The vast majority of my career has been spent in the world of wildlife rehabilitation and rescue. For years, I have cared for young, injured and orphaned animals that arrive at the clinic after often-traumatic beginnings.
Each case is unique, and while many of these animals are from common species, every one matters. Still, it’s rare that I encounter a critically endangered bird in rehab. So, making the transition to working Eastern Loggerhead Shrikes as part of WPC’s conservation breeding and release program, has been a massive and humbling shift in perspective. Here, every single bird is vital. Every fledgling that arrives from our incredible partner organization is a beacon of hope for the future of a population teetering on the edge of extirpation in Canada.
A fledgling in an enclosure at Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. Photo by C. Crowe.
Before they arrive: a tale of two origins
In traditional wildlife rehab, we often meet fledglings in a compromised state. They’ve fallen from nests too soon, been preyed upon, or separated from parents for unknown periods. We rarely know their exact age, diet history, or whether they received appropriate parental care. Many come in dehydrated, underweight, or carrying a heavy parasite load. Some are the runts of the group, struggling more than their healthier siblings. They may already be fighting infections or suffering from delayed healing. In short, their stories begin in the shadows.
Contrast that with our conservation-bred Loggerhead Shrikes. These birds come to us from partner breeding programs where they’ve been monitored meticulously from day one. Their parents are carefully paired through genetic mapping to maximize diversity and ensure the long-term health of the population. We know their hatch dates, weight progressions, developmental milestones, what vitamins and diet they’ve received, and even what kind of parental care they experienced. They’ve also received vaccinations and deworming treatments, giving them an edge over wild-born birds by bolstering their health before their arrival compared to their wild-born counterparts. Only the fittest birds are selected to come to our release site to be introduced to the wild population, carefully chosen for their potential to thrive.
In care: from hands-on to hands-off
Working in rehab is a very hands-on experience. Enclosures are designed to minimize stress with visual barriers, but this often means we can’t observe from a distance. So, while we reduce handling as much as possible to reduce stress, as necessary we handle the birds more frequently to monitor progress like weight, hydration, feather growth, and healing. Diagnostics are often necessary to fill in the blanks we’re missing due to their unknown histories. Every day is a balance between supporting their recovery and trying not to induce any undue stress for them or their enclosure mates.
In stark contrast, our care of conservation-bred shrikes is intentionally as hands-off as possible. However, because these birds arrive healthy and prepared, we are afforded more time with them in-hand for their initial assessments. Upon arrival, this work-up includes weight and morphometrics and receiving their permanent colour bands and then we step back. Their enclosures are large, open-air structures that simulate their surrounding natural alvar habitat. Here, we can monitor behaviours like hunting, and impaling from a distance, without intrusion. Ideally, we never handle them again until their final pre-release checks, unless something unexpected occurs.
Shrike receiving a radio tag “backpack” before its release. These radio tags allow each bird to be tracked as they migratespast Motus towers across North America. Photo by H. Hess.
The release: from uncertainty to ongoing insight
In wildlife rehab, release day is both a joy and a question mark. Birds are typically returned to the area where they were found (if suitable), but from that moment on, we usually don’t know what happens to them. Did they integrate? Did they survive the first week? Did they migrate? We have done everything we can to ensure success but there isn’t always a way of knowing.
With our Loggerhead Shrikes, we have the gift of follow-up. In addition to all birds being fitted with a unique colour band combination, some are also equipped with Motus tags, an incredible tracking system that allows us to follow their movements if they pass within 100km of any Motus tower across Canada and the U.S. This system gives us invaluable data on post-release dispersal, migration timing and areas of activity. This kind of long-term insight is rare and immensely valuable.
The soft-release process itself as well is also carefully designed. Once the birds are behaviorally and physiologically ready, we open the doors of their enclosures. They can leave immediately or take their time. We continue to offer food and support until they’ve fully moved on, well in time for migration. They have the option to stay on-site and acclimate slowly, something not possible in most wildlife rehab situations.
Reflections
The shift from rehabilitation to conservation breeding hasn’t just changed how I work, it’s changed how I think. In rehab, we work hard to give animals a second chance, often in spite of difficult beginnings. In shrike conservation, we are giving them the best possible first chance.
Both paths are critical to the wellbeing of wild species, and both have taught me patience, resilience, and a profound respect for the lives of wildlife and the people I work alongside. But working with these birds, these tiny, fierce, endangered predators, reminds me every day that saving a species isn’t about saving just one bird. It’s about giving each one the best chance to thrive, because each one is the future.
Mac joined the Napanee team as the Loggerhead Shrike Field Intern as part of her Master’s practicum in Wildlife Biology at the University of Guelph. With a background in wildlife rehabilitation and rescue across Canada, she gained field experience and contributed to the conservation of this unique species alongside an incredible, dedicated team.
We need your help
What is the Bumble Bee Recovery Program? Since the 1990s, bumble bee numbers have been plummeting, and that spells ecological disaster. Ninety per cent of all flowering plants — including most of the fruits and vegetables in your fridge — need these pollinators in order to reproduce.
Until the causes of these declines can be reversed, conservation breeding and reintroduction is the only way to safeguard at-risk bumble bees. Today, WPC is the only organization in Canada rebuilding wild bee populations through conservation breeding. Thanks to recent breakthroughs, we’ve figured out how to dramatically increase the number of queens we produce. Once they’re released into the wild, they can establish their own colonies, producing hundreds of pollinators to sustain the ecosystems around them.
All of us from WPC had a great time with our brief involvement with FREED’s field course, but how did the students feel? We talked to two FREED participants, Prakrithi and Camilo, who have eagerly shared their unique perspectives on their experiences.
Stay tuned for part two of this blog, where Camilo and Prakrithi delve into their time at FREED! (Spoiler alert: they loved it).
