A photo of blue and purple lights on Tilikum Crossing.

The Quest for Darker Skies over Portland

September is upon us, and the southbound migration of our avian friends is well underway. Artificial light in the night sky drowns out the stars that birds use to navigate, pulling them off course and into lit areas where they can become entrapped in light, in some cases even inadvertently calling other birds into hazardously lit areas.

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Baby bird sits on a scale with intake paperwork nearby.

In the Admit Room

Spend a day in the life of Wildlife Care Center Manager Stephanie Herman as she juggles baby bird feeding, animal intakes, hotline calls, and more as she works alongside our team to keep the center running for more than 3,700 animal patients this year.

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A Black-bellied Plover in molt

Field Notes: Molt Strategies

During late summer the plumages of young birds are fresher and not overly worn. Adults on the other hand show dull, worn feathers. In the fall adults have a full molt including the wings and tail feathers. Juveniles have a full body molt in the fall a month or so later than the adults, but retain their tail and primary and secondary wing feathers. 

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