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For the birds

Dunkirk Animal Clinic helps rescue loons

Submitted Photo The Dunkirk Animal Clinic helped two loons that were injured from landing in wet roadways instead of water.

OBSERVER Staff Report

The late spring and continued snowy weather this year has been a challenge for many of the migrating waterfowl on their way north for the coming summer months. The birds affected by the wintry weather included grebes, loons, and mergansers.

In late April, many of these birds were landing in local lakes, rivers, and ponds — most of them on their way to Northern Canadian waters. Some of these birds however mistook wet roadways and paved areas for waterways and were landing prematurely causing significant damage to their legs and feet.

The staff at the Dunkirk Animal Clinic with a wildlife rehabilitator on staff willingly took in and treated two of these beautiful birds with injuries to their feet. They were able to release them that same day back on the lake.

Loons and birds in the loon family are beautiful sleek birds with pointed bills, red eyes, and paddle like feet that help them swim and dive under the water in search for the prey they eat. They are heavy set birds however and with their legs being set back further on their bodies, they have some difficulty walking on land and can only take off from a body of water. This made it difficult for the grounded loons and grebes in our area to take off and essentially many of these birds people have found were starving unable to get to their food source.

Submitted Photo The Dunkirk Animal Clinic helped two loons that were injured from landing in wet roadways instead of water.

If you come across one of these birds use caution. A large loon with its sharp beak can cause harm when you attempt to approach them. When in doubt and for questions about loons, call your local wildlife rehabilitator or the Erie County SPCA (875-7360 ext 247). You can find a list of registered wildlife rehabilitators on the NYS DEC website www.dec.ny.gov/animals/83977.html . You can also contact Messinger Woods a wildlife care and education center that cares mainly for birds. Their phone number is 716-345-4239. Another organization that may be able to answer your questions would be our local Audubon Society located in Jamestown NY. Their phone number is 716-569-2345.

These birds need to be taken to larger bodies of water to feed, nest, and to be able to take off properly for their next destination. Even if you find one on your pond, the pond may not be long enough for them to take flight. Loons need a “runway” of water to be able to take off properly.

Do your part to protect our loons by taking responsibility when on the waterways. If you see a nesting loon keep your distance. Loon nests are usually right along the water and can be flooded by boats getting too close. Use alternatives to sinkers as loons can swallow sinkers and anything resembling stones. Sinkers can cause lead toxicity and lead to death. Clean up after yourself and do not leave fishing lines and hooks behind. The horned Grebe our clinic cared for incidentally had a fishing hook embedded in its neck with a 2 foot long piece of fishing line atta

ched to it. All loon species are protected by NY State so do your part and help protect these beautiful birds!

Submitted Photo This loon was treated by the Dunkirk Animal Hospital.

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