A Fitting Tribute for Dinah

Most people know that at the Outer Banks Wildlife Shelter (OWLS) in Newport, we rescue, treat, rehabilitate, and release wild animals who get injured, become ill or orphaned, but that’s only part of our mission. We also present educational programs to civic groups, school children, nursing home residents and to members of various organizations where we target concepts about conservation and life sciences. To most effectively do this, we quite often showcase our educational animals, also known as Wildlife Ambassadors, who reside permanently at our shelter. These are wild animals who were either captive raised illegally, human habituated and seized by authorities or animals that suffered injuries too severe to be returned to the wild. We get very close emotionally to our wildlife ambassadors because they live with us, we take care of them, we get to know them personally, and they become part of the shelter staff. We really do fall in love with our wildlife resident family, and that is certainly the way we felt about Dinah, our resident Barred Owl, who was deemed non-releasable over 25 years ago when her recovery status was less than 100% after suffering life threatening trauma which could have been a car collision based on the circumstances of her rescue. She recently passed away after serving the Carteret Community for so many years as an education ambassador. Her passing really tore a hole in the hearts of all who knew her and worked with her. Dinah had such an ease of engaging program participants and eliciting empathy and a positive attitude towards her own species, as well as other wildlife. When Dinah showed up at programs and events, she drew such excitement and wonder within an audience. Educational animals provide program attendees the rare chance of interacting with a wild animal that often promotes stewardship and a connection to the species, but it is imperative for all education animals to have the right temperament, be under the control of the handler and not be stressed by human presence. So, it is important to note that it takes just the right individual animal be a good fit for public programs. Not every wild animal can adjust to or is suitable for so much human interaction, but Dinah was a special Barred Owl in that way. While it is always important to focus on keeping the public safe when wild animals are present, we were also very protective of Dinah in a public setting. By the way, the Barred Owl gets its name from the bar-like markings on its feathers, which is a strong symbol of protection. Her disposition was quite calm in public environments, and she seemed to enjoy the attention, well, most of the time. If Dinah did not want to be part of a program on any given day, she would let us know by refusing to glove, and that behavior was respected. She would not go, and we would check with the Red-tailed Hawk or Screech Owl to see if either of them wanted to go. Dinah was remarkably close to a few people at the shelter, especially our Executive Director, Brooke Breen, who spent a lot of quality training time  with her. Dinah was Brooke’s first education animal to work with and part of the very first program Brooke presented. Dinah and Brooke developed and shared a bond that was obvious to any onlooker. Yes, Dinah was a great teacher, but also, she was an amazing ‘Foster Mom.’ When orphaned baby Barred Owls were rescued and transported to the shelter, we knew that once the babies were stabilized, eating well and ready to go outside, Dinah would raise them the rest of the way and teach them to be the Barred Owls they were meant to be in the wild! She was perfect in that role! We were never quite sure what was being said between Dinah and the foster kids in her charge, but we were very sure owl learning was taking place. We often wondered if she was telling them stories about her old days in the wild. The little ones were always so attentive to Dinah and locked in on her every move and sound. She was a dynamo, a treasure and so sweet! How do you say goodbye to a being so fascinating, so loved and so different than any other relationship you could ever have? The Outer Banks Wildlife Shelter family is comforted knowing Dinah was not in any pain and was not sick, so natural causes and old age took her peacefully during a recent sunny day. That is always the hardest part of loving an education animal, when they leave us. It is not an exaggeration to say, many tears were shed. They touch your soul, and that is when we realize we are far more similar to other species than different in so many ways. Dinah was an inspirational and precious Barred Owl who we will miss terribly, but the time she spent in our lives made us better humans, and we say thank you, Dinah, for all the memories, love, laughs and everything you taught us. As with all loss, we must go on so we can continue to help all wildlife who are deserving of their second chance at life. A young non-releasable Barred Owl, we named Barnabus, iscurrently stepping into Dinah’s role as Wildlife Ambassador. Although not even a year old, he is as cute as a Barred Owl button and shows great promise. Barnabus is in training with staff members at OWLS now and so far, doing very well, but he has very big “Toes and Talons” to fill when you consider the legendary status of Dinah. We feel confident, with what we have experienced and observed so far, that he will be fine, although he has shown us already, he will be different, but that is the way it is and should be. We are not the same, so why would Barred Owls be the same? With ongoing behavioral evaluation and monitoring, we believe Barnabus’ amicable disposition and personality have the potential to carry forward an opportunity to involve students in topics such as adaptations, natural history, ecology, conservation, empathy, and a healthy appreciation, if not love, for wildlife. Be ready Carteret County . . . Barnabus will be coming to a program near you (if we can keep him out of his bath water long enough)!

best always,

Linda Bergman-Althouse

author of “Save Them All“

“Evening Singers, The Nightjars!”

An odd and fluffy amber, baby bird was admitted to the Outer Banks Wildlife Shelter (OWLS) in Newport over a month ago that sent us straight to the Audubon identification manual.  Based on the wide mouth that opened vertically as well as horizontally, tiny beak, bulbous but flat head, short legs, small feet and large black eyes, we knew he was from the Nightjar family, but what specifically he would become, we weren’t quite sure. As he grew and matured, it became evident that we had the largest Nightjar, a Chuck-will’s-widow at our center, which is not a routine Spring baby bird admit.  People also call this bird, who nests on the ground, a Nighthawk, and let’s not forget the folklore nickname of “goatsucker.” An ancient folk tale speaks of these birds, with those broad, vast mouths, being known to suck milk from goats. Superstitious goat herders started that rumor because they saw Nightjars flying around their flocks and assumed that was what was going on! Since birds are not mammals, we wildlife rehabilitators are not inclined to believe that! They were more than likely feeding on insects on the ground, which were probably plentiful since livestock was present. Our Nighthawk, who was not injured when he arrived at the shelter – just alone and found in a dangerous location — has been a well-behaved rehabilitation patient who got along famously with other species of birds in the incubator despite being three or more times their size.  Because he is so big, his intake of meal and wax worms per day matched the intake of all his incubator mates combined.  After fully feathering and growing quite large, he was moved to his own playpen complete with leaved branches for ground cover and hiding. The Chuck-will’s-widow is a nocturnal bird of the Nightjar family that feeds on flying insects such as beetles and moths. They have stiff, forward facing hair-like bristles on each side of their mouth to help trap insect meals. However, on occasion, a Nightjar will snatch a small bird like a sparrow or hummingbird and swallow it whole if the opportunity presents itself.   Nightjars are found in the southeastern United States near swamps, rocky uplands, and pine woods, but migrate to the West Indies, Central America, and northwestern South America when temperatures drop in the fall.  They have protective coloring of mottled or streaked gray, brown, or reddish-brown plumage that resembles bark or leaves and provides ideal camouflage in the daytime.  Their wings are pointy with a 25-inch span and tail feathers are very long, much like kestrels or cuckoos. Their flight is silent much like an owl’s. They will usually be sitting or flying since their legs and feet are small and poorly developed. It’s interesting to note that Nightjars generally perch along a branch rather than across it like most other birds.  Since they match the branch, this position helps to conceal them. They will roost during the day on a branch or on the ground and in the same location day after day.  They are mostly active in the late evening, late night and early morning.  At night, most bird voices go quiet, but for a Nightjar that’s the noisy time of day and when communication is key amongst their species.  They will sing to high heaven, especially the male, all night long!  And their voices carry, as they will holler, in a most pleasant way, across a woodland area, field or canyon. A Chuck-will’s-widow sings its own name in a rich, throaty chant.  To find a mate, a male will strut or sidle up to a female with his body plumage puffed up, wings drooping and tail spread. He moves with jerky actions while vocalizing. Nightjars do not build nests, but rather lay two to four patterned eggs on patches of dead leaves or pine needles on the ground. The eggs, which are pink with spots of brown and lavender, are subsequently incubated by the female for only three weeks. The young are tended to by the female alone.  She shelters them during the day and feeds them at night by regurgitating insects she’s captured.  First flight for the youngins’ will occur at 17 days or more.  It has been suggested that nightjars will move their eggs and chicks from the nesting site in the event of danger by carrying them in their mouths, which would be a behavior not shared by other birds. This theory has been repeated often in a variety of ornithology books, but surveys of Nightjar research have little evidence to support that idea.  However, she has been noticed feigning a broken wing in efforts to lead potential predators away from the nest much like the behavior of a Killdeer. These unusual birds with so many different names seem to be a conglomerate of other birds; borrowing a little from all to make them a whole Nightjar, and although rarely seen, they are always heard!  One might say, in the evening they sing for their supper! It’s sad to note that the Chuck-will’s-widow numbers have declined over the years. Besides predators, the Chuck-will’s-widow fate is impacted by habitat loss, automobiles and pesticides since their diet relies mainly on insects, but on a happy up-tick, CWW’s are benefiting from the American Bird Conservancy’s “Bring Back the Birds” conservation efforts! Our young Chuck-will’s-widow at OWLS has such a good disposition and has been a joy to work with. He occasionally vocalizes, especially late afternoon, but his appetite, size and physical behaviors really set him apart from the other birds in the nursery.  If he’s hungry, his tendency is to rock side to side to let us know to bring on the worms! He has such impressive table manners that he oh so gently removes worms from the tweezers.  We will hate to see our little-big guy go!  But, eventually, go he will to live his Nightjar life and sing his evening songs in the wild!

best always,

Linda Bergman-Althouse

Author of “Save Them All“

I AM NOT A HAWK!

While enjoying the activity at his bird feeder a few weeks ago, a Beaufort, NC resident witnessed a distressing bird on bird attack. Most of us are aware that some birds such as hawks eat other birds, mainly songbirds, and this appeared to be a hawk on hawk situation. By the time the man ventured outside, the larger hawk, which we theorize to have been a Cooper’s Hawk, was gone and the smaller hawk, lay injured on the ground. The Good Samaritan scooped him up and transported him to the Outer Banks Wildlife Shelter (OWLS) in Newport for evaluation and treatment. It turned out to be a species that had never been admitted to our shelter before, because the only time we see a Merlin, which is a Falcon rather than a Hawk, in this area is when they are passing through during migration. You may be asking, what’s the difference between a hawk and a falcon? Falcons have notched beaks while hawks have a curved beak. Falcons also use their beaks to attack prey, while hawks use the talons on their feet to kill prey, so their hunting methods are completely different. Also, hawks are generally larger in size than falcons. A thorough examination of the admitted Merlin revealed a laceration under one wing and numerous puncture wounds from the larger bird’s talons. He was treated for shock and his injuries cleaned and dressed to prevent infection, as well as to promote healing. From the beginning of his stay with OWLS, he was a good eater (down-right famished!!) In the wild, Merlins eat a variety of birds from sparrows to quail, and large insects, such as dragonflies, don’t go unnoticed. After calculating that the time needed for him to recover and get back into shape for his return to the wild will be extensive, the decision was made to transfer him to Cape Fear Raptor Center for the extended stay he required. In addition, it will give him the opportunity to work with the Falconer they have on staff at their center. Merlins are small but fierce falcons who are powerful fliers. They look similar to the more common American Kestrel familiar to this area, especially in coloring, but the Merlin is broader and heavily built, with females stockier than males. Male Merlins are dark gray with a lighter chest that almost looks striped or mottled in dark brown. Females and immature Merlins are more brown all over than gray. A Merlin is 9 to 13 inches long with a wingspan of 20 to 29 inches. They have pointy wings and a medium tail that is dark in color and sports thin, white bands from rump to tip. Their eyes and beak are dark and their slender feet are yellow with black talons. This specific bird of prey has the least amount of markings than any other type of hawk or falcon. Merlins usually nest in forested areas and along waterway edges but have adapted to loss of habitat by moving into towns and cities up north. During migration, we may see them in our coastal regions where flocks of small songbirds or shorebirds reside. It would be very rare to see a Merlin nesting in eastern North Carolina because of their very northern breeding range. Even Ohio is considered south of its breeding range. It is interesting to note that after a male Merlin has wooed and won his mate with his “extreme” acrobatic displays, they look for a “pre-owned” nest together rather than build their own. They simply search out an abandoned crow’s, hawk’s or woodpecker’s nest and move in. The female usually lays 4 to 6 rusty brown eggs that are incubated for 28 to 32 days. In another 30 days after hatching, the young will fledge but still be dependent upon their parents for another four weeks or more. It’s tough out there for infant Merlins though, because statistics show that only one in three infants make it to adulthood. We, wildlife rehabilitators at the shelter, feel honored to have played a role in saving this one! Merlins have had a few nicknames since Medieval times and used to be referred to as Pigeon Hawks or Lady Hawks, although they are not hawks at all. They have also been called “The Falcon for a Lady” when used as a falconry bird because of its petite size. The greatest threats to Merlins are pesticide use, loss of habitat, predators such as larger birds of prey and speed injuries. Although they are reported as capable of the most agile aerial maneuvers of all hawks and falcons, they sometimes focus so intently on their prey when hunting that when they swoop in at top speed for the catch they have been known to suffer collision with an obstacle in its path. Merlins are powerful, straight path fliers who don’t understand the words glide or pause. The oldest Merlin on record is said to have lived 13 winters. That is one careful or lucky falcon that may have figured out the need to glide and pause occasionally!! Merlins are widespread during migration, but seeing them is very unpredictable, so when you are out for a walk or driving by and suddenly see a flock of birds burst into flight from a bush, tree or shoreline, you just might have a Merlin in the area. You will have to scan the sky quickly because they are so fast they will be out of range in just a few seconds. Good Luck!

best always and Happy Thanksgiving!!

Linda Bergman-Althouse

author of “Save Them All“