect nature. We have been thinking about how our actions impact nature and what we need to do and change to create a better future for the world. We have been looking at different perspectives on nature and how our perspective impacts our relationship with nature.
The community partner I am going to be working with is Wild Nest Bird Rehabilitation. Wild Nest rehabilitates injured and orphaned native birds and releases them back into the wild. The work they do is very important as thousands of birds are injured throughout the Atlanta and Decatur area annually. These birds are injured through human actions, such as cars, lawnmowers, cat or dog attacks, barbed wire fences, or road work, as well as non-human forces as well such as baby birds falling from their nest during a bad storm. While treating bird injuries may seem relatively simple, it is much more complex than people realize. This community partner does not just “fix” the injury, they fully rehabilitate these birds, mostly songbirds, so they can go into or back to the wild successfully. Wild Nest has trained and licensed individuals who care for these injured, orphaned, displaced, and/or distressed birds. They have different designated areas to care for baby birds, juvenile birds, and adult birds. Their facility also includes two large outdoor aviaries for birds to grow their flying muscles and strength to increase their chances of survival once they are released. To care for so many different species of birds they have many different types of foods to properly nourish these birds that have such different diets. While Wild Nest does not rehabilitate all species of birds they can act as a temporary facility and care for other species of birds and direct these birds to a facility that is more properly equipped and that possibly specializes in the rehabilitation of these other species. I witnessed this at my orientation when a wood duck was brought in with puncture wounds. Wild Nest does not usually treat ducks, but they can evaluate them, start the general treatment process, and find a more properly suited rehabilitation facility to transport them to.
I am interested in this community partner as I have always loved animals. My grandpa and I used to watch birds and I have always wanted to learn more about them. I am looking forward to helping with the rehabilitation of the birds. As someone interested in medicine, I believe it would be very interesting and beneficial to learn about the anatomy and physiology of birds. I also hope to learn more about how to keep the birds that live in our cities safe and healthy. I am hoping to do a project that benefits this organization and furthers its work. I feel that community outreach and educating the public is of major importance for this organization and hope we can create a project that helps fill this need. I also want to overall raise awareness of what they do, especially since they run exclusively on volunteers. I am sure there are other goals Wild Nest Bird Rehabilitation will have as well and am looking forward to learning and creating possible options for these goals. I hope to learn not only how to help birds, but how to help the nature that we do still have in our cities.
Volunteering at Wild Nest has allowed me to get more familiar with knowing what kind of care birds require. Over the last four times I have gone to volunteer, I have been presented with various tasks such as preparing food, washing dishes, going down to the aviary, and midday clean up duties. Birds usually eat berries which have to be cut into tiny pieces because for some reason, they tend to go uneaten when the pieces are too large. Going down to the outdoor aviary tends to consist of bringing down fruit and seeds down to the birds who are getting ready to be released. There are two separate outdoor aviaries, one of them I am not allowed to enter into due to it housing the infamous “your majesty” who is a bird known for flying and landing on you while biting. One of the activities I enjoyed most was being able to handle the medications for three birds. I was given the privilege of measuring out the dosage and getting medications ready.
Over the last two weeks, the number of birds at Wild Nest have greatly increased in number. The adult and juvie room are close to being full of birds while at the same time due to baby bird season finally arriving, there has been an influx of baby birds who are being nursed. Just this week, six recently hatched baby wrens were brought in and are currently being thermoregulated in an incubator at 85 Celsius. Every 15 minutes the wren are being feed nutritional baby formula using a 1 ml o-ring syringe with a cannula tip. Baby wrens like to be hidden which is why when they are placed into their incubator, they are hidden with a light piece of napkin. After 5 minutes have passed from the formula feeding, the baby birds are once again taken out to be feed worms. The worms are cut in half and placed in water to help with hydration. I was given the opportunity to feed the baby wrens worms and had to whistle and blow on the wrens multiple times to get them to open their beaks. This helps them open their beaks due to the sounds sounding similar to their mothers.
I have greatly enjoyed volunteering at Wild Nest and it has certainly exceeded my expectations. Everything has a set system and is very organized which helps when you’re starting out to volunteer. I’m looking forward to increasing my knowledge about birds and continuing to volunteer with this organization.
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.
I first physically engaged with my Community Partner, Wild Nest Bird Rehab, last Sunday. At this initial meeting, my GSU team members and I went through an orientation led by both of Wild Nest’s training leaders. Here we learned about the organization’s history, what help they expect from us, and where everything is located in the facility. Located within Legacy Park in Decatur, GA, Wild Nest will be having its first baby bird season in its newly renovated facility this year. Baby bird season is their busiest season, and it will start in a few weeks, so this is an exciting time to begin volunteering with the organization.
Wild Nest Bird Rehab began after Nancy Eileen decided that singlehandedly caring for birds in her home was becoming unfeasible. When going out of town, she would have to find someone to watch the birds, and when dozens of baby birds needed to be fed every few minutes she would need extra hands. Wild Nest Bird Rehab is meant to serve as a place where people can join forces to care for many more birds than a single person could. Their goal is to rehabilitate and release songbirds and inform the public about ways they can reduce threats to these birds.
Getting to see and interact with baby birds is the most exciting part of this partnership to me. On Sunday we were able to see a baby hummingbird and I was shocked by how small it was! This link shows a picture of a baby hummingbird taken from Google Images.
Some of the most notable aspects of Wild Nest’s facility were the quarantine room for birds with diseases, the outdoor aviary where birds close to being released can practice flying again, and the kitchen where bird food is made. The kitchen even had a cookbook with recipes for different bird species. Live worms and leafy greens were part of many recipes.
My volunteer responsibilities will expand as I go through weeks of training. For the first three weeks, I will be shadowing a “Level 1” volunteer. After I have shadowed them for three weeks, I can choose to do the tasks I’ve been watching on my own with supervision or choose to shadow some more until I am more confident. Once I try the tasks on my own, the person who supervises me will certify that I am capable of doing “Level 1” tasks, then I can move on to shadow someone doing “Level 2” tasks and the process starts again. There are three levels of volunteer expertise, and I am able to stop training at whatever level I would like. The organization needs volunteers at each level and they are understanding of the possibility that volunteers could be uncomfortable doing higher-level tasks.
I am thoroughly enjoying my volunteer experience so far, and I hope my classmates are as well!
