Injured Merlin
January 27, 2022
This merlin was found injured sometime in mid-August. Unfortunately, the person that found her decided to care for her on their own. A neighbor discovered the bird five weeks later and transported her to the Wildlife Center. The original minor injuries had all healed. However, the merlin couldn’t fly as her flight feathers were severely damaged due to inappropriate housing. Furthermore, the original rescuer had clipped her talons making it impossible for her to catch prey. We performed a procedure to encourage the growth of new feathers as natural molt of the damaged feathers wouldn’t be complete for a year. After approximately 110 days in care, her new feathers were fully grown, and her talons were finally long enough for her to hunt. She will be released once she builds up more stamina. This is an example of why licensed rehabilitators should be called to care for injured wildlife. The original injuries would have taken one and a half to two weeks to resolve with proper care. The complications that occurred due to improper husbandry led to an added 148-day delay in returning to the wild. Please go to WDFW’s website to find the closest wildlife rehabilitator to you.