What's in this issue:
- The Ubiquitous House Sparrow
- A River Runs Through It
- Wild Animals Need Water
- Little Stinkers
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The Ubiquitous House Sparrow
"A certain traveler who knew many continents was asked what he found most remarkable of all. He replied: the ubiquity of sparrows."
Adam Zagajewski
The little sparrows are everywhere. They are one of the most widely distributed species in the world. Even Shakespeare mentions sparrows when Hamlet says, “There is special providence in the fall of a sparrow.” World Sparrow Day is celebrated on March 20 to recognize the conservation of sparrows and other common birds and to appreciate their beauty.
The little house sparrows who live among us are not related to the other sparrow species native to North America. The house sparrow species originated in North Africa and the Middle East and has spread throughout much of the world by being either purposely introduced or arriving on ships or other forms of transport. The house sparrow was first introduced in New York around 1851 and now covers all of the United States and most of Canada.
The little birds really like people. They won’t be found in areas like deep woods where there are no people. They nest in crevices in our houses and other human structures and eat seeds at our bird feeders.
 House sparrow nest on the cover of the All Things Wild back patio.
Because the sparrows often build nests in precarious places, babies fall out of the nest. The best solution would be to return them to the nest, but when that not possible, the little orphans come to All Things Wild. One such orphan recently posed for a series of pictures to demonstrate how quickly the babies develop:
 July 1 July 2 July 3 July 4 July 5 July 6
House sparrows are omnivores eating both seeds and insects. The babies eat only insects. In rehabilitation, we feed mealworms, soaked cat kibble, and a purée of cat kibble, banana, boiled egg, calcium, bird vitamins, and water that we feed with a small syringe.
Once grown, sparrows have distinct mating plumage and a pecking order.
 Female (left) and male (right) in mating plumage.
The bigger the black patch on the male’s chest, the more dominate the male. Males tend to dominate the females in fall and winter, but females dominate during the nesting period in spring and summer. The sparrow’s chirp is easily recognizable. In fact, when little naked hatchling birds arrive at our center, we can easily identify the sparrows by their food call that ultimately turns into the chirp of the adult.
To learn more about house sparrows and to hear their chirp, click HERE.
For more information on World Sparrow Day, click HERE.
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A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT
When the rehabilitator put the orphaned baby raccoon on the floor, he took off but bumped into everything. That is how we learned that the little boy raccoon was blind. They named him River because, despite his blindness, he loves to run. River has become a favorite at All Things Wild with volunteers carrying him on their shoulders while helping with the cleaning chores or holding him while he naps.
 River loves to cuddle.
When put on the floor, he takes off, and, interestingly enough, he has mapped the floor of the center in his mind and doesn’t bump into many things. He is endlessly curious.
 Put River down and off he goes! River is endlessly curious.
When it comes time for his bottle, he doesn’t hesitate to suck down the yummy formula.
 Like all orphaned babies, River gets a bottle every four hours.
And after a good run and a bottle, he finds a crate in the corner where he takes a nap.
Because River is blind, he can never be released to the wild. To keep an animal as an ambassador, Texas Parks and Wildlife requires a special permit. We are hoping River will make a good ambassador and are starting to work with him to accept people as he grows up.
As adorable as they are, raccoons do not make good pets. The babies grow into adults who scratch and bite and will destroy your house. If they are imprinted, which means they have been trained to depend on people for food, they cannot survive in the wild and can be dangerous. It is tragic when people put imprinted and unwanted adult raccoons out in the wild where they have no idea how to survive and eventually die of starvation. The bottom line here is keeping a raccoon as a pet is a death sentence for the raccoon and illegal for you. In Texas, it is illegal to keep a wild animal in captivity without a special permit from Texas Parks and Wildlife. Remember, raccoons are wild animals and belong in the wild.
For more information on keeping a raccoon as a pet, click HERE.
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WILD ANIMALS NEED WATER
 Young wild birds are enjoying the puddle from a dripping hose.
The drought in Central Texas is bad, and conditions will not improve for several months. In fact, things are going to get worse especially for the wild birds and animals.
A great kindness toward wildlife would be for everyone to leave out containers of water not only for the birds but also for the daytime mammals like the squirrels and deer and for the animals who come at night, like the raccoons, opossums, and skunks.
Water for the birds should be in shallow containers. Plant saucers make good water dishes. It’s best not to make the water too deep so a bird will not drown if it falls off the edge. Put in some small rocks and a stick so the bird has something to grab onto if it falls in and can’t get out.
 Make sure the water is shallow with a stick or rock in case the bird falls in. Plant saucers make good water dishes for birds and small animals.
Water containers for mammals should be low enough so that the animal can reach the water. You could leave out a couple of tubs, one for larger animals like deer and another for little ones like squirrels. Galvanized tubs make good water containers for large animals.
Be sure to clean out the containers daily and refresh the water. And thank you from all the thirsty wildlife for helping them live through this terrible drought.
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We ♥ The Little Stinkers
 Orphaned striped skunks nurse on formula several times a day.
Contrary to public opinion, skunks don’t spray all the time. In wildlife rehabilitation, when we raise them from orphaned babies, it is extremely rare to get sprayed. Of course, there is always the occasional spray monster, but then, skunks have different personalities too. Usually skunks will spray only as a last resort, like when a dog is charging toward them. Skunks have enough chemical in a gland located in their anus for four or five sprays. When depleted, it can take the skunk up to 10 days to regenerate more chemical. Babies can’t spray but can dribble the chemical if stressed. 3-4-month-old skunks can spray; however, it takes skunks many months before they can aim the spray. Striped skunks always stomp their front feet as a warning before spraying.
Most animals will leave skunks alone. Skunks’ biggest predator is the great-horned owl. Since most birds, including owls, have an extremely poor sense of smell, the skunk’s spray doesn’t deter the owl from preying on skunks. Dogs will witlessly charge a skunk only to get sprayed and return home stinking with their tails between their legs. A good recipe to neutralize the spray is: 1-2 teaspoons of liquid dish soap, ¼ cup baking soda, and 4 cups hydrogen peroxide. Mix well. Pour over the smelly dog, work well into the fur, and rinse with warm water.
Skunks are predominately nocturnal. Mom skunks keep their kits in a den during the day. If you see young skunks out during the day, there’s a good chance something has happened to the mother, and you need to contact All Things Wild. If you encounter an adult skunk, just back away slowly. Skunks are very near-sighted.
 Here are some of our orphaned skunks in rehabilitation. (Photo Sue Puetz)
Anyone who has rehabilitated baby skunks knows they are adorable. As they grow, they become more playful, wrestling with each other and running about their enclosure with glee. They will play with cat toys, love soft-scrambled eggs, and use a litter box. Skunks are legal as pets in many states, but not Texas. Over the years, ATW has had some memorable skunks, one of whom was Basil who refused to be released and stayed with us for several months as an ambassador. He participated at an autumn event we held in a park, meeting and being touched by almost 400 people, and never once hinting that he was capable of stinking things up. Finally, the following spring, when his hormones were raging and love was in the air, Basil decided to depart for the wild to find himself a girlfriend.
 Basil meets the public. |
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