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sn CT ET a TARE Break: © Rue - on oT By Julia Dempsey Port Perry Star Hilary Pittel's work is literal- ly for the birds. Mrs. Pittel and her husband Ofer, along with many other vol- unteers, operate Avicare Bird Rehabilitation Centre. The primary goal of the cen- tre is tolook after sick or injured birds until they become self- sufficient and can be returned to the wild. Now in its sixth year of opera- tion, the centre officially opened in Ajax in 1988 when the Pittels moved to the area and realized there was no local resource available for the treatment of non-domesticated birds and mammals. At first, the centre accepted both birds and mammals, but as the number of rabies cases in the area increased, the centre changedits focus to birds. Avicare became well known in the south-western portion of the region, building up its vol- unteer base and seeing an in- creased number of birds for treatment each year. By 1992, the centre had outgrown its - Ajax location and moved to the Bowmanville area. Nz \ §)\ aR AN ATR Hilary Pittel of Avicare Bird Rehabilitation Centre helped free The rural setting is an ideal location for the centre, allowing for both indoor wards and out- door aviaries. At present, the office and ward is set up in the basement of the house. That part of the centre will be moved into a con- struction trailer once renova- tions are complete. The trailer will house a reception area, of- fice, darkroom, treatment and food preparation area, a mice closet, and a ward. The ward will be able to ac- commodate all species of wild birds. For example, one section of the ward will include a tub for water fowl such as loons which lose their waterproofing, and therefore their ability to float, if they are out of water for more than three days. The mice closet will be used to breed mice. "Not all birds eat bird seed," Mrs. Pittel pointed out. Avicare also breeds insects and worms. Once the birds are on the road to recovery, they are trans- ferred to one of the outdoor avi- aries. "Getting a bird outside reduc- esits stress and that is soimpor- tant," Mrs. Pittel said. J. PETERHVIDSTEN / PORT PERRY STAR this great horned owl from a soccer net at the Scugog Soccer Flelds in September. The owl was trapped in the net for an esti- mated 12 hours before it was finally untangled by Mrs. Pittel and Rod Steinacher of Kitchener. cardboard box. transported to the centre. Steps to follow when capturing a sick bird If you suspect a bird is injured or sick, observe the bird from afar, Avicare officials recommend. Look for blood, wounds, limping, drooping wing, inability to move or fly, head instability, tameness, inattentiveness to envi- ronment, or impending danger. Young birds do leave the nest before they are able to fly. Inexperienced about their environ- ment, they may appear tame. Itisimportant to leave them alone to be raised by their own species. Injured birds should be captured using a large towel and Place the towel over the bird. Without its ability to see, the bird will struggle less and will be easier to handle. Cover the bot- tom of the box with a towel so the bird will not slide around, causing greater injury. Place the bird in the box and close the lid and then keep the box in a warm, dark, quiet place until it is Leather gloves and safety glasses are recommended when trying to capture certain species. Hilary Pittel of Avicare Bird Rehabilitation Centre | MABEL ESE] "Scugog"s Commuaity Newspaper of Chalice A A S pictured with a mallard duck suffering from lead poisoning. The duck, which had been shot, was found in Ajax. The centre has cared for more than 630 birds this year. Please see story for detalls. : The centre is presently con- structing a new 16 foot by 74 foot aviary. The eight-foot high wooden structure can be divid- ed into four sections, allowing the centre to keep different spe- cies separate fromone another. "You'll find very little wire meshing in the aviaries," Mrs. Pittel said. Birds can see through the mesh and may try to fly through it, causing wing damage. When the birds are fully re- covered, they are banded and re- leased into the wild. Avicare keeps detailed paper and computerized records of every bird that has been in the centre's care. The type of bird, the date it was admitted, the - type of injury, and the treat- ment it received, are just a few ofthe items recorded. More than 630 birds have been treated at the centre this year. "If all goes well, we won't get to 640 before the end of the year," Mrs. Pittel said. When the Star visited Avi- care last week, there was only a handful of birds at the centre. "We're pretty low on birds right now. If we had more snow, we would probably have more birds here," Mrs. Pittel said, ex- plaining that many large birds, such as hawks and owls are struck by vehicles while hunt- ing mice in the winter. Mrs. Pittel said Avicare'sbus- iest time is usually between May and September when it is not uncommon to have up to 70 birds at the centre. "It's pretty much like running a hospital," she said, adding each bird has its own special needs. The job is made difficult be- cause birds know how to hide theirillniesses, Mrs. Pittel said. Eighliy<three: different spe- cies were treated at the centre last year, including humming- birds, geese, screech owls, and turkey vultures. ; American robins are the most opular bird at the centre. arge numbers of doves, geese, kestrels, and great horned cwls are also admitted. The highest percentage of in- juries are as a result of the bird being caught by a cat, Mrs. Pit- tel said. Other common reasons for injuries include hit by car, shot, and flew into window. The length of treatment var=" a J. PETER HVIDSTEN / PORT PERRY STAR Although the great horned owl was frightened by the inci- dent, it didn't sustain any serious wing damage. The owl Is pic- tured with Rod Steinacher before it was released. ies greatly. It can be from one day to three months, or six to eight months if feather damage is involved. The average stay is 23 days. In 1992, the average cost to rehabilitate a bird was $39. Since Avicare is a non-profit or- ganization which réceives no government funding, it is" fi- nanced through public dona- tions. There are no paid employ- ees -- only a dedicated base of about 50 volunteers who help transport the birds and aid in" the daily operations. "I'm a full-time volunteer," Mrs. Pittel said. "I will never get paid for this and that's fine." Although she loves her work - /- Mrs. Pittel was studying to be a nurse when she realized she'd prefer to work with birds and ~ "care at(905)728-9611. EEE ER REESE. ~ Wor' mammals -- she said she doesn't get attached to her charges. "With some birds, it's just kinder to put them tosleep, and it may be harder to do thatif you're attached to them," 'le said. BIBT Mag "The nicest thing that tan happen; though, is that you can york really hard and get a bird ck tonature." Avicare is located on Taunton Road, about three kilometres east of Highway 57. - Donations may be sent to Avi- care Bird Rehabilitation Cen- tre, R. R. #4, Bowmanville, On- tario, L1C 8KB5. The centre is also looking for more volunteers from northern Durham Region. Anyone wish- ing to volunteer may call Avi-