Free Bird & Wildlife Rehabilitation Inc

06/10/2026

Out doing my first of dozens of hand feedings outside this morning, I had a visitor!
Little Downy Woodpecker was released yesterday. ❤️❤️❤️❤️ this is why I LOVE rehabbing birds! 😁

06/08/2026

A Cute video illustrating how we teach orphaned wild birds to self-feed and learn to forage! ❤️ just for you!

Brought to you by 1 of 3 Downy Woodpecker orphans, now outside flying with our other sister and bro...after our tree fell in a storm. Out with them are 3 Mourning Doves, 2 Robins and 3 White Breasted Nuthatch.
Birds are weirdos.
That's why I feel so passionate about them🤣❤️.

You can raise dozens of the same species....yet each one IS an individual. Their own fears, some more bold than others, some miserable, and won't even hand feed (that's a subject for another day...and why older fledglings NEED to stay with their parents if at ALL possible.)

We see HUNDREDS of bird species every year. And they do not all get along. Some even eat each other! 🤷 No judgement, it's just nature ...

It's all about understanding, and knowing their natural history (i.e. natural behaviors). As someone who spent a couple decades training Rottweilers, watching their behavior is fascinating, if not even more so... than dogs!!!

Birds are SO SMART. Intelligence isn't reserved for just crows! ❤️

These tiny flying creatures live all around us! Even if you don't see them...they are there. Birds help plants grow dispersing seeds, rid trees of termites and carpenter ants...they eat insects!!! They help keep an ecological balance. Everything in our environment is connected.

Please don't use pesticides. Our fostered Woodpeckers WILL thank you! ❤️❤️❤️

06/05/2026

We got a call about this owl last night in Holliston. I feel AWFUL for this poor bird, and I debated with myself about posting this or not...but the stupid is SO strong here, y'all need to see it. This is the hardest job I have ever had....and i dont even get paid!!!!

THIS is why I find community groups the WORST place to find help for wildlife. "Shes so nice"....does not equal competence/ experience.

So now this poor owl that was hit by a car....is slowly dying out there somewhere. 💔

Please, never trust ANYONE for help with wildlife unless you found us on the State website.

So much suffering could have been alleviated...
.."but makes me feal useful" 😡

ANIMAL RESCUE/REHAB IS NOT ABOUT YOU, ME or ANYONE else. It is about compassion, conservation and alleviating suffering.

⚠️⚠️⚠️beware!!!!! Based on the owls condition in this photo, and previous hit by car Owls we have helped, there is a distinct possibility this person is also lying.....it most likely died overnight from head trauma, being in very incompetent hands. 💔😡

06/02/2026

This nestling American Crow has traveled all the way from the North Shore...to a box on a heating pad, on my dryer, in Hopkinton! 🤣

We got a call from a finder on Plum Island, who noticed this baby on the ground Saturday, fell from a very high nest in a pine tree. Parents upset and yelling at finder. 💔. Huge thanks to Jodi Swenson and Cape Ann Wildlife, Inc for taking the baby right away (Plum Island is a little over an hour away from me) and Andrew Joslin for being willing to climb to renest baby. With the storm coming Sunday, Jodi agreed to crowsit a couple of nights. On intake, she found crow had a broken leg from the fall, making a renesting attempt not possible.

Thanks to Susan for transport last night!!! ❤️. We have the GREATEST group of volunteers for our Massachusetts wildlife, it truly takes a village, often over long distances!

Crow had a Vet visit and the fracture is clean, not displaced, just sore...and since we are a nestling, with good nutrition and vitamins will heal by the time we fledge. We are giving pain/anti-inflammatory meds.

Raising one crow is not optimal, they are too smart and family oriented. We NEED other crows, please reach out if you need placement for crow nestlings/fledglings!

I need more birds like I need a... house fire 🔥.....🤣❤️

1.5 lbs of food per day...that's how much food a crow can consume.

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=NUXQYB8AJHNPC

05/31/2026

So much for trying not to take any more birds.... 🙄

How could I say NO?? These nestling Downy Woodpeckers tree fell from the storm. Caring finders noticed the hole. One didnt survive, but these 3 are intact and healthy..quite stressed. So sad, their parents have taken such great care of them, and they are close to fledge. 💔 Now quiet, with full bellies and sleeping in the incubator with 13 other baby birds of various species...

I better put the bugs on auto-order 😆😆😆❤️

05/31/2026

Red bellied Woodpecker check in! I adore this little bird 😍 that we admitted yesterday. We are treating for head trauma, but torticollis can be caused by any number of things, like toxins, chemicals, pesticides??? Please think of them around your home. You poison their food...you poison them.

I am handfeeding/medicating/treating dozens of birds, from 6 am to 8 pm. I get up at 4 am to have coffee before anyone is awake. I go to bed promptly, once the birds are sleeping. We are very full, and I am trying to refer intakes to other bird rehabs. We are full for the season for raccoons already. They take a LONG TIME to grow up!

I HATE saying no... but priority goes to the birds/raccoons already here. It gets more and more difficult. Birds start to fledge, we have to set up safe outdoor enclosures for them to gain strength and stamina for release. We have a dozen different species, many can not be housed together. Even outside, they STILL hand feed outside for 7-10 days! Some longer, they all wean at their own pace. You can't skip feedings when raising animals with supersonic growth rates!!!

So please be patient if you're looking for help. Be prepared for a potentially long ride.... We share cute videos and photos, but there is FAR more going on "behind the scenes" than just the highlights we share.

Happy Sunday ❤️❤️❤️

05/30/2026

This young Red bellied Woodpecker has a A LOT to say about his predicament!

He was found grounded this morning with a head tilt. Woodpeckers are cavity nesting birds, and leave their nest cavity fully flighted. Guessing we may have had a crash? We gave oxygen and anti-inflammatory meds....this bird was WELL cared for by the parents. 💔 Happy to report we are eagerly eating insects when offered, so we wait...and watch.

Did you know Woodpeckers have a unique scent? This little bird smells like...plastic?🤷 Hard to explain, its not a bad smell. Just a Woodpecker smell! ❤️

Please send healing vibes to this adorable little maniac!

05/30/2026

The more you know! Super important information here. Always call a rehabber prior to doing ANYTHING with our wildlife ❤️

Q: In the United States, can I move a bird's nest with eggs or baby birds in the nest?

A: There are very few exceptions, so the short answer is NO. The majority of birds & their "live" nests, a nest with eggs or live offspring, are federally protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) of 1918.

This law prohibits individuals from killing, capturing, selling, trading, transporting, or having possession of protected birds, their feathers, the nests, & eggs without a permit or license.

One of the main reasons it is not recommended to move a bird's nest, especially with eggs, is the bird will not search or look for their nest and simply assume the nest and babies are gone. The majority of birds will "fledge" or leave the nest between 10 and 21 days. This really isn't that long.

So, early spring please start being mindful and aware that birds are looking for places to build nests. These nests could be in dryer vents, mailboxes, wreaths, hanging plant baskets, trees, bushes, grills, campers, boats, cars, or patio furniture. Even bicycle helmets & boots.

And one last thing, adult birds will not abandon their offspring because you handled or placed them back in the nest. Many birds simply have a poor sense of smell & cannot detect human scent. (There are some birds who have well developed olfactory systems but even these birds will not abandon offspring handled by humans.)

Https://ahnow.org/blog/2025/05/30/ignorance-can-be-illegal-and-it-can-kill/

05/29/2026

As we all know, we have been doing wildlife rehab for 5 years now. Have multiple aviaries. Why do we build these?

So we can protect the birds as they grow/heal/recover...whatever! 😊

Our builder Andrew is AMAZING! He finished a gorgeous smaller aviary on our deck, for raptors or birds just needing smaller space for recovery/handling/meds.

I've found this new avairy is for MY protection now‼️

Midas is satan (no capital S.sh*thead is most applicable).
Come visit!! Maybe I am onto something here....he has generated a LOT of collagen in my forehead 🤔 🤣

For a small fee you can have Midas poke hole collagen regeneration too! Bonus: MADE IN USA 🇺🇸 😎
🤣🤣🤣

05/29/2026

Yesterday was busy! We got 2 more Nuthatch, both transferred from fellow rehabbers. Then, thanks to Norwood ACO Dan, we LOVE our ACOs that help wildlife!❤️

These 4 Chickadees were found in a school field, lots of concerned students. They are cavity nesting birds, and very difficult to renest, if you can even find their cavity. If you find cavity nesting birds on the ground, safest decision is to find a Rehabilitator for them. (Thank you Kathleen Brodie for helping❤️❤️❤️)

We also got another Turkey poult from Cambridge (eternal thanks for my fellow rehab Lauren Ulm for always helping out with city birds!!) Pics later, they are still spooked and giving them their space.

We had like 40 calls yesterday from all over the State....even as far away as Agawam. It is not humanly possible to respond to every message we are getting. The ones I KNOW I can fit in based on species, I respond to first. If you don't hear back- I am unable to assist you, please keep trying rehabs listed on the Mass.gov rehab page, and be prepared to transport.

As hard as it becomes to find placement as the season goes on, please remember those of us caring for them in our homes, are working 14 hours per day. Birds are fed AT LEAST every 30 minutes, especially MORE teeny tiny naked Chickadees! 😍‼️
We are ALL VOLUNTEERS. ❤️
And I get to meet fabulous humans along the way too!