jla@inuxd.UUCP (Joyce Andrews) (04/02/88)
I am a volunteer at the local wild bird rehabilitation center. We take in injured WILD birds and give them food, shelter, and medical care and try to rehabilitate them for release back to the wild. Some, of course, can't be released because of amputations of wings that are so badly messed up they will never support the bird again. There is much controversy among societies whether those birds should be euthanized or kept in captivity. This kposting is not to get into that question. Anyway, the Florida wildlife folks brought us an osprey that had fledged too soon and couldn't fly, probably because the nest was crowded with several other offspring and she got shoved out. We put her in the flight cage with another osprey that was hit by a car and may never be released. They got along very well. Yesterday the wildlife folks came to pick up the fledgling. They took her back to near where she had been picked up and where they had selected a foster nest. The nest they selected was in the bay shallows, in a mangrove, very low for an osprey nest. Two parents and one offspring lived in the nest. We placed our fledgling into the nest (after Mom, Dad, and brother/sister flew away, whistling their disapproval) and left her. We also put a few fish in the nest. She flew away for a short while, but came back to the nest after we were well away. A wildlife employee is watching the nest during daylight hours. The family has accepted their new offspring well, and they are confident that the parents will teach her to fish and she is now a wild bird again. It surprised me that getting the parents to accept an offspring was that easy. I have much farm experience, and I remember how tough it is to get a female horse or cow or dog or sheep, etc, to accept another offspring. While it can be accomplished, it is nowhere near as easy as the experience with the osprey. The wildlife folks say that foster parenting is about 90% successful in osprey. Is that true in other bird species? I know that it is true with birds that lay their eggs in other nests, but this bird is a stranger, albeiyoung one. bird is a stranger, albeit a young one. Does anyone else have knowledge of this trait in wild birds? Are willing to accept fostere like this? -- Joyce Andrews King ihnp4!inuxd!jla AT&T, Indianapolis