FOUND AN ANIMAL THAT NEEDS HELP?

Particularly common on a windy day in spring or summer, infant birds (pink, and/or with minimal feather development) will fall from their nest. These babies should be placed back in the nest if possible — you need only look up into the nearest tree as these helpless birds cannot travel far. If the nest is too high up, a substitute nest can be constructed out of a margarine container (with holes in the bottom for drainage), lined with twigs and grass. This nest should be placed as close to the original nest as possible. Parent birds will feed from two nests. Also don't be afraid to touch the infant birds as their parents have a very poor sense of smell. The nest should be monitored, and if the infant is pushed out again, this could indicate intentional brood reduction. If the babies are pushed out more than twice, they should be brought to Wildlife Haven immediately. Nestlings are very difficult to raise in captivity, as they must be fed every 15 minutes during daylight hours. Missed feedings are critical, and they may develop deformities or feather abnormalities. The intensive care these birds require greatly restricts the number of nestlings Wildlife Haven can care for at a given time. It is important to note that the animal will have a much better chance for survival if it is placed with its parents.

If you need help identifying the species, please feel free to call us and we will do our best to provide identification.

This is the "juvenile" stage for a growing bird. Before they can actually fly, young feathered birds jump out of the nest and spend a few days on the ground. These birds look like their adult counterparts, but their tails are much shorter (one inch or less). This is the time for them to sharpen their foraging skills, and practice take-offs from the ground. Fledglings are often mistaken as adult birds with wing injuries because of the failed attempts.

Please be assured that this is a perfectly normal stage of development and the fledgling only needs help if there is visible sign of injury (one wing droopy, blood, problems standing). Also note that the parents are in the area and will swoop down approximately once an hour with some food. This is a very quick exchange and you would likely need to watch carefully, without looking away, for several hours to be convinced that this bird has been orphaned.

We realize you could be concerned with the dangerous environment that the fledgling is in (i.e., pets in the area) but keep in mind that the bird has a better chance of surviving and living a normal life in the wild, even with all the neighbourhood dangers. After all, humans cannot teach these birds how to sing or recognize an alarm call — only their parents can do that. If you want to help the bird, keep your pets indoors or leashed and encourage others to do the same.

If you need help identifying the species, please feel free to call us and we will do our best to provide identification.

From early June until mid-July, it is very common to find fledgling crows on the ground and this is quite normal. Crows will often leave the nest before they can fly but the parents will continue to feed and protect them on the ground. Fledgling crows are often mistaken for an injured adult crow because they are very awkward on the ground and may appear to have injured legs or wings but in almost all cases they are just fine. You can identify a fledgling crow by looking at their tail, it will be very short, 2 inches or less. You may also notice a blue eye colour, which is common in fledging crows. The best test is that when you approach the bird, you will likely hear parents cawing at you from up in the trees. These birds need to be left alone unless an injury is apparent.

Ducklings
If there's is no mom around, place in open box with a shallow pan of water, and place in safe open area for the mom to find for 2 hours (max ½ hour on hot day). If this is not successful, please call Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre.

If there's less than 5 ducklings and you are unable to find the parent and siblings, call Wildlife Haven as soon as possible.

Ducklings and Mom
-ONLY IF IN DANGER (i.e. on busy road), escort to nearest water source; as a last resort if water is not accessible, put young in open box and carry on top of head in view of mom, to nearest water source.

Adult Duck
Please contact Wildlife Haven if you find an injured adult duck.

For goslings, if there's no mom around, place in open box with a shallow pan of water, and place in safe open area for the mom to find for 2 hours (max ½ hour on hot day). If this is not successful, please call Wildlife Haven.

If there's less then 5 goslings and you are unable to find the parent and siblings, call Wildlife Haven as soon as possible.

If there's goslings and Mom IN DANGER (i.e. on busy road), escort to nearest water source. As a last resort, if water is not accessible, put young in open box and carry on top of head in view of mom to nearest water source.

For an injured adult goose, please contact Wildlife Haven for advice.

Click here for tips on how to peacefully coexist with geese.

If you find an injured bird of prey, please contact us for assistance. They are considered dangerous due to their sharp beaks and talons. 

Click here for tips on how to peacefully coexist with raptors.

Every year (particularly during spring and fall migration), Wildlife Haven is flooded with birds suffering for injuries due to window collisions.

If you find a bird that has hit a window, place it in a small box (shoe boxes work well for small species), with a non-fraying towel at the bottom, and air holes poked from the inside-out. Do not place any food or water with the animals, as they may drown. Place the box in a warm, quiet, dark area for a couple of hours at which point you can take the lid off the box. Often the bird will fly away beautifully, however, if the bird does not attempt to fly, or cannot fly far, it should be transported to Wildlife Haven as soon as possible. To prevent window strikes from occurring, there are several things you can do, including: windsocks, sheered garbage bags, wind chimes, and falcon silhouettes.

If you find baby squirrels and the parents are nearby, leave them alone. If you suspect abandonment, monitor for a few hours. If no parent can be found nearby, call Wildlife Haven.

If you find an injured squirrel, put it in a cardboard box with air holes in a quiet and warm place, and call Wildlife Haven.

Click here for humane harassment techniques.

Wildlife Haven does not treat deer.

It is normal for fawns to be sitting alone in a field, as the mom only stays with the fawn at feeding time, so leave the fawns alone. Only if the mom is known to be dead, contact your local Conservation office.

Click here for tips on how to peacefully coexist with deer.

If a deer was hit by a car, contact your local Conservation Office.

Wildlife Haven does not treat skunks.

We always advocate for humane harassment techniques for wildlife exhibiting nuisance behaviour.

Click here for humane harassment techniques.

Click here for pest management companies authorized to remove wildlife in Manitoba.

Wildlife Haven does not treat raccoons.

We always advocate for humane harassment techniques for wildlife exhibiting nuisance behaviour.

 Click here for tips on how to peacefully coexist with Raccoons.

Click here for humane harassment techniques.

Click here for pest management companies authorized to remove wildlife in Manitoba.

Rabbits larger than a softball are independent of the mother and can be left on their own.

BABY RABBIT NEST: People often encounter nests of baby rabbits when raking or mowing their lawn. Eastern Cottontails commonly nest in urban areas, in a shallow depression in the ground, lined with fur. If the nest has not been damaged, or the babies are not injured, they should simply be left alone. People are often concerned because they have not seen a parent associating with the nest. This is normal, mothers only briefly feed their babies twice a day, usually at dawn and dusk. Otherwise, mother stays away from the nest, so as not to attract predators (newborns do not have scent and are quite safe from predators).

It is important that you do not touch the babies — unlike birds, mammals can smell human scent. If you are not convinced of parental care, you can place four pieces of wool or light string in a tic-tac-toe formation over top, along the borders of the nest. If the wool is undisturbed the next morning, the babies were not fed during the night. This is rarely necessary and should only be done if you have a reason for suspecting the babies are not being fed (i.e. a dead adult rabbit found nearby).

Within a week, they turn fully-furred and their eyes start to open. Within three to four weeks, they are usually weaned and independent and yet still only the size of a softball! It is imperative that young rabbits are left alone unless there is obvious injury. However, if a rabbit (or any animal) was under attack by a cat, it must come to the Wildlife Haven as soon as possible, even if there is no visible sign of injury. Even a tiny puncture from a claw or tooth is ultimately fatal, if not treated promptly.

On the other hand, a healthy infant rabbit's chances of survival are greatly reduced if introduced into captivity. Infant rabbits are very stressed and have a very low survival rate in captivity. They often won't eat, and can be a rehabilitator's greatest challenge.

Do not try to pet rabbits when bringing it to the Wildlife Haven. Even though it may seem to calm the animal, they are, in fact, very scared.

Other mammals that Wildlife Haven will treat include woodchucks, coyotes, muskrats, beavers, bats, foxes and more.

Do not attempt to handle the animal due to rabies risk. Call Wildlife Haven for assistance.

Click here for tips on how to peacefully coexist with Foxes.

Click here for tips on how to peacefully coexist with Beavers.

Click here for tips on how to peacefully coexist with coyotes.

Click here for Humane Harassment techniques.

Wildlife Haven does not treat bears.  If you find an injured or orphaned bear, please contact your local conservation office or Black Bear Rescue Manitoba. 

Any bird or mammal attacked by a cat (signs of injury or not) MUST come to Wildlife Haven for treatment. Cat’s saliva carries bacteria that can be fatal to animals if not treated with antibiotics.

Anytime an animal on our list of accepted species is hit by a vehicle, they should come to the Wildlife Haven as soon as possible.

Call Wildlife Haven for advice.

Cleanliness of your bird feeders and bird baths is extremely important!

Many birds can carry lots of diseases which can be spread through indirect contact on contaminated bird feeders and bird baths. These diseases transfer via saliva from infected birds onto feeding areas/water sources and pose severe threats to bird populations. These threats can be prevented by keeping your bird baths/feeders clean.

Try cleaning your feeders at least once a month using a diluted bleach solution. Please allow them to dry completely before use. When cleaning bird feeders, make sure you are wearing gloves and a mask, as many diseases can be transferred to humans as well.

Use bird feeders which are made of metal or plastic. Wood feeders are not recommended, because they can't be properly disinfected. Try to remove bird feeders during periods of high humidity and rainfall to inhibit bacterial growth within the feed.

Try planting “bird-friendly” native plants in your yard, (such as milkweed, sunflowers, virginia creeper, etc.) as this reduces the ability for disease, while still providing a food source for winged-friends!

Consider doing your research on the proper nutritional needs for the species that you do have coming to your bird feeder.

If any abnormal signs are occurring at your bird feeders (such as finding deceased birds near feeders), give us a call at 204-202-3806 and we can assist you.