Imprinting - A case of "birds gone wrong'

June 2008

It’s springtime in Audubon’s Wildlife Care Center, and that means babies. 

From ducklings and crows, to bunnies and skunks, spring means an influx of newborns that come to us for care.  They arrive in the Care Center for varied reasons, and while we can’t replace their parents in teaching them to survive, we do our best to raise and release them successfully.  However, spring after spring we find ourselves faced with the dilemma of imprinted animals who have been raised by humans, usually with the best of intentions, who end up as sad punctuations to our year.

Imprinting is a term that describes how many animals decide ‘who they are’.  It is a critical behavioral process in a growing animal and occurs during a period in which the young establish the concept of “parent” and “self”.  Taking place early in life, it is an irreversible process.  The period varies between species; ducklings imprint when 13-16 hours old while large birds of prey imprint between 2 and 5 weeks of age.

Under normal circumstances, imprinting establishes a strong bond between the young and their parents.  Under less ideal circumstances, imprinting causes a young animal to recognize itself as human when raised inappropriately.  Once that damage has been done, the likelihood of being able to release such an animal back to the wild is low and suitable options in captivity are rare and less than ideal. 

Visitors to our Care Center can meet Ruby, the Turkey Vulture, and Julio, the Great Horned Owl.  Both of these birds came to us because they were imprinted on humans and, despite our efforts, were unreleasable.  While we feel privileged to have them in our care, we can’t help but be saddened by the fact that, physically, there is no reason they shouldn’t be flying in the wild, socializing with others of their own kind. 

Every year, we receive ducklings and goslings that have come to us after spending that first critical day in the hands of a person who thought they were saving them.  There is nothing sadder than watching that animal stand at the front of a cage, ignoring the others of its own species and peeping excitedly each time a person comes near.  Members of the raven and crow family are particularly prone to imprinting, given their intelligence and strong social nature.  This spring the Care Center received a juvenile raven who had been raised by humans for three weeks prior to our intervention.  Despite immediate attempts to place the raven with willing foster parents, it took no interest in the adult ravens’ attempts to feed and communicate with it and continued to seek out people.  Sadly, this perfectly healthy bird will now spend its life in captivity, teaching people important things about birds, but never being able to be free.

The case of an imprinted bird rarely ends well and can be avoided by bringing injured or orphaned young immediately to a licensed rehabilitation center.  This spring, I ask you to help us keep the wild things wild.  Thanks!