CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — Hurricane Beryl impacted many in the Houston area, causing damages and even leaving some without homes, including eight Mississippi Kite birds.
The eight birds were rescued in Houston and were found without parents or nests. Houston rehab facilities were already overwhelmed with the many animals they were caring for, so the Texas State Aquarium swooped in to help.
The aquarium’s Wildlife Rescue Program received the birds by ambulance on Monday. None of the birds had any injuries, but they still needed help because they were so young.
“At this point in their life, mom and dad would’ve been feeding them on the nest. Hurricane Beryl came through, mom and dad aren’t there. Might have been blown off, so our staff is acting as mom and dad,” CEO and President at the Texas State Aquarium Jesse Gilbert said.
Gilbert said this is one of the first times the aquarium’s Wildlife Rescue Program has had a real response to a hurricane outside of the Coastal Bend. But just because it’s the first time doesn’t mean they are inexperienced. Staff has had to take care of turtles and other animals from freezes across the state before. The birds are currently being closely monitored for the next couple of days.
“We have to really make sure they have all the calories they need, weigh them daily to make sure they’re putting on the weight they need. A lot can happen in the next 24-48 hours. Birds' health can fluctuate very quickly, so if they’re not doing well, we will know very quickly,” Gilbert said.
Gilbert said the birds are eating well and enjoying chopped mice. They are fed 20% of their body weight twice a day, in the morning and evening. However, if any of the birds' health takes a turn, they’ll be ready.
“If we start to see that behavior change, then we’ll start doing blood tests and some other things like we would with other animals in the rescue center,” Gilbert said.
Before the birds can be released, they’ll move to outdoor physical therapy spaces to ensure their flight ability. They also have to be able to eat live mice to ensure their ability to catch food.
“If they get through the next week, we are confident we should have a 100% success rate. Wildlife is resilient, so we have no doubt they will make a full recovery,” Gilbert said.
If all goes well, the eight birds will be released in two months, just in time for fall migration when they typically fly to South America.
