To see the positive impact the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center has on the Upper Keys community, you need only witness the rescue and release of a rehabilitated juvenile osprey.
“Today, we will let him out of the crate, and take you all over so you can watch,” said Bayleigh MacHaffie, the operations director for the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center.
“Just give him some space, and let him do his thing.”
As a group of eager sixth to eighth graders from Ocean Studies Charter School watched, the timid osprey came out of the crate. Hopefully, it would soon reunite with its family in the wild. At that moment, the parents were nowhere to be seen.
“What if the parents don’t come back?” one student asked.
MacHaffie explained that because of their territorial instincts, the chances were good that once the juvenile osprey began to make noise, the parents would return. The goal is always to return rehabilitated birds to the wild.
“These birds stay with their parents for a long time, so raising him in captivity isn’t ideal because the parents teach them how to fish, and we can’t do that,” said MacHaffie.
When the osprey was released from its cage, it stood around for a moment, looking confused. Then it awkwardly began flapping its wings, struggling to fly.
“He’s old enough to fly off; all of his feathers are intact,” MacHaffie said.
Then, about 30 minutes later, there was good news about a potential reunion.
“I’ve got a parent sighting, there’s one right behind us,” said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Officer Jason Rafter.
Rafter has worked with the Wild Bird Center for the last 20 years and says its staff and volunteers play a crucial role in protecting wild birds.
“All the birds in the Upper Keys, both migratory and non-migratory, are lucky to have the dedicated people at the Wild Bird Center,” said Rafter.
On March 27, the juvenile osprey, believed to be 5 to 6 weeks old, was found in distress under its nest at the Upper Keys Sailing Club along Buttonwood Sound in Key Largo. When the Wild Bird Center team arrived, the osprey was lethargic, unsteady, and had a wound on its head. It may have fallen from its nest.
JASON RAFTER/Contributed
For the following week and a half, the raptor was fed fish several times daily, given anti-inflammatory medication, and treated for worms at the center’s bird hospital in Tavernier. By Monday, April 6, it was strong enough for release.
For the Ocean Studies students, watching the osprey return to the wild offered an important lesson about our fragile ecosystem and the need to coexist with all wild bird species.
“They understood that this was a real situation, and it really got them interested and excited to see the osprey,” said Martha Loizeaux, the marine science teacher at Ocean Studies.
“The lesson they are doing today involves putting together a trophic pyramid of this ecosystem. Now they have the osprey as part of that pyramid, and they will write a story about this ecosystem, with the osprey as the main character,” added Loizeaux.
Working with wild animals always involves some unpredictability, and the release of this osprey was no exception. At one point, the bird gained confidence, flew over Buttonwood Sound, then landed in the water. It was clear it was struggling and had to be rescued and brought back to shore by boat.
By evening, there were signs that the rehabilitation and release were successful. The treated osprey and a sibling appeared to be back in the nest, with the parents in view.
MacHaffie said the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center treats about 1,000 injured or sick birds each year and depends on volunteers and donations to continue its work.
“It’s always a group effort in wildlife rehab and rescue,” MacHaffie explained. “We really rely on the public to provide us with information because we can’t monitor all of these different birds in various situations,” she continued.
For more information about the important work at the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center, visit their website at www.keepthemflying.org. The Wild Bird Center is always looking for dedicated volunteers.
