- The Wildlife Center of Virginia is one of the world's leading teaching and research hospitals for wildlife and conservation medicine.

Each year the center provides state of the art veterinary and rehabilitative care for nearly 3000 wild animals with one goal in mind, returning the animal to its natural habitat.

(light music) - Anytime I'm in the outdoors, one of the things that always attracts me is water.

Whether I'm hiking in a wilderness area, taking a walk in an urban park like this one, or just spending a day at the beach.

Water just adds such a dimension, and an aspect of that are water birds one of the most interesting groups of wildlife.

There are 30 families of water birds, and collectively they make up about 800 species.

No matter where you are, whether in a mountain stream a river in the valley, the coastal plains, you will find birds that have adapted to that specific environment.

And the water birds have such diversity.

You find birds that are waiting birds with long skinny legs and big feet that won't sink into the mud.

Other birds that are along the shoreline whose big toes long toes can literally walk on lily pads without sinking into the water.

Other birds likes a pelagic spend their entire lives at sea.

They never even come back to land, except when they're ready to nest.

The diversity is incredible.

And the adaptation behaviorally and physically that these water birds have is just fascinating.

Whether it's the long beak with which to spear fish, a serrated edge like saw teeth along the inside of the beak to catch them, or whether it's simply the ability with that long deep to probe into the soil and suck out food.

Water birds are everywhere, and they are a miracle to behold.

While many waterbirds stay around in a local area all year long, others will migrate thousands of miles.

Like the great waterfowl migrations that come from the Arctic region where the nesting takes place, all the way down the fly ways and across the United States and into the tropics.

That means they have to have their special habitats, each and every place along the way.

Unfortunately for water birds, they depend on wetlands for a lot of their habitat.

And often wetlands have been degraded and lost.

They're just not valued by people.

They're thought of as swamps or bogs or muddy areas.

And yet for waterbirds, many of these are critical habitat.

And we have to understand that as we degrade habitat, we lose species.

One of the things that affects waterbirds a great deal in certain areas is pesticides.

The prolific use of pesticides in wetland areas, for example, to control mosquitoes took a terrible toll on many species of water birds.

Up until about 1990 waterfowl suffered terribly, particularly ducks and geese from lead shot used by hunters in wetland areas as they were harvesting birds during the hunting season.

The shot would fly out into the air, land in the water and then settled in the sediments.

The feeding habits of these birds would cause them to go along, filter the sediment in their beak, find a little round pellets of lead and swallow them thinking that they were grit that all of these types of birds us in their digestion process.

Well we were losing over four million ducks and geese a year just thanks to lead shot.

And in about 1992 lead shot was banned for all waterfowl hunting across the United States.

Since that time, many of the populations have come back very, very strongly.

And a lot of the naysayers that were complaining that banning lead would eliminate duck hunting have been proven wrong.

Duck hunting is still alive and well.

And the ammunition industry has responded to the need to get the lead out with a wide variety of non lead ammunition.

We need to make a similar change with our fishing tackle because lead jig heads or even lead sinkers can cause a terrible problem for waterfowl.

In towns and cities across the United States, there are often parks with water features, a pond a lake or even a river passing through the urban park.

And it makes it all too easy for people to bring stale bread, come to the river and feed the ducks and feed the geese.

Believe me these animals will habituate to that food source very, very quickly.

But the trouble is, bread and other human foods are simply not appropriate for these animals.

They don't give them the right nutrition, they don't give them much nutrition.

And they artificially caused these birds to concentrate, which is a whole new set of problems.

When so many animals come together and are trained to come to people, it degrades the water quality because of the droppings in the water.

It also facilitates the spread of parasites and disease among the waterfowl.

And so while people come out to commune with nature, feed the ducks and geese, they're often doing a lot more harm than good.

- Wild ducks and geese feed on a variety of grains and grasses, aquatic plants and invertebrates all naturally found in the wild.

When eaten in combination these foods are naturally balanced and provide everything that a Wild Duck or goose needs to survive.

In contrast, foods typically fed to waterfowl in public parks such as popcorn crackers, bread and corn are typically low in protein and essential nutrients and minerals such as calcium and phosphorus.

While a single feeding of one of these junk foods might not necessarily harm that particular duck or goose at that particular point in time.

It certainly adds up.

If everyone who visited a public park were to only feed a couple of crackers or pieces of bread to those ducks and geese in that area that quickly becomes the bulk of what they expect to consume and can lead to a variety of nutritional disorders.

- Waterfowl in public parks are often admitted to wildlife rehabilitation centers with metabolic bone disease.

Birds with metabolic bone disease have incredibly soft bones and joints that are often malformed and even fractured.

These injuries are caused by an overall calcium deficiency in the body, which is actually linked to inappropriate diet.

Calcium also plays a crucial role in the formation of eggs, clotting ability, cardiovascular and even neuro muscular function, as well as a variety of other metabolic activities.

Birds with metabolic bone disease are often so malformed that they can't fly and become dependent on handouts, which is truly a vicious cycle as these handouts are often foods that are not nutritionally balanced.

Effective birds are typically two weeks to compete for food and defend themselves and often become victims of aggressive attacks by other ducks and geese.

Another common issue with ducks and geese in public parks is angel wing.

This is a condition where the ends of the effective birds flight feathers are twisted upwards.

Angel wing occurs when ducks and geese grow abnormally quickly.

The affected birds joints don't fully form as the wings and feathers develop and the weight of the growing feathers rotates the tip of the birds wing.

if caught in initial stages, waterfowl suffering from this condition can be treated with splints to guide the bones and the growth of the correct position.

Although there's actually several theories regarding the cause of angel wing, some studies suggested diets high in protein might be to blame.

Well meaning citizens feeding commercial duck chicken or turkey feed to avoid junk food diets may be unintentionally causing this disorder.

Another problem with bread products is that this type of food expands when it comes in contact with water and in the stomach, which gives ducks and geese an artificial feeling that they are full.

As a result, these birds may not feel motivated to continue foraging on natural foods of higher nutritional value.

One of my most memorable cases that relates to this issue was a Canada Goose that arrived one summer after it was found stuck on a roof in a nearby city.

The goose was rescued by the fire department because it wasn't able to fly.

When we admitted it we didn't find any fractures are injuries but found that it had a really low heart rate.

We perform some x rays inside of the goose's heart, it was really large.

We took blood from the goose and sent it off for testing to the lab.

Results from the goose's blood work came back revealing that the bird had high cholesterol.

The high cholesterol combined with the goose's low heart rate and enlarged heart made it likely that the goose had something called atherosclerosis.

This meant that the bird had plaques in its arteries that were affecting the heart's ability to pump blood around the body due to some of the vessels being partly clogged by these plaques.

For a wild goose the most common cause of this type of vascular disease is a poor diet.

We treated this goose with medication that dilates the blood vessels such that the blood can flow more easily through them even with the plaques blocking them.

We also started this patient on medications to lower her cholesterol level the exact same medication a human would take when diagnosed with high cholesterol.

- Feeding ducks and geese isn't only nutritionally harmful to those animals, it's also harmful to the environment.

Healthy animals contribute to a healthy environment, which contributes to healthy people and so on.

This interconnected web is commonly referred to as One Health.

One Health is the concept that the health of animals, people and the environment is equal important and connected, you cannot have one without the other.

And feeding waterfowl is just one small example of a common practice that can negatively affect all aspects of that One Health triad.

waterfowl will congregate in a specific area if they are used to being fed bread and popcorn and artificial congregation of any population of wildlife increases the chance of disease spread between those animals.

Additionally, if humans are hand feeding those waterfowl, the chance of disease spread from those animals to humans, diseases such as avian influenza and salmonella is increased.

Furthermore, congregated populations of waterfowl in a particular area means more feces in that water.

More feces leads to altered nutrients within the water, meaning increased chances of algae and overall poor water quality which can be detrimental to fish or other living organisms in that body of water.

Finally, feeding ducks and geese in a particular area inevitably attracts other pests and animals to that area.

Because of the additional bread and cracker crumbs that are left on the ground.

This increase of attraction of animals to that area leads to a whole variety of other health issues.

So the take home message don't feed waterfowl don't feed any wildlife.

They've been doing just fine without our snacks.

(light music) - Anytime we have recreation areas with water features in them or running through them, there's a lot of human activity naturally along the water.

And one of the most frequently saying activities is fishing.

And that unfortunately brings with it discarded or lost fishing tackle and fishing line which can be fatal for water birds and especially for waterfowl.

If you happen to be on the stream walking along and find fishing line there, pick it up.

Because even if it's not yours, you may be saving the lives of ducks or geese or herons or other wildlife that live there along the water.

Even the terminal tackle the lures the baits the hooks that we use when angling can be deadly if they are lost or improperly discarded.

If a little plastic minnow will fool a fish, it'll also fool a fish eating bird and that can be deadly.

We need to be responsible not just for ourselves, but for the habitats we enjoy.

Now, a lot of the birds that come into the Wildlife Center come in injured, but some of them don't actually need medical care.

Sometimes they just need a ride.

(phone ringing) - Wildlife Center of Virginia, this is Marley.

- [Woman] There is a big water bird in the parking lot of Target in Waynesboro.

It doesn't look like a goose or duck.

- Can you describe the bird's appearance and behavior?

- [Woman] It's very large, with a pointed beak.

It might be loon.

It's just sitting on the pavement.

It doesn't seem like it can stand or walk.

- So there's a good chance that is indeed a loon.

Unfortunately, they're only able to take flight from the water, so if they accidentally land on wet asphalt they often become stranded.

Is it possible that this bird sustained any injuries when it landed?

And do you think it can safely be contained in a box?

- [Woman] Yes, it might have something wrong with its leg.

We will put it in a box and bring it to you.

Okay, that's wonderful.

Be sure you wear some protective gear, like gloves or goggles because their beak is very sharp and loons can cause damage.

- [Woman] Got it, see you in about 30 minutes.

Great See you then.

While in loons and grebes may look similar to ducks and geese from a distance, their biology greatly differs.

loons and grebes are built for living entirely on the water, their legs or even positions farther back on their bodies than a duck which helps them propel through the water.

Because of their physiology, they're very uncoordinated when on land.

In fact, loons and grebes need to be on the water for successful takeoff for flight.

While migrating these birds will fly over parking lots and roads that may be wet or icy.

From the birds point of view, these large puddles appear to be a great place for them to land.

Of course, this water is far too shallow, causing the birds become stranded and often injured.

loons and grebes that become stranded should be checked by a wildlife rehabilitator or a veterinarian to ensure that no fractures or injuries were endured during the crash landing.

If they're okay, that bird will need assistance getting back to an appropriate water source where they can take off again.

People should take caution when rescuing these birds, especially loons as their beaks are sharp and built for stabbing prey.

Rescuers should always wear gloves and eye protection when helping these species.

(light music) - Regardless of the species and its injuries, there are a number of challenges that we face in rehabilitating all waterbirds.

One of the biggest challenges is taking care of their feathers, maintaining their waterproofing or helping them to regain it if they have lost it.

Birds can lose their waterproofing when the structure of their feathers is damaged, or when their feathers are contaminated by a substance such as dirt or oil.

Birds' feathers are made up of barbs which actually interlock.

So the way that birds interlock their feathers is by using their bills in a process known as preening.

Birds have an oil gland called the uropygial gland at the base of their tail, they use their bill to spread the oil over their feathers.

This oil helps act as conditioner for their feathers and prevents water from getting to their bodies.

Misting or swimming waterbirds help to maintain their waterproofing by keeping their feathers clean and also stimulating them to preen.

For water birds that are recovering from an injury requiring a wrap or a bandage, we mist them until they've recovered from that injury at which point we're able to start swimming them either in our hospital or in one of our outside aviaries.

While they are swimming they're able to forage for food like they would in the wild.

So for dabbling birds, such as ducks and geese, we offer food on the surface of the water, specialized pellets, greens or insects.

Whereas for diving birds, such as some species of diving ducks and loons, we offer the food either via tong or at the bottom of the pool so they can dive just like they would in the wild.

An additional challenge that we face is providing appropriate husbandry for water birds, simulating a natural environment while they're in our care.

For birds that are suffering traumatic injuries, and need to be housed inside in a crate.

We have them on a suspended net bottom.

This helps to protect their keel and also simulates them being afloat in the water.

For those that are recovered from injuries and are able to be moved outside into one of our aviaries we provide as many natural materials as possible.

For ducks and geese, we provide grassy areas for herons, we provide reeds, and for loons, we provide deep pools.

When we receive an unusual species, we have to do a little bit of research to make sure that we're able to meet its dietary and habitat needs.

We received a purple gallinule and actually created a marsh like habitat complete with dense floating vegetation in one of our outdoor aviaries.

Another unusual species and one of my personal favorites was a Hooded Merganser duckling.

We received this individual after she was dropped by a hawk, but thankfully didn't sustain any serious injuries.

I was able to identify her by the color of her down and also by her pointy bill, which is perfectly suited for hunting fish.

I didn't want to raise her by herself and risk her imprinting on her human caretakers.

So I contacted other permanent state wildlife rehabilitators.

Unfortunately, none of them had any Merganser either.

But a local wildlife rehabilitator had a wood duckling that I was able to raise with her.

Female wood ducklings and female Hooded Merganser are brood parasites of each other, meaning that they'll lay eggs at each other's nests and expect the other one to raise it.

So it's not uncommon for these two species to be raised together.

planning the release of all rehabilitated wildlife is really important.

Some species such as loons can't take off from land and require large bodies of water.

Other species such as many diving ducks migrate, and therefore we must time their release with seasonal migration patterns.

The same was true for this Hooded Merganser and wood duckling pair.

I was able to select a release location that met the dietary and habitat requirements of both of the individuals.

So for wood ducklings, I was looking for dense stands of vegetation on the corner of lakes, and for the Hooded Merganser, I was looking for an ample supply of fish, I was able to find that location and release the two of them together at sunrise, seeing them fly off together, it was very rewarding after a month that they had spent in rehabilitation, I often visit that lake.

And I think about whether or not that individual that I see on that lake is the one that I raised and was able to help get a second chance at life.

(light music) - During a nesting season, a lot of people find it fascinating that even though a duck may take a week, or almost two weeks to lay as many as a dozen eggs, she can figure it out.

So they all hatch on the same day.

Well, how does she do that?

Well, the answer is she'll defend her nest, defend the eggs, but she won't actually sit on them and start incubating them till the last egg has been laid.

And then they all get her attention and incubation for exactly the same amount of time.

And their precisely enough time that they all hatch at once.

And as soon as the first hatching begins, it stimulates hatching among all of the siblings and out they come and away she goes with her brood.

And once they leave that nest the very first time they never return.

So disturbing a nest can be especially problematic.

But don't worry if you find a nest with just a few eggs in it.

It's not necessarily abandoned.

She's probably still using it.

(phone ringing) - Wildlife Center Virginia, this is Caroline, how can I help you?

- [Woman] Hi, about a month ago I started seeing a mother duck sitting on a nest outside of my office.

She's in a very tall potted plant.

And I'm worried that when the eggs hatch, the ducklings will get hurt jumping down to the concrete.

- That definitely sounds like a Mallard they often nest in on spots.

If it's been about a month those ducklings should be hatching any day now.

So we might need to act quickly.

How tall is this potted plant?

- [Woman] It's a little over three feet tall and there's nothing but pavement underneath.

- Actually ducklings can typically fall vertically two stories or less without injury.

But if you're feeling uneasy about it, you can try getting a bag of mulch or soil and pour it around the base of the pot to give them some cushion when they jump.

- [Woman] That's a great idea.

I will talk with my co workers and see if we can pull something together this afternoon.

- Perfect, just be very quiet when around the deck as we would not want her to become stressed and abandon the nest.

- [Woman] We will, thank you.

- Thank you, bye.

Sometimes ducks and geese make their nest in what seems like a strange spot to us, such as on a balcony or flowerpot.

To the birds this may feel like a safe spot away from predators yet still near bodies of water.

addressing these calls can be challenging since we were not able to relocate waterfowl nests, parents will not follow a nest move to a better site.

We are sometimes able to relocate nests of other species if they are inappropriately placed, such as squirrels in an attic.

For waterfowl we don't have that option, so we have to find another solution.

The best action to take with what we may think is an inappropriately placed waterfowl nest is no action at all.

Mom and babies will leave the nest once the young hatch.

Waterfowl hatchlings are precocial which means they're able to leave the nest less than 24 hours after hatching.

Once all the young hatch mom will lead her babies to the water.

If you are worried about a nest in a high traffic area, consider placing some cones and a signer on the nest to alert the public there's a nest there and not to disturb.

It's a great way to educate others and make them aware of the wildlife around them.

If the nest is in a fenced in area located more than two stories off the ground or in a potentially dangerous spot, please call a wildlife rehabilitator.

A Rehabilitator can work with you to ensure the nest and babies are protected.

(light music) - From time to time people ask us why we bother to care for common species like Mallard ducks or Canada geese.

when we should be focusing our energy on loons, herons, egrets, the more beautiful water birds.

Well, our response is always the same.

Nature is not a catalog, we don't get to pick and choose the things about which we care and simply ignore the rest.

And the same is true for wildlife habitat.

Just because a swamp may be an uninviting place for humans, doesn't mean it's not absolutely critical for wildlife and species that we love.

We need to be thinking in ecosystem terms and perspectives, thinking about all of the parts that make up the wonderful whole that we enjoy.

We need to learn to coexist with wildlife.

And that means we need to take care of their homes as well as our own.

In the interest of protecting waterbirds and their critical habitats, there are a number of things that you can do.

One of the things that is the easiest to do is simply avoid deliberately feeding geese, ducks or other water birds, especially in public parks or places where the birds are likely to congregate.

It doesn't do them any good.

It's nutritionally harmful, and it creates water quality and disease problems.

Something else you can do when you're outside enjoying a day alongside the water is to be alert and attentive to discarded or lost fishing tackle or fishing line.

It may not be yours, it may be somebody else's bad manners.

But by picking it up, just roll it up and stick it in your pocket.

You may be saving the lives of multiple wild animals discarded and lost fishing tackle is deadly.

Another thing you can do if you happen to find the nest of a duck or a goose family, leave it alone.

The eggs may be left alone for days on end, and you may think the nest has been abandoned and then you somehow need to rescue those eggs.

It's not true.

The mother will lay eggs and won't start incubating until she's done laying eggs.

And only then will she start the hatching process.

So if you interfere, you're really disrupting nature.

One of the other things we need to keep in mind so that we will always have an abundance of water birds is caring for the water, caring for the aquatic habitats, the wetlands, the habitat needed by these very specialized creatures.

And around your home and your business, one of the best ways you can do that is to minimize the use of fertilizers and pesticides.

If you must use them only use the least amount you can possibly get away with because putting too much fertilizer on your yard doesn't make the grass that much greener, the grass will only absorb a certain amount and the rest flows off into the waterways, causing algae and other damaging things to grow in the water degrading the water quality and putting in jeopardy, all of the creatures that live there.

And ultimately, the best thing you can do is simply be responsible as you're out enjoying wildlife enjoying nature.

Remember that coexisting with wild species doesn't just serve them.

It serves us as well.

(upbeat music)