My name is Rain (he/they), and I am based in North America. I am a biologist, wildlife rehabilitator, and bird enthusiast.
I use this blog for chatting about my personal birds, rescue & rehab patients, and other birds I work with.
I run a local rescue aviary, where I intake orphaned or injured non-protected (invasive & feral) birds, pet surrenders, and the occasional humane case.
I assist with the rehabilitation, ongoing care, and training of native birds. I currently specialize in corvids & have a fondness for jays.
I am a behavioral researcher, and aim to specialize in developing practices for keeping & caring for non-releasable birds in the most ethical & low-stress way possible.
I am a small-scale hobbyist keeper & breeder of some companion pigeons & doves.
-> Answered questions: #rain answers
I am always open to questions or messages about any of my birds, or myself and what I do! I may not get to them right away, but will respond whenever I am able.
[Some additional disclaimers/information/notes below the cut]
-> Disclaimers -
I am an adamant believer that wild birds always thrive best in nature, and the vast majority of people are not suited to care for wild birds.
It is true that human care increases the lifespan of a wild animal, as well as lessens health risks.
However, without extreme amounts of work, things like diet, enrichment, activity levels, sociality, and natural behaviors in captivity pale in comparison to what they would experience in their native habitats.
A large percentage of wild birds in captive environments suffer from depression, malnutrition, lack of appropriate stimulation, forced human interaction, high stress, or other physical & mental health issues.
I do not promote the kidnapping of wildlife, human habituation of wild animals, or wild bird ownership - as a general rule, but ESPECIALLY in cases where the bird is a candidate for release.
Any bird in my care is either a) domesticated or captive bred, b) a rehabilitation patient, or c) professionally deemed non-releasable and receiving monthly quality of life evaluations.
If you find a native bird in need of help, please take it to a professional immediately.
Notes:
-> I follow from @cyanocoracinae (main but mostly reblogs)
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Do you handle your birds a lot? I used to have finches and while I loved them so much, they did NOT want me to touch them or reach in their cage AT ALL. I've always thought doves and pigeons would be the same way, but from your posts it seems like that may not be the case.
Long answer short, all of my birds are totally different, even across the same species. I do my best to respect their individual preferences & allow them to set the boundaries of our interactions and relationships wherever possible! It is super nuanced, but I will give a little more info below if you are curious!
I work with birds from a HUGE variety of situations - hoarding/abuse/neglect cases, former feral birds, non-releasable wild birds, racing pigeons, former breeders, hand-raised birds, house pets, etc. With that comes a huge variation on their general opinions of humans.
Some birds may want to interact without being handled, too - I have starlings who like to sing & whistle back and forth with me, play catch with bugs, and chase me around if I'm late with food, but would sooner jump into traffic than be touched. I have pigeons who will gladly come untie my shoes every time I come in the aviary but will RUN if I even talk to them.
But also, I have pigeons who insist on sitting on my shoulder through an hour-long aviary cleaning. I have doves who were terrified of hands for years and then randomly landed on me one day and have been clingy ever since. My first starling would hang off of my shirt going "Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Hi! Whatcha doing? Hi!" until I said it back.
Ultimately, I let each individual bird set the boundaries of our relationship.In every aviary, every bird has plenty of opportunities to socialize with me, but also places to hide or avoid me if they would prefer.
I also work very hard to train voluntary behaviors, like stepping on a scale, accepting medication, or getting into a carrier - providing positive reinforcement for these behaviors without physical handling. This helps preserve our relationship even if I have to do things that are not so pleasant.
I have found this to be the best approach, at least in my experience. A lot of birds who were formerly very anxious about humans have warmed up to me significantly with time, space, and respect. But some never do, and that's totally ok by me! As long as I can ensure their wellbeing regardless, I let them live the way that makes them most comfortable!
Also there are not words in the English language that can encompass how yucky-cute baby Duck was. He looked like a freaking chocolate chip for like the first week of life. I promise I will share updates on other birds soon lol but please forgive me if this is the only thing I talk about for a little bit. I am so in love.
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The best "welcome home" present ever 🥹 I am so excited to introduce Ducky, a 3wk old Australian Crested Dove chick from Alf & Ante. My lovely bird sitter hand-raised this sweetheart for me as a gift, and they are the most darling ever. I could not be more grateful and am so excited to get to know them & watch them grow up!
Spending time in Germany for my honeymoon and have gotten some absolutely awesome birding in! So far, we are at 45 new lifer species for the trip and counting. Still have a few days left here, plus one huge birding day in southern France at the end of the trip :] Super grateful to have had this opportunity 🥹
Gonna be away for a little bit while on a trip! Will share pics from my birdsitter but otherwise will return on the 20th. Have a good couple weeks, all! ❣️
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I don't usually post too much about the natives I work with but wanted to share the latest dramatic blue jay sunbath, lol.
We all melt in a good sunbeam!! ☀️
[OBLIGATORY DISCLAIMER: River is a non-releasable blue jay kept under educational permitting - I am just her trainer and personal servant! Wild birds are not pets!!!!]
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Someone had this domestic pigeon self-rescue with them earlier this week! I am genuinely stunned that anyone would release a pigeon breed like this and am so grateful to the people who worked so hard to catch him and bring him to safety. Poor kiddo can't be much older than 6mo, and even still squeaks a bit 🥺
