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Frequently Asked
Questions about Wildlife, Birds and Nests
Q: I found an injured wild animal. Who should I call?
A: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service does not have rehabilitators here on staff. Call your local veterinarian, humane society, or county or municipal wildlife agency to find the nearest qualified wildlife rehabilitator that can take and treat the animal. You can locate a wildlife rehabilitator by zipcode on this web site: www.wildliferehabber.org/
Q: I found an injured wild bird. Who should I call?
A: If you find an injured, orphaned, or oiled native wild bird, contact Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research at 302-737-9543. Telephones are answered 7 days a week between 9 am and 5 pm. For additional information, visit their website: http://www.tristatebird.org/
Q: Can I keep the bird and nurse it myself?
A: No. It is against the law to keep a bird, injured, orphaned, or otherwise, without the proper permits. In most cases, injured birds required specialized professional attention to survive and to be successfully reestablished in the wild.
The Migratory Bird Treaty Act makes it illegal for anyone to take, possess, import, export, transport, sell, purchase, barter, or offer for sale, purchase, or barter, any migratory bird, or the parts, nests, or eggs of such a bird except under the terms of a valid permit issued pursuant to Federal regulations. The migratory bird species protected by the Act are listed in 50 CFR 10.13. View more information and the list at Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Q. What should I do if ospreys nest on my dock, boat or house?
A. Ospreys, just like other migratory birds, are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. But sometimes landowners want to remove these nests, because of their location.
Osprey nests can be removed without a permit from structures such as boats, docks, construction equipment etc. as long as there are no eggs or young in the nest (inactive).
If eggs or young are present the nest is considered active. And to be removed requires a federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act permit from the Service’s Northeast Regional Office (Division of Migratory Birds) at 413-253-8643. In Maryland, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife and Heritage should also be contacted at 1-877-463-6497.
The permit process can be lengthy, particularly if the active nest does not pose a safety hazard, therefore removal of nesting material from nests under construction should be conducted on a daily basis to deter birds from nesting.
If an active nest has to be removed, an alternate nest site should be identified through coordination with your local U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office and local state wildlife agency office. In some instances, installation of a suitable nesting platform maybe required.
Joint Federal/Maryland Permit
Osprey Platform Plan
View more information at http://www.fws.gov/northeast/migratorybirds/ and http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/Contacts/index.asp
Q. What about bald eagles?
A. Bald eagles and golden eagles are protected under the Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle Protection Act. Specific guidelines to help landowners and land managers avoid disturbing bald eagles can be found at:
http://www.fws.gov/northeast/ecologicalservices/eagle.html |
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