Towhee Talk Dana A. Glei Rehab Volunteer, Bird Rescue Center California Passerine Rehabilitators Gathering Napa Valley Community College February 18, 2017 Presented and Coordinated by: Native Songbird Care & Conservation Co-Hosted with Napa Wildlife Rescue www.BirdRescueCenter.org Towhees are “Special” Towhees vex all rehabbers www.BirdRescueCenter.org Trauma X Captivity STRESS! • Do not fare well in captivity • Easily stressed • Most were “catted” (poor prognosis for any bird) • 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 68% of Young Towhees were “Catted” Sticky Traps www.BirdRescueCenter.org What Stresses Them? • Pain: Being catted is very painful. A bird in pain may be reluctant to eat. [We administer painkillers along with antibiotics to all catted birds.] • Excessive noise from humans or predatory species (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 Returning Them to the Wild Early 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 What is their natural environment like in the wild? www.BirdRescueCenter.org Where do they live? • 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 Key Elements of Towhee Habitat 1) Dense shrubs to provide shelter (e.g., Ceanothus/Blue Blossom, Coyote Bush); www.BirdRescueCenter.org 2) Seed Food Sources • Native bunch grasses (e.g., CA Fescue, Deergrass) • Note: CALTs in my yard seem to prefer native CA Fescue seed to the “bird seed” we use at BRC. www.BirdRescueCenter.org 3) Lots of leaf litter www.BirdRescueCenter.org …and 4) Taller trees for escape If you are lucky enough to have a mature native oak, treasure it—our feathered friends certainly do! www.BirdRescueCenter.org What do they eat & feed their young? • <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 How do they behave? 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 How do they behave? 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 How do they communicate? • 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 Feed me… Feed me NOW! www.BirdRescueCenter.org Lesson #1 Setting the Mood www.BirdRescueCenter.org The Right Environment Helps a Lot • 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 Age Appropriate Housing • 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 Needs a Place to Hide www.BirdRescueCenter.org We have special “Towhee” dishes • Shallow with low edges: able to get in/out easily • Broad trays with mix of seed and worms where they can practice the “towhee two-step” www.BirdRescueCenter.org Reptarium (once they can thermoregulate) www.BirdRescueCenter.org Reptarium (“Model” before they cover it with poop) www.BirdRescueCenter.org Aviary www.BirdRescueCenter.org Aviary www.BirdRescueCenter.org Lesson #2 Keep 'em Clean! www.BirdRescueCenter.org Keep 'em Clean: Easier Said than Done • Look at all that poop! (Not to mention the empty food bowl) • Reality: They poop again before you even leave. • It is an endless job. www.BirdRescueCenter.org Lesson #3 Patience, Grasshopper! www.BirdRescueCenter.org You MUST get them to eat ...or they will starve, but force -feeding them causes stress and thus, may exacerbate the problem. • Stress can kill them: – Directly (they can truly be “scared to death”) OR – Indirectly (because it leads to starvation). Only experienced volunteers who are willing to take the time (and have the proper training) to get them to eat. www.BirdRescueCenter.org FIRST, make every effort to get them to gape • OCD Tendencies: Let them go thru their ritual (i.e., hop around, act distracted, and ignore you) until they are finally ready to gape. • Be very, very patient: WE CANNOT RUSH THEM! • Bobbing motion with the worm-filled hemostat can help switch them into eating mode. • 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 Mimic the “Time to Eat” Vocalization • “Chipping song” imitated by the foster parent (that’s you!) has a calming effect on nervous birds. • How do you do it? – 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 used to a wide variety of feeding calls. • Can help trigger gaping behavior when applied consistently (at the start of each feeding). • Do not overuse (or you may stress the bird). www.BirdRescueCenter.org Difficult Eaters? Add a Good Gaper • 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 LAST RESORT: Assisted Feeding • I like to “burrito” the towhee in a small washcloth (easier to hold them without squeezing to tightly). • Towhee may start gaping once you are holding it. • If not, gently open its mouth (can be challenging to hold the bird AND a food-filled hemostat while 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 Bird Rescue Center’s Towhee Protocol www.BirdRescueCenter.org 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 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 Towhee Nestlings: 7 Days Old Source: The Birds of North America On-Line. www.BirdRescueCenter.org During feeding, this towhee decided to jump out of the basket! It is time to get him more space, perches, and greenery to explore. www.BirdRescueCenter.org Pre-Fledgling Stage • Days 10-13, 25-35g, “tail starter” (2cm long) • Needs space, greenery, places to perch, leaf litter, dirt tray, etc. • Often become reluctant gapers at this stage • Feeding intervals progress from 30 to 45 min • We leave sticky notes (i.e., about the idiosyncrasies of each individual) for the next feeder; their preferences change quickly! www.BirdRescueCenter.org “Tail Starter” Phase (Pre-Fledge) www.BirdRescueCenter.org 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