Slide Talk • I am not sure I can tell you anything you don’t already know, but I 1 Dana A. Glei Rehab Volunteer, Rescue Center can share with you what we do and what we have learned about California Rehabilitators Gathering rehabbing . Napa Valley Community College February 18, 2017 • (And, of course, I have lots of pictures to help entertain you.) • Then, perhaps we can exchange ideas about possible Presented and Coordinated by: Native Songbird Care & Conservation Co-Hosted with Napa Wildlife Rescue improvements.

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide • I think it is safe to say that Towhees vex all rehabbers. 2 Towhees are “Special” • Who among us here has had difficulty with towhees? Perhaps the Towhees vex all rehabbers better question is: who hasn’t? • So, you tell me: What problems have you had?

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide Trauma X Captivity STRESS! • Towhees are easily stressed to begin with. 3 • Do not fare well in captivity • Add in trauma combined with captivity and the result can be • Easily stressed • Most were “catted” (poor prognosis for any bird) deadly. • As they enter the pre-fledgling stage, “they discover they are Towhees” (Francoise at Wildcare) – That is, they become reluctant to gape. – If they don’t eat, they will die.

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide 68% of Young Towhees were “Catted” • 2016: BRC admitted 194 towhees (142, CALTs, 7 SPTOs); 103 babies 4 (100 CALTs, 3 SPTOs). • 2015: 183 towhees (169 CALT, 14 SPTO), 76% were young towhees, 69% were fledging or younger • 61% were catted (68% of young towhees) • 15% were found on the ground helpless (9% of young ones) • 5% dog-related (6% of young ones) • Remainder: FFN, orphaned, bird-napped, hit window/CNS, rat/mouse trap

Slide 5

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide Sticky Traps Although the sticky trap cases are less common, they are horrific for 6 the bird (and follow-up care can be long because they may need to regrow so many feathers).

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide • We seem to get a lot of towhees with toe issues 7 • I don’t have a picture of it, but we have had many towhees that Perch splint applied have had to endure a cardboard “boot”. to nestling with flattened toes

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide What Stresses Them? 8 • Pain: Being catted is very painful. A bird in pain may be reluctant to eat. [We administer painkillers along with antibiotics to all catted .] • Excessive noise from humans or predatory (e.g., jays) • Inadequate housing: overcrowded; dirty; lacking enrichment (i.e., natural greenery, comfortable perches, dirt tray, leaf litter, & water bath that encourages normal development) • Incorrect, inadequate diet: irregular/infrequent feeding schedule • Dirty feathers/feet/face

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide Returning Them to the Wild Early 9 Does Not Solve the Problem Unless we can reunite them with their parents, returning them to the wild too early would be a death sentence. • CALTs mature slowly and need to learn many survival skills before they can thrive on their own: generally, 6-8 weeks from hatchling to release. • In comparison, some bird species can be released at a younger age.

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide • I think it is helpful to first understand their natural environment in 10 What is their the wild. natural environment • Only then can we think about how best to emulate that like in the wild? environment in a rehab setting.

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide Where do they live? 11 • Among the most wary & furtive of all birds • Live close to the ground, often hidden in dense bushes – Chaparral scrub in coastal slopes & foothills – Along streams & canyon bottoms among oaks, manzanita, madrone, etc. – Shrubby backyards & city parks • If you hear rustling in the leaf litter, you can bet it is a Towhee • LOVES bathing

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide • Here are some pictures from my backyard, which appears to Key Elements of Towhee Habitat 12 be prime habitat for both CALTs and SPTOs, judging from the 1) Dense shrubs to provide shelter (e.g., Ceanothus/Blue Blossom, Coyote Bush); number of towhees I see there. • These are two native plants that are great for towhee and quail habitat: These are two native plants that are great for towhee and quail habitat: Ceonothus griseus horizontalis (on the left) and a prostrate form of Baccharis pilularis (on the right).

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide • And here are two of my favorite native bunch grasses: 2) Seed Food Sources 13 • Native bunch grasses (e.g., CA Fescue, Deergrass) Muhlenbergia rigens (Deer grass, on the left) and Festuca • Note: CALTs in my yard seem to prefer native CA california (on the right). Fescue seed to the “bird seed” we use at BRC. • As you can probably guess, CA native plants are another passion of mine.

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide 3) Lots of leaf litter 14

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide …and 4) Taller trees for escape 15 If you are lucky enough to have a mature native oak, treasure it—our feathered friends certainly do!

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide What do they eat & feed their young? 16 • <10 days old: Entirely insects (mostly grasshoppers & caterpillars) • 10 Days old: >90% insects (including beetles & wasps); <10% vegetable (largely fiber, little fruit) • 2+ weeks old: >90% insects(largely beetles, wasps & ants) • Adult Diet: mostly seeds/grains (~80%) with ~15% insects (esp. beetles & grasshoppers) and ~5% fruit • Got Poison Oak? Often build their nests in poison oak and feast on the pale white berries

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide How do they behave? 17 Nestling Stage • At 2-3 days old: will raise heads & gape in response to nest vibrations • At 8 days: will cower rather than beg when approached; will jump from nest if disturbed • Fecal sacs removed by adults, nest kept clean until fledging

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide How do they behave? 18 Fledgling Stage • Stay with parents up to 6 weeks (but if parents renest, they may drive away fledges at 4 weeks) • Cannot fly at fledging, but capable runners • Spend several weeks hiding in vegetation near nest site while being fed by parents • At 3-4 weeks, young begin foraging for themselves

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide How do they communicate?

19 • Many variations of the basic “tsip” note: – Territorial display call (metallic “tsip”) – Contentment/contact call (sparrow-like “tssip”) – Distress call (long peep sounds, squeaking) – Alarm call (loud warning note) – Feeding calls (loud peep crescendos at regular intervals into a short staccato call) • Hunger call: “puhlee” for as long as 30s at a time peaking at 20s.

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide • I *think* this is an example of the “Feeding call”, no? 20 • Honestly, I cannot distinguish between all the variations of the Feed me… “tsip”. Feed me NOW! • But, young towhees can be very vocal with their metallic cheeping.

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide 21 Lesson #1 Setting the Mood

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide The Right Environment Helps a Lot 22 • Try to emulate their natural environment as much as possible in a rehab hospital setting. • Provide a calm, quiet space (keep them separate from the “loud mouths”, particularly jays). • Group single baby birds with a buddy of the same or compatible species (SPTO, AMRO, NOMO, BHCO). • If solitary confinement is necessary, add a mirror. • Use brown (rather than white) paper liners. White stresses towhees.

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide Age Appropriate Housing 23 • As soon as it is developmentally appropriate, move them to a: 1) Reptarium (simulate a more natural environment: greenery, dirt tray, leaf litter) 2) Aviary (allow more flight practice, encourage foraging and learning other skills they will need to survive)

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide • Don’t forget to give them a place to hide. 24 • Yes, the greenery makes feeding them more difficult, but they will Needs a appreciate having a place to take shelter. Place to Hide

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide We have special “Towhee” dishes • At BRC, towhees get their own special dishes. 25 • Shallow with low edges: able to get in/out easily • Broad trays with mix of seed and worms where they • Ideally, they get a dirt tray as well (if you can fit it in their housing). can practice the “towhee two-step”

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide Reptarium • Note: They take advantage of the bungee cord perch and the 26 (once they can thermoregulate) greenery.

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide Reptarium • Here is a “model” reptarium (that I set up just for the purposes of 27 (before they cover it with poop) taking a pic for the presentation). • After you put birds in it, it will never look this nice again.

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide Aviary • Later we move a towhee “cohort” (group of towhees that will 28 eventually be released together) to an aviary. • Need to include water bath, dirt tray with leaf litter, and plenty of places to perch and explore.

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide Aviary • Don’t forget to provide places to hide. 29 • I like to set up a shelter in the corner that they can hide under if needed.

Slide • Seed & worm dish is placed in the dirt tray where they can scatter 30 their food and forage for it later.

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide 31 Lesson #2 Keep 'em Clean!

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide Keep 'em Clean: Easier Said than Done • In the previous pictures, I purposefully cropped out part of the 32 • Look at all that poop! (Not to mention the empty food bowl) • Reality: They poop again before you even leave. picture because I didn’t want to show all the poop. • It is an endless job. • If I saw this basket/reptarium, I would immediately want to clean it. • REALITY: But, I realize that you can put in fresh liners and fresh diets, but they will immediately poop on it and all over their own food. • It is an endless job, which brings me to the most important lesson... www.BirdRescueCenter.org

Slide • It takes patient and persistent volunteers to care for towhees. 33 Lesson #3 Patience, Grasshopper!

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide You MUST get them to eat • It is a catch-22: feeding them stresses them, but you must feed 34 ...or they will starve, but force-feeding them causes them or they will die. stress and thus, may exacerbate the problem. • Stress can kill them: • NEVER assume that a baby towhee that is not gaping is just not – Directly (they can truly be “scared to death”) OR – Indirectly (because it leads to starvation). hungry!

Only experienced volunteers who are willing to take the time (and have the proper training) to get them to eat.

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide FIRST, make every effort to get them to gape • REALITY: It is really hard be patient when you have a whole room 35 • OCD Tendencies: Let them go thru their ritual (i.e., hop around, act distracted, and ignore you) until full of towhees that need to be fed. they are finally ready to gape. • Be very, very patient: WE CANNOT RUSH THEM! • There have been times when I couldn’t finish one feeding before it • Bobbing motion with the worm-filled hemostat can help switch them into eating mode. is was “time” to start the next feeding. • It will seem like it takes FOREVER, and you might think they will NEVER gape...and they then do. • Once they start gaping, they will usually keep gaping easily...and they will eat a LOT!

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide Mimic the “Time to Eat” Vocalization • Another trick that may help: mimic a “time to eat” vocalization 36 • “Chipping song” imitated by the foster parent (that’s • I don’t know if I do it correctly, but here is my version of it (which I you!) has a calming effect on nervous birds. • How do you do it? learned from Veronica). – Air is pressed through the teeth while moving the lips and modulating a faint hissing-whistling sound. – They are forgiving if your call is not perfect and can get • Veronica can probably do it better...Veronica? Can you used to a wide variety of feeding calls. • Can help trigger gaping behavior when applied demonstrate? consistently (at the start of each feeding). • Do not overuse (or you may stress the bird). • Is there anyone else who uses the feeding vocalization and is willing to demonstrate their version of it? www.BirdRescueCenter.org

Slide Difficult Eaters? Add a Good Gaper 37 • Buddy good gapers with similar-aged difficult eaters • A gaping nestling might encourage a pre-fledge to gape • A different, but compatible species is OK (e.g., cowbirds make good nursemaids). • Use colored bands to keep track of the good versus difficult eaters (and make sure they don’t revert).

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide LAST RESORT: Assisted Feeding • After you have tried everything and given them plenty of time, 38 • I like to “burrito” the towhee in a small washcloth there will still be the stubborn towhee that refuses to gape. (easier to hold them without squeezing to tightly). • Towhee may start gaping once you are holding it. • DO NOT simply skip the feeding (unless you know that towhee is • If not, gently open its mouth (can be challenging to hold the bird AND a food-filled hemostat while eating on its own and making good weight gain)! opening its mouth and inserting food). • Let it swallow before trying to give more food. • They eat a surprising amount of food; gauge the amount for an “assisted feeding” based on the consumption of similar aged towhees. www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide • Now, I will briefly review BRC’s towhee protocol through the 39 Bird Rescue Center’s developmental stages from hatchling to juvenile. Towhee Protocol

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide 40 Naked/Pin-Feather Stage • Days 1-5, 10-14g, no tail growth • Placed in an incubator (at 90-95F with 50- 60% humidity) • Fed every 30 minutes • Jiggling the nest may stimulate gaping • Their eyes open on Day 5

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide 41 Nestling Stage • Days 5-10, 20-30g – Days 6-8: Feathers begin to emerge – Days 8-10: Will start hopping around • Still fed every 30 minutes • When mobile, moved out of the incubator into the Brooder Area.

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide Towhee Nestlings: 7 Days Old 42

Source: The Birds of North America On-Line. www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide • We let them sit on the edge of the basket, if that's where they want 43 During feeding, this towhee decided to to gape! (although Ashton draws the line at landing on her ) jump out of the basket! • But, in my experience, once a towhee begins jumping out of the basket s/he doesn’t stop at the edge. She might end up in your lap It is time to get him more space, or on the table. So, use caution. perches, and greenery to explore.

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide • Example of the kind of detailed “tips” we leave for each other: 44 Pre-Fledgling Stage • Days 10-13, 25-35g, “tail starter” (2cm long) Green band - likes 1/2 worms (at a 45 degree angle); Purple - loves • Needs space, greenery, places to perch, leaf egg; Blue - likes 3 apple pieces then 2 whole worms; Pink - likes litter, dirt tray, etc. • Often become reluctant gapers at this stage worms only after fully tenderized and dipped in water. • Feeding intervals progress from 30 to 45 min • We leave sticky notes (i.e., about the • But, a few hours later, their “preferences” may have changed! idiosyncrasies of each individual) for the next feeder; their preferences change quickly! [This year Leslie is going to make laminated cards w/photo for the type of bird and blank lines where we can write in notes. If they are done www.BirdRescueCenter.org by the time of my talk, take one as an example.]

Slide “Tail Starter” Phase (Pre-Fledge) • Here are some towhees in the “tail starter” phase. 45

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide 46 True Fledgling Stage • Age 2 weeks to 2 months, 35-45g, tail growing 5mm/day • Hand feeding intervals progress from 1 to 2h • Weaning can begin when tail reaches 5-6cm and weight 40g+ (but NEVER impose weaning) • We move them to an aviary once they are self- feeding with good weight gain.

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide • Towhees should be released in groups of 3-6 that have gone 47 Pre-Release Conditioning • May begin by 4-6 weeks of age through rehab together for the best chance of survival. • Need time in an aviary with the other towhees • In the aviary environment, they can learn survival skills and we can who will form a release cohort (groups of 3-6) – Ideally, allow 2 weeks for them to interact with each other provide enrichment. and to learn survival skills – Important to provide enrichment – OK to house fledglings with adults (young learn from elders) • Minimize human intrusion to allow them to “wild up” • Should weigh 50g before release

www.BirdRescueCenter.org

Slide Critter Cam in the Aviary 48 • One time, I put my critter cam in a group of towhees approximately 24 hours before they were to be transported the soft-release site. • Aimed the camera on the food tray. • When motion is detected, the critter cam takes three photos, one second apart…and then waits for the next motion. • Want to take a guess how many pictures it took in less than 24 hours?

Slide Critter Cam: 6,856 Pictures in <24 hours • Unfortunately, I placed the camera TOO close to the food. So, you (In nearly all of those pictures, the towhees EATING!!!) 49 will have to bear with the somewhat out of focus pictures. • To get recognizable pictures of birds, you need to get the camera very close – it is designed more for deer than for birds .

Slide 50 Ready to Go Back to the Wild: Now What?

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide Send Them Back “Home”? 51 • CALTs do not disperse far from their natal home – But, if we return each bird to its “natal home” it may be less likely to survive on its own. – Releasing a cohort who have been housed together improves their chances for survival. • Use one of the original rescue sites for soft release? Generally not a good option because: a) Nearly all of the birds were “catted” b) Finder may not be able to provide towhees with the necessary support needed during transition c) Finders may not have the necessary commitment

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide Our Regular Soft Release Cages 52 Not Suitable for Towhees Based on recommendations from Veronica Bowers (NSCC) and advice from Ashton Kluttz (BRC): • We decided that Towhees would probably not feel safe in BRC’s regular soft release cages (and would not be willing to return to those cages). • So, I designed and built something special for towhees that I hoped would work better.

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide Voilà! The “Towhee Trailer” 53 How does it differ? • Double-walled (to protect against Cooper’s Hawk attack): screen on the inside, plastic fencing on the outside • Large door on the end opens like a mailbox (so CALTs might be willing to return).

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide Feeding Station on the Ground

54 • Set up a feeding station on the ground near the trailer. • I usually set it up as soon as I bring the trailer home to encourage my resident towhees to come make friends with the newbies. • After the hatch is open, we also leave food and water inside the trailer (for several days at least).

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide 55 They quickly learn the drill (as do all the other birds in the neighborhood)

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide • After the towhees had been released, I continued to put out worms McStuffed 56 Face and other food for them. Mockingbird • But, I quickly realized that if I did not guard the worm tray from the WESJs and the NOMOs, the towhees weren’t going to have a chance. • So, I would watch from a distance.

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide Need to Guard the Worm Tray • The towhees seemed to realize that I was only going to yell at the (to give the Towhees a chance) 57 WESJs and the NOMOs, so they were not scared off.

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide 58 Take-Home Messages 1) Right Setting (emulate their natural environment as best you can) 2) Keep 'Em Clean (admittedly an endless task) 3) Patience, Grasshopper (they will vex even the best of us; I think they stay awake at night thinking of new ways to confound our efforts)

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide 59 Acknowledgments Many thanks to Veronica Bowers (NSCC) and Ashton Kluttz (BRC) for everything they taught me about towhees.

Thanks also to the rest of the dedicated staff of the BRC rehab hospital and the 125+ BRC volunteers who provide 90%+ of the BRC’s total labor hours.

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide References

American Bird Conservancy. (2012). "KittyCam" Reveals High Levels of Wildlife Being 60 Killed by Outdoor Cats (August 2, 2012). (www.abcbirds.org/newsandreports/releases/120806.html)

Benedict, L., M. R. Kunzmann, K. Ellison, K. L. Purcell, R. R. Johnson and L. T.Haight. (2011). California Towhee ( crissalis), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology. (http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/632)

Bird Rescue Center Supervisor’s Manual. (2016). Towhee Protocol.

Bowers, V. (2013). Passerine Fundamentals. Sebastopol, CA: Native Songbird Care & Conservation.

Kasper, A. (1998). Natural History, Rehabilitation, and Medicine of the California Towhee (Pipilo [Melozone] crissalis). Glendale, AZ: Wildlife Publications.

The National Geographic & University of Georgia Kitty Cams Project. "A window into the world of free-roaming cats (www.kittycams.uga.edu).

Slide 61 Slides and Handout available at: You can download a copy of this PowerPoint presentation and/or a handout outlining the key points at: http://danaglei.users.sonic.net/BRC/Info.html

Questions? You can contact me at: [email protected]

Slide Extra slides that I am not planning to use (unless I have tons of extra 62 time and want to show some more fun pictures). EXTRA SLIDES

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide Not Bothered by the Camera 63 After they got used to the “new thing” in the aviary, the camera did not seem to trouble them. We got LOTS of pictures like the one below (far left) of the bird right up next to the camera. What’s That? A Bird? A Plane?

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide Mine! No Mine! 64 Out of 6,856 pictures, this was the only one that suggested some competition among the Trio of Towhees in this release cohort.

www.BirdRescueCenter.org Slide They seemed to eat ALL THE TIME • From the Critter Cam in the aviary the day before transport to a S/R 65 One of the longest gaps occurred when a volunteer came site. to feed them. Suddenly the CALTs disappear from the worm tray at 9:49am. The tray disappears at 9:50am. At 9:51am, we see a The Hand That Feeds hand putting the tray back. Less than 4 minutes later (9:54am), they are back eating.

Slide Day 0: Transport to their new “home” 66 • Put their food in the cage prior to transferring the birds to the trails • Keep the trailer covered during transport • At the S/R site, hang trailer in a tree and provide them with fresh water

• Acclimation period: 3 days • Then, we open the hatch and allow them to emerge on their own.

Slide Still Using the Trailer 2 Days Post-Release • Critter Cam captured 299 pictures of a towhee 67 inside the trailer at the feeding tray for 6 feeding intervals totaling 78 minutes over a period of less than 4 hours (1:32pm – 5:10pm) • A CALT was inside eating 36% of the time!

Slide 3 Days Post-Release 68

I wondered if perhaps they had abandoned the trailer in preference to the ground station? I saw CALTs at the ground feeding station a few times during the day. So, I re-aimed the camera on the ground feeding station.

Slide Well, Some CALTs are 69 Certainly Helping Themselves! The camera took 1,791 pictures, the vast majority of which showed a least one CALT at the food tray.

Slide Feeding Until Almost 9pm 70 Although they did not roost in the trailer at night, they were there very late for a bedtime snack. Last picture: 8:44:27pm.

I better be careful not to close up the trailer for the night too early!

Slide Night: Visitor of Another Sort 71 Well, that might explain why our CALTs do not come back to the trailer to roost at night!

11:56pm – Mr. Fox

6:05pm

Slide 72 5:56am: Never Too Early to Feed Your Partner

Slide The Day Overslept and Didn’t Open the Trailer • I have never had any towhees come back to roost at night, but Back Up Again until after 7am 73 5:49am: Buffet closed????? there are certainly there again bright and early in the morning.

6:14am: Still closed? Hey, what’s the deal?

Slide Dang it! 74

Slide Other Birds Getting in on the Action 75

Slide Still hangin’ around 76 More than 10 days post-release, the CALTs were still returning to investigate the dirt tray and search the surrounding leaf litter for remaining seed.

rd Slide NOMOs Now Recognize the Trailer • 2016 was the 3 Year I had Released Towhees from the Trailer in my 77 7:11am the next morning after I brought 1st backyard. batch of towhees home this summer • When I brought the trailer home the first time that summer, this NOMO came to check it out at 7:11am the next morning

Slide And Again at 7:24am 78 (still can’t get in?)

Slide Again at 8:51am 79 (I can see the mealworms!)

Slide Again at 11:10am 80 (he is a persistent devil, I’ll give him that)

Slide 6:21pm 81 (Hope springs eternal)

Slide 82 Less than 30 minutes after I opened the hatch...

Look who’s back.

Slide 83 Towhees may be difficult but they are also fun to release

Slide 84

Slide 85

Slide Keep Their Own • We have had that got their legs caught in hair from the nest 86 Nest When it is and amputated some of their own toes. SAFE • So, as a precaution, we don't really use their own nests anymore :( • If you do keep the nests, then be sure to check they're not getting entangled throughout the day and growth process.