At the Wildlife Center, the summer is jam packed with baby bird feedings, raccoon cleanings and making salads for the bunnies. We are so busy that we do not really have time to go to the beach. Never fear though; this year, the beach came to us!
We recently admitted a juvenile Herring Gull that was wandering the streets of Pittsburgh, dazed and unable to fly. During his exam, we determined him to be sick with a bacterial infection and extremely emaciated. He was so skinny that he no longer had the strength to lift himself into the air.
While it may seem strange to hear that gulls are found this far inland, they are actually quite common. Gulls have adapted very well to living in close proximity to humans. They will frequently travel along waterways, stopping at places where they can easily find food and shelter. Since they can drink both salt and fresh water, they are equally at home on rivers, lakes and oceans. In Pittsburgh, that means they are regular travelers through our rivers. They frequently nest on our many bridges and are common visitors to wide parking lots and large flat roof buildings.
Gulls have an incredibly varied diet and can eat almost anything. They prefer to eat fish, mollusks and other invertebrates; however, they will not think twice about eating carrion or from a garbage can. This sometimes leads to conflicts with humans who live near gulls. Often, gulls will gather where they know there will be plenty of leftovers, such as at a stadium. This led to one notorious event in 2009 in Cleveland when a pack of gulls gathered in the infield of a Cleveland stadium toward the end of a baseball game that had gone into extra innings. A hit ball struck one of the birds. While the bird was unharmed, it deflected the ball away from the outfielder, allowing the home team to score the winning run.
We do not expect our patient to be playing for the Pirates anytime soon; however, we do expect him to make a full recovery. Just two weeks after his admit, his infection has cleared up and he is quickly gaining weight. He is currently preparing for his release in our flight cage, practicing his flights from one side to the other and building up his muscles. When it is time for his release, we will transport him to an area with other Herring Gulls so he can rejoin a flock and live the wild life he was meant to live.
If you would like to help support us in our mission to care for injured, sick and orphaned wildlife like this Herring Gull, please consider making a donation by clicking on the button below. Your donation will directly help us to keep our doors open for over 2000 wild animals every year.
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