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Cardinal recovers from broken wing at Witter Wildlife Refuge.
Photo by Author
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Words For Wildlife
by State licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator, James Orr
CARDINAL CRUNCH
In the course of my wildlife rescue work I have handled everything from rattlesnakes to Bobcats. I enter a wolf pen every day to feed and care for a pack of full grown wolves. I have dealt with some of the largest and most ferocious raptors such as Great Horned owls and Red-tailed Hawks. I have met a 300 pound Black bear alone in the dark and all in all consider myself fairly self-confident when dealing with wildlife.
That was before I met Jaws. Much as I hate to admit it, Jaws is a young male cardinal that has an abnormal affinity for my finger. To look at him you would not consider him a threat to mankind but I find myself dreading my encounters with him every time I have to clean his cage or check his injuries.
Jaws was found on the highway with a broken wing. His mate was with him trying to protect him at the time he was rescued. Cardinals are one of the few birds that mate for life. He has been with me almost two months and is in the process of rebuilding wing muscles so that he might fly again. His wing seems to have healed fairly well but it may take some time before I know if he can fly. Birds have the ability to molt and grow new feathers to balance out some wing injuries. Like people, when their joints are immobilized for the lengthy healing process they get stiff and need rehabilitation to loosen up enough that they can fly (birds, not people).
As seed and nut eaters cardinals have incredible powerful beaks for breaking shells. Their beaks are short and triangular and leave quite a rosy mark on ones finger if they decide to latch on.
Young male and female cardinals look very much the same. As they mature the males turn a vibrant red and the females are a much more subdued olive-orange. In most species of birds the females are more camouflage than the males. This provides stealth protection for nest sitting making them very hard to spot. The bright colors found on male birds have the opposite effect making them stand out against their natural settings. This flamboyance is an important part of their mating ritual. Studies have shown many female birds prefer the brightest colored birds when selecting a mate. These bright colors also play into territorial battles as the male will chase and fight intruders in his domain.
If I did not know better I might suspect the red color Jaws sports was his gang colors as he acts like a tough little inner city hoodlum at every opportunity. As if its not bad enough to get a nip now and then, the little sucker seems to get diverse pleasure at hanging on as I squeal in pain trying to get him loose without causing him injury. He is too small to wear the conventional bird gloves I use for the more powerful birds so I have to tough it out with bare hands. I guess you need to be tough to be a wild bird as less than 50% survive more than one year in the wild.
They teach you how to hold a bird without getting nailed in rehabilitation class but Jaws apparently went to his own class on Houdini escapism as nothing seems to work with him. I’m not a drinker but find myself considering a strong shot of libation as the only possible solution shore up my nerves for my daily game of tag.
All in all he is a beautiful bird and I hope he will be able to return to his mate one day soon. Cardinals are non-migratory so his sweetheart will be in the same area he was rescued at year round. If Jaws does not regain his flight skills he will have a lifetime home here at the wildlife refuge where he will live protected from the predators (at least until Thanksgiving when he might have to substitute for a turkey if he does not learn some manners)... just kidding.
DONATIONS NEEDED If you would like to help any donation amount it is greatly appreciated. Donations should be made out to Witter Wildlife Refuge and can be sent to P.O. Box 1118, Huntsville AR 72740.
See web page under "HOW YOU CAN HELP" for specific ways you can help us help wildlife
