Wild Bird Fund

11/02/2026

This great black-backed gull was going a little stir crazy, and who could blame him? He’d been with us nearly a month recovering from a collection of ailments related to a likely collision.

Tor was reluctant to fly, possibly as a result of a minor coracoid fracture (shoulder) and had developed a wound on one foot, likely from being grounded so long. It took several weeks of wound care, medication and pool therapy for this guy to fully recover. By the end, he’d had enough of our hospitality.

We’re happy to report that Tor was released this week! Good luck out there.🐟

If you’d like to help us care for many more gulls like Tor, and so many other patients, please consider a donation. 🔗bit.ly/fallmigration26

10/30/2026

“The first time in probably a century we have nesting barn owls,” said Rita McMahon, the director of the Wild Bird Fund. “How could you do that to them?”

The owls are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

10/30/2026

Look who’s on her feet, strong, alert and feisty!

This is Valkyrie, a juvenile red-tailed hawk who was rescued in Brooklyn a week ago. This poor girl was not going to make it in the wild much longer. She couldn’t stand or even lift her head when she arrived at the clinic. She was not responsive to handling.

Rodenticide poisoning is the likely cause, possibly complicated by West Nile Virus, which has been so prevalent this year among young hawks.

We immediately provided oxygen and fluids, plus treatment for anticoagulant rodenticide. She held on, but the situation looked bleak for the first couple of days.

As you can see, Valkyrie has made a huge recovery. She’s able to perch, she’s defensive, eating and ready for transfer to our friends , where she will receive the rest of her rehab before release.

We are thrilled to see this transformation! If you’d like to help with her care, and that of many other hawks and other local wildlife, please donate. 🙏🏽

🔗 https://wbf.app.neoncrm.com/forms/fall-migration-2026

📷: Terra Tirapelli, Rachel Frank (before)

10/29/2026

A terrible development today at the historic barn owl nest. We are grateful to NYC Bird Alliance and NYS Department of Environmental Conservation for stepping in quickly to stop further destruction.

10/27/2026

It was a very bad West Nile Virus summer at the Wild Bird Fund and throughout NYC. We admitted a number of young red-tailed hawks and crows who died of the virus, more than in recent years.

Kirstyn Brendlen at Brooklyn Paper spoke to our waterfowl and raptor supervisor Rachel Frank about our summer hawks and what we’ve learned about the symptoms.

“’We have been seeing so many hatch-year young fledglings or juveniles this season … that [seem to be] experiencing the effects of West Nile Virus,’ Frank said.

Young birds with undeveloped immune systems can be more vulnerable to severe West Nile infections, which often includes brain swelling. Early on, they might just appear tired or disoriented, she said, but they decline quickly.”

“We have been seeing so many hatch-year young fledglings or juveniles this season … that experiencing the effects of West Nile Virus,” Frank said.

10/25/2026

Today we celebrate the life of Toni Erlich, a longtime Wild Bird Fund volunteer who passed away in August.

Toni was an energetic presence during the clinic’s early years. She worked at the front door, greeting rescuers, keeping the upstairs organized and occasionally wrangling the domestic ducks and chickens we sometimes had running around back in the day. She helped release many a recovered patient in Central Park.

Toni also managed the volunteers for our annual Flocktail Party gala during the Birdie Vanderbilt Mansion days, when we had to do everything ourselves, down to bringing the chairs and the ice.

Toni’s apartment on the Upper West Side was a showcase for her creative spirit. There, on her cozy furnishings surrounded by photos and art, she regularly assembled friends for warm gatherings overflowing with food, drink and lively conversation.

She gave generously of her time and energy, always quick with a compliment or a laugh. We are all a little better for having known Toni, and we miss her.🤍

10/25/2026

Why is this bird “taking a nap” on the sidewalk?

The answer is, of course, a window collision. This brown creeper has just suffered a concussion or severe head trauma and can’t move or fly. Sometimes in this state, they'll tuck their heads under their wings as if asleep. It’s just a really bad moment for this poor guy. He feels awful.

If you see a bird in this condition, please step in to help. You can gently grab the bird and place them in a paper bag or small box. Close the container and then transfer the bird to a wildlife rehabber. Being in professional care will give the bird the best possible chance of recovery.

It’s still peak fall migration! Hundreds of thousands of birds are still flying through the city every day. You can help a creeper, a sparrow or a thrush (plus lots of pigeons, hawks and gulls), by donating. 🔗wbf.app.neoncrm.com/forms/fall-migration-2026

📷: Ben Hatch, Calista McRae, Phyllis Tseng

10/23/2026

The “spectacles” on a blue-headed vireo help us humans identify this beautiful fall migrant, but sadly they do absolutely nothing to help this bird avoid a collision with a window.

What would help: bird-safe markings on the outside of the glass. These products, which usually involve a small pattern spaced 2 inches apart over the whole external surface of the glass, make windows visible to birds and can nearly eliminate bird collisions.

Window collisions kill at least 250,000 birds a year in NYC and more than a billion nationwide. The good, if frustrating, news is that they are so preventable!

🚨 It’s high migration all week! If you see a bird sitting or lying on the sidewalk, please gently get the bird into a small container, such as a paper bag or cardboard box. Close the container, adding a few air holes if needed, and bring the bird to WBF or another wildlife rehabber near you (ahnow.org). If you’re unable to transport right away in NYC, keep the bird with you in a quiet, dark place and contact [email protected] to ask if a volunteer is available.

We are regularly admitting more than 80 birds a day during this busy season. Please help by donating 🔗wbf.app.neoncrm.com/forms/fall-migration-2026

📷: Phyllis Tseng

10/20/2026

Patient no. 13,000 for this epic year is a brown creeper. This little beauty spends most waking hours vertical, walking up the trunks of trees foraging for insects.

This creeper, like the 11 others we’ve admitted this fall, was the victim of a window collision.

We’ve now had FOUR days this fall of 100+ patients a day. Those days all followed big migration nights and brought us many migrators who collided with windows on their way south.

Please help a creeper, a wren or a white-throated sparrow. And many pigeons! Donate: 🔗 wbf.app.neoncrm.com/forms/fall-migration-2026

📷: Suzanne Highland

10/18/2026

We’ve had our woodcock suites prepped for a few days now, stocked with dirt bins, waiting for their arrival.

And they’re right on time. Migrating through the city’s glass gauntlet on their way further south. It’s so delightful to see woodcocks happily foraging in the wild — and so upsetting to witness the many collisions and to see the victims arrive at the clinic.

We’re caring for two now. They typically have a lower collision survival rate than other species, but we do all we can to give them the care and conditions they need to recover.

If you find a woodcock on a sidewalk or sitting stunned anywhere (pic 2), please approach slowly to avoid flushing them back into the window. Gently toss a shirt or cloth over the bird and place them in a paper shopping bag. Close the bag securely and bring them to WBF or a wildlife rehabber near you. They can’t survive their injuries if released right away, so bringing them into care offers the best chance.

Support a timberdoodle! Visit 🔗wbf.app.neoncrm.com/forms/fall-migration-2026

📷: Rachel Frank, Ben Hatch