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~wildlife education~ Each year in Canada, around 25 million migratory birds die as a direct result of collisions with building windows. If you have ever had a bird hit one of your windows, you know the loud thump. Some survive the impact; sadly, some don't. If a bird hits one of your windows and is stunned, give it time to rest and heal. Gently pick up the bird and place it in a ventilated box and keep it in a quiet area for up to one hour. If you don't have a box, a sturdy paper bag on its side may work. Open the box outside and watch to see if the bird flies out. If it does not fly out, call a wildlife rehabilitation centre for advice. If you see a wing drooping, you may want to bring the bird into NIWRA. Bird window hits happen quite often. The window reflection is a continuation of their environment, so they are unaware of the imminent danger they face. There are various things you can do to try to prevent window strikes: apply images of hawks to the window, hang streamers, or cover the whole window. One method that definitely does not work is closing your curtains. The birdproofing needs to be applied on the outside of the window. Window decals with UV reflecting properties which can be seen by birds but not by people can be effective. Some birds have love affairs with windows in the springtime. They look at that handsome reflection of themselves and think they have found the perfect mate. You may hear fluttering about for several days but they will tire after a while and move on. You can help the wildlife in care at NIWRA and our education programs by making a financial contribution on our secure website. Thank you so much for caring about wildlife!

At the beginning of June, a white raven was brought to NIWRA in need of help. During his three months with us, his health has dramatically improved and we have named him "Blizzard". Our animal care team has been keeping a close eye on this bird and reports a remarkable improvement in his overall health. Blizzard's follow-up exams address his unique health issues: Overall body condition Color of his mouth Condition of his feet and integrity of his talons Mobility of his wings and legs Touch response of his feet Condition of his feathers His improved condition and specialized care has resulted in a decrease in stress. His environment is carefully staged for enrichment and meets all his rehabilitative needs. Although Blizzard is still in intensive care and has a long road of recovery ahead, we are very optimistic for his future and really appreciate the concern and support he has received from our NIWRA friends. Thank you. You can help the wildlife in care at NIWRA by making a financial contribution on our secure website. Thank you so much for caring about wildlife!

~from an article in Parksville Qualicum Beach News~ Each year, North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre (NIWRA) admits hundreds of ill, injured or orphaned birds. Derek Downes, animal care supervisor at NIWRA, has some important words of advice about young songbirds: “…sometimes people intervene in a situation where they don’t necessarily need to …. Any time you have a situation, giving a [wildlife] rehab [or recovery] centre a call to guide you is the best thing, because sometimes the best course of action is getting the bird back up into the nest.” “Songbirds on Vancouver Island fledge on the ground, so they’ll spend three to four days on the ground. Sometimes you’ll see a fully feathered bird that’s hopping around on the ground and it can’t fly but it’s not in any sort of distress, it’s just the natural progression of things.” Do you know the difference between a nestling and a fledgling? Nestlings have few or no feathers, and if found on the ground, they need your help. These baby birds are too young to leave the nest and are unable to fly. Please contact NIWRA for guidance. This delicate nestling needs help. Fledglings are juvenile birds who have a mix of fuzzy down and adult feathers and are learning to fly. You may come across them hopping along on the ground, perching on low-hanging branches, or hiding under bushes, but as long as they’re healthy, just let them be. These two fledglings are singing for their supper. What’s the most important way the public can help young songbirds? Keep your pets indoors, especially your cats. We need your help to build a new improved treatment centre that will enable us to care for our little birds from nestling to fledgling to release. You can help by making a financial contribution on our secure website. You can help the wildlife in care at NIWRA by making a financial contribution on our secure website. Thank you so much for caring about wildlife!

~Update on our resident Golden Eagle~ It's not easy to tell the sex of raptors like the golden eagle, so when a golden eagle was brought to NIWRA from Duncan, suffering from a gunshot wound to the wing, we gave it the royal name of King Alfred. Damage to the wing causes the flight feathers to be continuously thrown off, so the raptor cannot fly and is a non-releasable bird who will remain at NIWRA. After being at the centre for some time, “he” laid an egg! So now, we call her Queen Alfreda. Queen Alfreda is glad we finally figured out her gender. The golden eagle became a breeding raptor along the southeast coast of Vancouver Island in the 1940's. This corresponds with the introduction of the Eastern Cottontail Rabbit to the area, and the large logging clear-cuts that have encouraged their favourite prey species. The bottom of the golden eagle's foot is smooth, adequate for grasping and holding small mammal and bird prey. In contrast, the bottom of the bald eagle's foot is rough and adapted for grasping and holding its favoured prey – fish. She does look like royalty, doesn't she?! The golden eagle has a larger wingspan than the bald eagle, but overall is a bit smaller in size and weight. Come say hello to Queen Alfreda the next time you visit NIWRA. You can help the wildlife in care at NIWRA by making a financial contribution on our secure website. Thank you so much for caring about wildlife!

~Story in Parksville Qualicum Beach News - Sam Duerksen | photo from video taken by Agatha Lloveras Delgado~ In this article, Derek Downes, animal care supervisor at North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre, offers tips on ways to help injured animals or unnested birds. You can view the PQB News article and video here. You can help the wildlife in care at NIWRA by making a financial contribution on our secure website. Thank you so much for caring about wildlife!

~Update on our resident barred owls~ The barred owl is the most vocal of the owls, uttering the familiar WHOO, WHOO, WHO call. It also utters a variety of other sounds. It is a medium-sized owl and is characterized by the barred colour pattern on its chest and abdomen (hence its name). The females are slightly larger than the males. The barred owl is a light and graceful flyer. It seldom soars but can fly at great heights to elude harassing crows. It is very agile in the thick forest, using its short wings to maneuver between branches. Its favourite prey is rodents, mainly rats and mice. They will also eat birds, snakes, insects, frogs, bats and even fish. Their feet and talons are small for their size, so they tend to carry prey in their beaks. There are four resident non-releasable Barred Owls at NIWRA. One-Eye and Eye-Gone have wing and eye injuries, likely from vehicle collisions. Oliver is gloved trained and a popular animal ambassador. Quinn was struck by a car while hunting on the roadside and is blind in one eye. Oliver suffered a wing injury as a nestling and was being raised for release, but unfortunately his wing never fully healed and he is not capable of sustained (or silent) flight. Both Quinn and Oliver were very young when they were injured and deemed non-releasable, so they were raised intentionally as Animal Ambassadors and are part of our education program. Quinn and Oliver check out visitors - WHOO are you staring at!? You can help the wildlife in care at NIWRA by making a financial contribution on our secure website. Thank you so much for caring about wildlife!

~Some cool facts about our resident turkey vultures~ Turkey vultures are called “Nature’s garbage collectors” by some; it’s widely believed that they eat anything dead but they prefer their ‘meals’ to be no more than 3 days old. Turkey vultures have keen eyesight and a razor-sharp sense of smell. A large nasal cavity in their beak helps them detect a carcass from great distances. This nasal cavity goes from one side of the beak to the other, and the vulture can clean it out with its talon. Not the prettiest predator at NIWRA, but turkey vultures are one of the most fascinating! The vulture can put its featherless head into a rotting carcass without soiling or damaging its feathers or contacting diseases. Bacteria left on the vulture's head will be killed by the sunlight, and it is thought that their strong digestive juices kill most harmful bacteria. They defecate on their legs to disinfect them. If they feel threatened, a turkey vulture can projectile-vomit up to 3 meters (10’) as a means of defense. Come check out Anastasia, Boris, Igor and Vladimir -- our resident turkey vultures, the next time you visit NIWRA, but be sure to keep your distance! Two of our resident turkey vultures suffered damage to their wings and do not fly well enough for release. The other two had ingested some form of toxic substance that disrupted their feather quality and makes them poor flyers as well. You can help the wildlife in care at NIWRA by making a financial contribution on our secure website. Thank you so much for caring about wildlife!

~April 1 eagle release at NIWRA~ Over 600 people were onsite to witness the exciting release back to the wild of a rehabilitated bald eagle on Saturday April 1. It was the first public release since before Covid. Ignoring the big crowd, the eagle was very focused on the sky as he was released. While the weather was mixed rain, hail and snow prior to the scheduled release time, it luckily cleared up so the eagle release could go ahead. Denise Foster of the French Creek Estuary Nature Preserve had the honour of releasing the eagle, a wounded warrior now ready to go back into the wild. And we have lift off! You can read more about the eagle release in local news features from PQB News here and Chek News here. You can help the wildlife in care at NIWRA by making a financial contribution on our secure website. Thank you so much for caring about wildlife!

~Update on one of our resident bald eagles~ Casey came to NIWRA on May 17, 2019 as an injured eaglet who cannot be released back into the wild. He is a permanent resident at the centre because he is unable to fly due to a non-repairable dislocated wing. Regular visitors have enjoyed watching Casey's transformation over the years from a super cute eaglet to a handsome young adult bald eagle. Who's a handsome fellow now?! Casey has been aging distinctively before our eyes. Bald eagles do not attain their distinctive adult colouring until they are around 5 years of age. As young birds, their plumage, eyes and beaks are dark brown. After the first year, the plumage becomes increasingly variable with pale mottling. After the 2nd year, their eyes and beaks begin slowly changing to yellow. Casey at the juvenile stage. Juvenile bald eagles are often mistaken for golden eagles who don’t have the white head and tail or the yellow legs, beak and eyes. What a cute baby Casey was when he first came to NIWRA! You can learn more about Casey here. You can help the wildlife in care at NIWRA by making a financial contribution on our secure website. Thank you so much for caring about wildlife!

Story by Times Colonist - By Darron Kloster | Photo by NIWRA North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre near Errington cares for everything from orphaned bear cubs to raptors struck by vehicles, getting them ready to return to the wild if possible. Read the full Times Colonist story HERE. Your support means everything to these animals! You can help by dropping off donations of blankets, towels, sardines or tuna (packed in water), eggs, applesauce, berries, wild fish or game meet or by making a financial contribution on our secure website. You can also help the wildlife in care at NIWRA by making a financial contribution on our secure website. Thank you so much for caring about wildlife!

Update on the 5 Black Bear cubs admitted to NIWRA in 2022. The young Black Bear cubs admitted to NIWRA in 2022 are being raised up for release back into the wild where they belong in the spring/summer of 2023. They were given a complete physical checkup in October and are all very healthy and growing like weeds. Our Animal Care team gave them several fresh pumpkins as a treat and they had a lot of fun playing and eating! They spend most of their time rough-housing, eating and snoozing. When you visit, you can view these youngsters on closed-circuit tv. They are delightful to watch. Your support means everything to these animals! You can help by dropping off donations of blankets, towels, sardines or tuna (packed in water), eggs, applesauce, berries, wild fish or game meet or by making a financial contribution on our secure website. We will keep you updated on the progress of these youngsters. You can help the wildlife in care at NIWRA by making a financial contribution on our secure website. Thank you so much for caring about wildlife!

Story from VITA Daily Magazine | Photo by NIWRA An organization in B.C., the North Island Wildlife Recovery Association, does important work caring for ill, injured and orphaned wildlife and educate the public on wildlife and environmental issues. Go to https://vitadaily.ca/2022/10/05/critter-rescue-qa/ to read the full story. You can help the wildlife in care at NIWRA by making a financial contribution on our secure website. Thank you so much for caring about wildlife!

Casey is a bald eagle that has become a permanent resident at the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre in Errington, British Columbia. Animal Care Supervisor Derek Downes helps Casey live his best life at the center, as he is unable to fly due to a non-repairable dislocated wing. Video and story by SHAW Spotlight - Matthew Hoffman, Producer How You Can Help the Animals at NIWRA Your support means the world to the animals! You can help by dropping off any of the items on the wish list below, or by making a financial contribution through our secure website. THANK YOU!

3 orphaned cubs admitted from the Oceanside area bring the total count to to 5 cubs in care at NIWRA. Two brothers and sister bear cubs were admitted to the centre late in the day on Wednesday, July 13, 2022. Our Animal Care team will ensure these little ones receive the specialized care they need to have their best chance to grow and be released back into the wild where they belong. Cubs remain at NIWRA for an average of 15 months before they are ready for release and cost more than $40 per day while in care. Your support means everything to these animals! You can help by dropping off donations of cottage cheese, yogurt, apples, applesauce, eggs, fish oils (tuna, sardines, etc.), or by making a financial contribution on our secure website. We will keep you updated on the progress of these three babies, the cub that entered a house through a cat door and the first cub admitted this year. Thank you so much! You can help the wildlife in care at NIWRA by making a financial contribution on our secure website. Thank you so much for caring about wildlife!

North Island Wildlife Recovery Association is very happy to announce that Blizzard is now viewable by the public. Blizzard is nicely settling into his special new enclosure. We want to thank everyone for their continued interest and kind wishes. We really hope that everyone can come see this beautiful rare bird! We ALWAYS welcome donations of eggs and berries, especially blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. Thank you so much! You can help the wildlife in care at NIWRA by making a financial contribution on our secure website. Thank you so much for caring about wildlife!