Page 183 - Hand rearing birds second

Grebes 169

Fledgling age Western and Clark’s Grebes have shown parenting behavior toward hatchlings in
rehabilitation, even allowing hatchlings to climb on their backs (Elliott 2007).
Grebes and their young are especially vulnerable to predation during the nesting season and will
employ various tactics to evade predators when confronted with danger. If a predator approaches,
nesting parents may sit tight, lunge at the predator, or attempt to flee if the chick is old enough to
be able to attach itself to the parent by clamping its beak securely onto the tail. Parents who see a
predator while they are away from the nest may feign injury or try to distract predators from any
vulnerable young that are in danger (Muller and Storer 1999). For grebes, predation can come from
the land, the sky, or the water. Known predators include gulls, large fish, birds of prey, raccoons,
and mink. Eggs are also subject to predation from ravens, crows, and rats.

­ Criteria­for Intervention

Disruptions and accidents caused by human activity are the most common reason for chicks to
come into a rehabilitation setting. Young grebes are often discovered separated from their parents
due to disturbances by boats that cause the young to fall off their parent’s back and become sepa-
rated from them. Injuries from boat propellers or entanglements with fishing line are also known
to occur. There is some anecdotal evidence of chicks being adopted by others into their colony, but
more research needs to be done and, in most cases, chicks are suffering from dehydration, weak-
ness, aspiration, or injury; thus, human intervention is warranted. Wild fostering is never a viable
option for unhealthy or compromised chicks.
It is important to understand the needs of rearing a grebe to the point of release before undertak-
ing their rehabilitation. The ability to maintain a constant supply of appropriate foods and provide
adequate pools for swimming needs to be taken into consideration; transferring chicks to a facility
with these capabilities is ideal. When working with these birds, careful attention must be paid to
preserving waterproofing and the prevention of captivity‐related secondary problems.

­ Record­Keeping

Detailed information should be collected from the person presenting the chicks. Find out the cir-
cumstances under which the chicks were found, if they were fed or given water, how long they
have been in the person’s possession, and if they were exposed to compromising environmental
conditions for any length of time. It is good practice to assign patient numbers to each bird that is
received and, if there are multiple birds being rehabilitated, employing temporary plastic leg bands
will help keep patient identities straight.
In addition to the information collected upon presentation, the following details should be
recorded for each patient: species, admission date, location found, reason for admission, admission
weight, medical problems, and final resolution. Dated medical records should be maintained
throughout the rehabilitation process that include findings from examinations, any treatment pre-
scribed, amount and kind of food offered, amount and kind of food consumed, medications admin-
istered, daily body weights, general behavior, and responses to treatment. Information collected
over time from multiple patients can help serve as guidelines for administering future rehabilitative
care, and can help define expected ranges for growth, weight, and development. Collected data can
also aid in optimizing the treatment of certain illnesses and injuries. See Appendix A for an example
of a rehabilitation medical record and Chapter 1 for more information on record keeping.