Members of CARRI or The Colorado Avian Research and Rehabilitation Institute, a nonprofit based in Estes Park had a great year both researching and rehabilitating birds. Rehabilitation consists of taking care of injured birds and raising young birds.
As for the rehabilitation efforts, we helped an injured American Kestrel that was found at the YMCA of the Rockies during a rainstorm. The smallest of North American Falcons was unable to fly due to being drenched and having an injured wing. After a few weeks of rest and exercise, the bird was released and will hopefully spend the winter someplace warm.
Another unusual patient was a White-throated Swift that was found on ground at the Stanley Hotel. This bird was a bit challenging to care for as swifts are aero plankton feeders, which means that they feed on insects that they capture in flight. Therefore, to feed the bird, it had to be hand fed live mealworms…