An Osprey with One Working Wing

Working at the Hampton Bays Wildlife Rescue Center: November 9th

Today, at the Wildlife Rescue Center in Hampton Bays, there were many medical tasks that needed to be completed. One of these tasks was treating a wound on the wing of an osprey that had been recovering at the rescue center for the past couple of weeks. I observed the entire process, and I was also asking questions throughout the procedure (all of which were answered by my instructor) in order to have a stronger grasp on what was being done.

Once the Osprey was brought to the medical room the animal care specialist I worked under, Valerie, first needed to have the hurt wing exposed. Next, they used the towel wrapped around the animal to cover its face and expose its injured wing. Once the injured wing was exposed, Valerie removed the old wrap, and began to prepare the wounded wing to be retreated.

First, Valerie cleaned the wounds with saline and applied triple antibiotic ointment in order to keep the wound clean while it healed preventing any possible infection. The wing was then rewrapped with multiple layers. The first layer is a bandage called tegaderm. Tegaderm is a medical dressing that is used to keep the wound moist as it is infused with petroleum, which is a great way to inhibit bacteria from entering the wound through the medical dressings. Once the tegaderm was in place Valerie secured the wound with a gauze pad and a gauze wrapping as well. Once the wing was wrapped in gauze, Valerie added the last layer of wrapping, which was a strong elastic medical tape that secured the wound, and all of the applied dressings.

This was a helpful procedure to observe because in order for this bird to be released it needed be in complete health. Therefore, it was crucial for the animal care specialist onsite to routinely clean and dress the wound, in order to prevent the spread of infection, and ensure a rapid recovery. Also, this was the first time I ever witnessed a procedure done on a bird, which made the experience even more memorable.