Baby Birds Need Help From Volunteers

With a large number of baby birds currently residing in the the organization is looking for volunteers to help out. According to the employees at the sanctuary, some baby birds need to eat as often as every 25 minutes. 

The process starts with a screening process that takes place over the phone. Once the volunteer hopeful passes the screening, they head out to the hospital for a two hour training. The training is one-on-one with a professional.

When it comes to caring for baby birds, volunteers must be aware of the following requirements:

• Just because you are working inside does not necessarily mean you are able to avoid the heat. Though we do have air conditioning and fans, the temperature inside continues to stay rather warm. Some volunteers prefer to wear light weight clothing and to bring with them a bottle of water. 

• There are also physical requirements involved in your daily duties as well.  The ability to stand on your feet for 4 hours and climb ladders is an absolute must! Other daily duties may include refilling and carrying feed buckets, cleaning cages and scrubbing outside aviaries. 

• The ideal volunteers will also be able to listen and follow instructions, as well as be able to work both independently and as a team.  Dedication and communication is the key to a healthy releasable bird.  

• Because you will be working in a hospital setting, please understand that the sanctuary’s hospital acts very similarly to that of an emergency vet or even human hospital. The days are quite busy with many types of cases, some more critical than others. Hospital volunteers must have compassion and understanding of the natural process of life and death.  Euthanasia is mandated by law and humane guidelines in some cases. 

Previous experience with animals is certainly a plus, but if the volunteer has none there are plenty of other opportunities to help out. There are two baby bird training sessions available for this Sunday. If you are interested in helping out at the sanctuary, contact Lisa by emailing her at gatorada@ufl.edu.

If you cannot donate any time volunteering, the sanctuary is always accepting donations. Either drop off a donation, in person, to the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary or send it through their website.