Burnaby wildlife workers have plenty of newborn mouths to feed after a family of woodpecker nestlings was rescued from a Coquitlam apartment building last week.
The Northern flickers were just a few days old last Friday when they were pulled out from behind the siding of an apartment building on North Road in Coquitlam.
Now, they have to be fed specialized baby bird formula by syringe every 15 minutes from dawn to dusk, keeping workers at the Wildlife Rescue Association of BC (WRA) busy, a spokesperson says.
"They are cavity nesters and they are usually in a tree trunk," Yolanda Brook explained, adding that the health of the five nestlings was up and down but they have survived the traumatic separation from their parents and are now stable.
Still, it will be uphill battle to nurture all five to adulthood - and another three weeks before the nestlings can eat solid food that matches their natural diet - according to wildlife rehabilitator Janelle Stephenson.
"It is hard when the nestlings are so young because it is difficult to mimic the exact diet they would get from their parents in the wild," Stephenson said. "But they are gaining weight and feeding well at the moment which is a good sign."
The birds will be released when they are fully flighted and can feed and fend for themselves. Brooks said they will learn to fly in a large aviary for that purpose and when they are returned to the wild in about five or six weeks, they will be taken to a park near where they were found.
The nestlings are among hundreds of birds from 24 different species that are being looked after at the WRA's Burnaby facility and the Tri-Cities is a major source. According to the organization, approximately 30% of the 4,100 orphaned animals brought to the Burnaby rescue centre each year are from the Tri-Cities, and while the organization gets no city funding to operate, it hopes to change that in the future.
On May 13, representatives from WRA visited Coquitlam council seeking support for the group's rehabilitation and education work. Most of its $850,000 budget comes from private donations, very little from government.
Meanwhile, the WRA is holding a flying fundraiser: Three women, calling themselves the Diving Divas, are planning a tandem sky dive to raise $5,000 for the organization, and only one of them has skydiving experience. "The other two are quite terrified," Brooks admitted.
For more information about the organization and how to donate, visit www.wildliferescue.ca
