As winter turns our landscape into icy wilderness, Le Nichoir remains open for birds who find themselves in need. This time of year can be harsh on wild birds overwintering in our region. Common admissions are birds suffering from frostbitten feet, dehydration and malnutrition.
Most aquatic birds are adept at taking flight from water, not land. It is not uncommon for our bird care team to admit aquatic birds who land on icy roads or frozen lakes, mistaking them to be open water. A Common Loon, a Red-throated Loon, a Red-necked Grebe and a Common Goldeneye arrived only days apart after a recent rainfall turned to ice. These birds required a few hundred feet of water to take flight and had all been “stranded” on land. After some short-term care, they were released into open water.
