This majestic looking bird is a Chipping Sparrow, one of the staple songbirds of New England. They love to live in areas of dense trees which open into grassy meadows. Chipping Sparrows also have one of the most common and recognizable loud, trilling songs of the suburbs. This particular female was one of two admitted into New England Wildlife Center’s hospital after being found alone and cold in the middle of the road. They were too young to be on their own, and without any parents or nest close by, were in trouble. A resident of Kingston came across the two wayward orphans and brought them into our Hospital where they were warmed up and given a nice meal. After placing them in our Noisy Baby ward our veterinary team checked in on them every few hours to feed and clean their enclosure. We placed them on an Oprhan protocol and estimated it would take around 3 weeks to become independent. They slowly began to gain strength, and were soon beginning to grow in their primary feathers, were eating off of weening plates and were very capable of perching on small branches. By the time they were ready to be released they were about 45 days old. We have high expectations for these birds, and hope they do well back out in the wild. Go birds!

If you’d like to learn more about our patients please check out New England Wildlife Center’s website at www.newildlife.org