Hot Pepper Man
In the Brooder
- May 23, 2018
- 11
- 19
- 31
Girlfriend brought home an abandoned pair of what she thought were starling chicks because one of her coworkers was bawling her eyes out over them. They're about a week old and really malnourished when they got here so it wasn't a case of someone freaking out over normal partly-fledged nest jumping. We figured we'd turn them over to a wildlife rehabilitator as soon as we could get a hold of one.
Anyway they're not starlings, probably grackles (mayyyybe blackbirds but I'm pretty sure grackles). This is more or less fine because it's legal to take possession of MBTA protected species to transport them to a rehabilitator. But every single one of them for hours around is telling us they won't take birds. Animal Control has no idea what we're supposed to do with them despite that being their job. The game warden won't even call us back.
On the one hand I kind of sympathize with this response - these are not endangered birds. This is not something I can reasonably demand the state put effort into. On the other hand, what exactly am I supposed to do here? I can't euthanize them, the girlfriend would murder me and it's illegal to kill them. I can't keep them permanently, but none of the authorities will take them. So I'm stuck in some kind of stupidity limbo here.
As a longshot I could get a wildlife rehabilitation permit, but this requires someone to sign off as my veterinary of record for emergency care and so far none of the vets around do "exotic" animals.
I don't need help on caring for them, just what to do with them, I have raised much smaller and more delicate altricial species. I'm also not interested in advice to abandon them outside, this is just illegally killing them in an indirect and cruel way.
Anyway they're not starlings, probably grackles (mayyyybe blackbirds but I'm pretty sure grackles). This is more or less fine because it's legal to take possession of MBTA protected species to transport them to a rehabilitator. But every single one of them for hours around is telling us they won't take birds. Animal Control has no idea what we're supposed to do with them despite that being their job. The game warden won't even call us back.
On the one hand I kind of sympathize with this response - these are not endangered birds. This is not something I can reasonably demand the state put effort into. On the other hand, what exactly am I supposed to do here? I can't euthanize them, the girlfriend would murder me and it's illegal to kill them. I can't keep them permanently, but none of the authorities will take them. So I'm stuck in some kind of stupidity limbo here.
As a longshot I could get a wildlife rehabilitation permit, but this requires someone to sign off as my veterinary of record for emergency care and so far none of the vets around do "exotic" animals.
I don't need help on caring for them, just what to do with them, I have raised much smaller and more delicate altricial species. I'm also not interested in advice to abandon them outside, this is just illegally killing them in an indirect and cruel way.
