The good folks at the California Wildlife Center recently came across an injured Mockingbird in the woods who needed a little help getting back on her feet. The little bird had a deformity that kept her from being able to perch on a branch. This deformity, if left uncorrected, would eventually lead to her death.
The condition, known as “knuckling” is a fairly common injury among young birds of all varieties. If left untreated sores start to develop on their joints that can easily become infected and lead to serious consequences. Each year, the wildlife center receives 5-10 of these little ones from concerned citizens. Thankfully, they found this one just in time.
“We needed to train her feet back to how they should be,” CWC veterinarian Duane Tom told The Dodo. “Essentially, we used pieces of cardboard to tape her toes into their proper position. It usually takes a week or two of wearing the snowshoes before their feet are back to normal.”
The little snowshoes that the California Wildlife center Macgyvered did just the trick. In about a week, this Mockingbird was all patched up and ready to spend the rest of her life having a grand ol’ time in the wild.
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