Meet Our Animals

Barred Owls

Barry was found as a chick in Canada. He had to have one of his wings amputated, thus rendering him unreleasable. He has been with us since 1981 and this year celebrated his 27th birthday! Butter was originally housed by Queens College’s animal collection. When their program closed, we agreed to add her to our collection as she had spent most of her years in the park. She has been a welcome addition to our collection, as she and Barry communicate to each other and seem to enjoy each other’s company. Butter was known to be visited by a wild Barred Owl in the park, who occasionally brought her food that he had caught. Barred Owls are found in marshes and dense forest habitats, which are now scarce on Long Island due to development. It is suspected that a few wild Barred Owls are still present in Caumsett State Historic Park, and on occasion, they have been heard calling to our resident owls.

Red-tailed Hawks

Taylor came to our center in 1991. He was confiscated by the Department of Environmental Conservation from a citizen who intended to illegally keep him captive. A trial ensued, and the DEC requested he remain at our center. He could not be released to the wild because he had become too accustomed to humans. Rufous is our oldest Red-tail, admitted to our hospital in 1988. Her right wing was amputated after she was hit by a car, and bones in her wing were broken beyond repair. Baby is the youngest of our four Red-tails, he was brought to our clinic as a chick after he fell from his nest. Away from his parents' care, he became sick and emaciated. His illness was so severe that by the time he was healthy enough to be released, he had "imprinted" on humans. Although he is not tame, he does not perceive humans as dangerous, so he would not be safe living in the wild. Lucky Lady was first found in Scarsdale, NY. Her eye had to be surgically removed as it was infected and damaged beyond repair. Our research indicated that a one-eyed bird could be successfully released to the wild, so Lady was banded and released. A month later she was found on the ground, weak and hungry, as she had not been able to hunt for food with limited vision. Since 2001 she has lived at Volunteers for Wildlife. Red-tailed Hawks are numerous all across New York State, including Long Island and the city boroughs. They can often be seen resting on light poles alongside highways on Long Island.

Great Horned Owls

Marcus was brought to our hospital in 2003 when he was about 2 years old. He had flown into fishing line that was put up in a marina to deter gulls, and became entangled. A quick-thinking citizen with a medical background was able to stabilize him and get him to our wildlife hospital. Though he did not sustain any fractures, permanent tendon and muscle damage will prevent him from being able to hunt successfully on his own in the wild. Our female Great Horned Owl, Mama, was kept illegally on display in a gas station. She had fractures to her wing that had healed incorrectly, and had damaged feathers as a result of being kept in a tiny rabbit hutch. Her bad experiences have made Mama aggressive towards humans, but she is an excellent foster parent for orphaned baby Great Horned Owls in our hospital. Great Horned Owls prefer to live in densely wooded areas, however, on Long Island they can sometimes be found around golf courses or athletic fields. They are capable of catching prey that is twice their weight.

American Kestrels

Buster was brought to VW in 2000. We believe he was taken from the wild and raised with children, because he seems to enjoy the attention of children that visit our gift shop. He seems particularly excited when he goes out education programs to elementary schools. Popcorn was injured after colliding with a window, and was brought to a veterinarian with head injuries and broken bones. Although most of his injures have healed, he is not in good enough physical condition to be released. Kestrels can be found throughout North and South America. They are common in New York City, as they nest and watch for prey on the ledges of tall buildings.

Northern Saw-whet Owl

Stella has been with us since 1999. Thought to be injured in a window collision, she was found in Borough Park with neurological symptoms typical of a head injury. Though she did recover to a large extent, we do not believe she would be able to hunt successfully or fly well enough to migrate. Saw-whet Owls primarily catch and eat small mammals. In the winter, they may stash bits of extra food and allow it to freeze in the cold. When they are hungry, they will use their own body heat to defrost the meat so that they can eat it. Stella is known for hiding bits of food all around her cage, making it hard for us to pick up her leftovers!

Eastern Screech-Owl

Duncan came to us following a program to re-establish the population of screech owls into Central Park. Transmitters were attached to track the released owls; Duncan was found down on the ground, apparently he had not been hunting. After one more try at release that was unsuccessful, he was transferred to our center for permanent care. Screech owls are among the most common owls on Long Island, as they do not require as much territory for hunting as larger birds of prey do. They are well-camoflaged and difficult to spot on a background of tree branches.

Virginia Opossum

This opossum, Peter, came to our center in fall of 2005. His mother was attacked by a dog, and in getting away, this baby was ejected from her pouch. Admitted as a tiny 30 gram baby, he needed round the clock care until he was able to eat on his own. He developed an intestinal blockage, and by the time he recovered from that, he was used to human interaction and was not releasable. Opossums are North America’s only marsupial and have been around for the last 70 million years!

Mallard Duck

This male Mallard was admitted to our hospital in 2003. He had been taken from the wild and fed an improper diet, resulting in his developing “Angelwing”, an irreversible deformity of the wing in waterfowl. As a result of his condition, he was named "Angel." This condition occurs often in the wild when young waterfowl are fed white bread. A sociable duck, he goes out on programs and teaches children not to feed the waterfowl. While at the center, he enjoys policing our yard by chasing away what he perceives to be intruders.

American Oystercatcher

Ollie is a comical little bird. He was found on the beach as a little chick in 2000 and brought to Volunteers because he had sustained an injury to his right wing, which had to be amputated. He is now fully grown and can be seen during the spring and summer months outside in our yard. American Oystercatchers are native to Long Island and can be found (and heard) in many areas of Long Island, specifically Jones Beach and Eaton’s Neck.

Female Eastern Box Turtle

Rosie was brought to Volunteers for Wildlife from Caleb Smith State Park. She was admitted with an injury to her head, but we soon learned that part of her face was missing, and she had an ear infection. Due to her missing part of her face, she was emaciated as it was difficult to find food on her own. In captivity, she is doing fine and especially loves strawberries. Eastern Box Turtles face especially hard times in Long Island due to constant development taking away their habitat. Some injuries that they face besides displacement are lawnmower injuries and dog attacks.

Diamondback Terrapin

This baby Diamondback Terrapin was brought to us by a well-intentioned citizen who thought he was a red-eared slider. When she discovered that it needed a brackish water environment and was a native, protected species she brought him to us. He had a respiratory infection which was successfully treated. However, due to having had to over-winter him and his original time spent in captivity, he is extremely interested in human interaction. That, coupled with his love of swimming into nets and his disinterest in eating live fish, renders him unreleasable. He, too, can be visited in our gift shop.

Eastern Painted Turtle

This Eastern Painted Turtle had been caught in the wild as a hatchling, and was kept as a pet for many years. His owners could no longer keep him, but it would not be possible to release him back into the wild, since his entire life had been spent in captivity, and his origin was unknown. Eastern Painted Turtle populations on Long Island are in decline due to the presence of Red-eared Sliders, which are commonly kept as pets and released into the wild when they grow to a large size.

Corn Snakes

VW's newest permanent education animals are two baby corn snakes. They were adopted from a teacher whose pet snakes had an accidental clutch of eggs. Although corn snakes are not native to New York, they are commonly found in habitats similar to Long Island's. Ordinarily, they can be found in the southeastern and central United States, and as far north as New Jersey. Corn snakes are non-venomous constrictors, they are primarily nocturnal, and are avid climbers. Fully grown, they may reach four to six feet in length.