MAGNIFICANT FRIGATE BIRD – Fregata magnificens – also called “Man o’ War” – This bird fell from the night sky into a back yard full of dogs. The owner rescued the bird which appeared to be uninjured. Possibly the colony was disturbed while roosting and flew upwards in panic. Two birds might have collided causing this one to lose balance and fall.
Photo by Joanne Ross

Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary (www.seabirdsanctuary.org) in Tampa Bay, Florida advised that Frigate Birds did not survive well in captivity and that since no injuries were apparent we should attempt a release ASAP from a high beach ridge where recapture would be possible if the bird could not fly. Top volunteer, Joanne Ross handled the release.
Photo by David Blumenthal

Success! – Frieda soared away to cheers and applause. Photo by David Blumenthal

LESSER SCAUP Aythya affinis – brought to veterinarian’s office by a member of the public. No apparent injuries.
Photo by Lois Blumenthal www.caymanwildlife.org

Local bird enthusiast and co-founder of the Cayman Islands Bird Club, Ms. Mars VanLiefde was consulted. She pointed out that Scaups were divers and needed a pond at least six feet deep. Most Cayman Islands freshwater ponds are quite shallow but she remembered one on a back road near Spotts.
Photo by Lois Blumenthal www.caymanwildlife.org

Successful Release! Photo by Lois Blumenthal www.caymanwildlife.org

PEREGRINE FALCON Falco peregrinus – Found under electrical wires on Seven Mile Beach with broken wing. While diving for prey at extremely high speeds these birds will sometimes hit wires, causing severe injuries. Photo by Courtney Platt www.courtneyplatt.com

These birds can be very dangerous, but volunteer extraordinaire, Joanne Ross was able to capture it without incident.
Photo by Courtney Platt www.courtneyplatt.com

After failed attempts to set the wing, and with the sad realization that this bird would never fly again and would face a frightened lonely life in a cage it was reluctantly euthanized. The Cayman Islands have no dedicated facility for the permanent captivity of large birds in a natural setting. Transfer to bird sanctuaries in other countries is extremely problematic due to international regulations and attempts to pursue that option failed. It’s mate was seen flying in the area for many weeks but eventually continued its migration alone.
Photo by Courtney Platt www.courtneyplatt.com

BROWN PELICAN Pelecanus occidentalis – These large seabirds are often in rehab in Cayman for various injuries. Sometimes hooks are caught in the beaks, some have been deliberately assaulted by fishermen for “stealing” while fish are being cleaned in GeorgeTown, some are weak and lice-infested or have infections. All respond very well to treatment and so far they have all been successfully released back to the wild. They do not breed here but appear usually in the winter months as young adults, recently “pushed out” by their mothers on other islands.
Photo by Teresa Strad

GeorgeTown, Grand Cayman fishermen watch as Lois Blumenthal releases a Brown Pelican that recovered from a head injury. These fishermen enjoy pelicans and often feed them scraps of fish, but there can be problems when the birds become too comfortable around people. Not all fishermen have such a friendly attitude. There have also been problems when the pelicans are fed sharp fish bones, unprotected by the flesh of the fish.
Photo by Satu Troyer

Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus - Photo by Joanne Ross

BARN OWL Tyto alba also called Screech owl – Very wobbly and sick – possibly poisoned from eating rats & mice with rodenticide in their systems. This owl died.
Photo by Maggie Ward

Another Barn Owl Tyto alba – This one was rescued when it fell from an inadequately secure nest after two siblings had fallen and died. It was fed rats caught in live traps and eventually released.
Photo by Courtney Platt www.courtneyplatt.com

Hurricane Ivan severely damaged homes in Cayman and destroyed wildlife habitat as well. Barn Owls found nesting roosts in places like this.
Photo by Lois Blumenthal www.caymanwildlife.org

Barn Owls also nested in this bank. Here, Patricia Bradley is lifted up to check the growth of the chicks. When they fledged, the owls were chased away and building repaired.
Photo by Lois Blumenthal www.caymanwildlife.org

White-tailed Tropic Bird Phaethon lepturus – also called Boatswain bird. – It was rescued by a member of the public and brought to us after it fell from nest on the Bluff on Cayman Brac.
Photo by Joanne Ross

Tropic Bird being fed small fish with chopsticks which more closely resemble a mother Tropic Bird beak than do human fingers.
Photo by Joanne Ross

Also called Boatswain bird, this Tropic Bird escaped on Grand Cayman just before it could be returned to the Brac for release. We hope it found its way to the rest of the colony. Now, orphaned and injured birds on Cayman Brac are cared for by local artist "Foots". Contact him at (345) 925-0904.
Photo by Joanne Ross.

Red-footed Boobies Sula sula From Little Cayman. Photo by Lois Blumenthal www.caymanwildlife.org

Lovingly cared for by volunteer Theresa Strad. Photo by Lois Blumenthal www.caymanwildlife.org

Red-footed Boobies Sula sula Heading home to Little Cayman. One did well and was successfully released back into the colony, the other had more damage to it’s wing, could not regain the coordination to fly and had to be euthanized.
Photo by Lois Blumenthal www.caymanwildlife.org

Red-footed Booby Sula sula in the wild on Little Cayman – While exploring the “bush” in Little Cayman looking for seeds for a native plant growing project, we accidentally found ourselves in the Booby nesting area. We were most unwelcome and left immediately – very sorry to have disturbed them.
Photo by Lois Blumenthal

Brown Boobies Sula leucogaster colony on the bluffs of Cayman Brac – Photo by Tansy Maki - Tansymaki@gmail.com

Bridled Tern Sterna anaethetus is an extremely rare migratory species in the Cayman Islands with only 14 breeding individuals in 2004. This young bird with a wing injury was in the Wildlife Rescue Center when Hurricane Ivan struck. He was cared for and fed fish and shrimp in these difficult times of no refrigeration and few resources but his injuries made release impossible. He ate well and was acclimated to humans. Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary advised that terns did well in captivity in the company of other terns (even different species) so he was placed in a local tourist attraction where we planned to build a wading pond and eventually have a place for future un-releasable terns. Sadly, standards for care at the facility were not well monitored. His water dish was not changed or cleaned and he sickened and died very quickly.
Photo by Lois Blumenthal

Cayman Parrots are frequently in need of help. They are hit by cars, have foot and leg injuries from attempted captures, and are turned in by owners who no longer want them. They are shot and killed by farmers. Chicks in the nests are poached – sometimes by cutting down the entire tree, thus destroying the nesting site forever. Hurricane Ivan and the deliberate shootings have reduced their numbers critically. They are being seen now in the western part of Grand Cayman, around suburban neighborhoods and away from the farms but there are few nesting sites in these areas. Cayman Wildlife Rescue coordinates an enhancement program for eight Cayman Parrots in an aviary in Savannah – which may be the beginning of a captive breeding program if this beautiful bird is not to go extinct. Hundreds of back gardens in the Cayman Islands have cages holding captive Cayman Parrots. Most of these parrots are alone and rarely even see people. Cayman Parrots are extremely sociable – in the wild they are always in couples and family groups. This isolated existence is torture for a parrot and Cayman Wildlife has published a booklet (downloadable on this site) to try to improve conditions for them.
Photo by Courtney Platt – www.courtneyplatt.com

This parrot was found in the wild and thought to be a mixture of a Cayman Parrot and possibly the Cuban parrot of a close sub-species. As we do not release hybrids or non-native species into the wild, it was placed in a good home as a pet allowed to go to the US with its new owners.
Photo by Joanne Ross

Putting up Department of Environment parrot nesting boxes. After two years, these boxes were still unsuccessful - no nesting recorded. The design needs to be modified to standards tested and successful in Puerto Rico and on other Caribbean Islands. Cayman Wildlife Rescue hopes to design, build and mount proper parrot nesting boxes soon.
Photo by Lois Blumenthal

Pigeons are not native wildlife but are often brought to us anyway. Volunteers take them on as personal projects and CWR funds cannot be used for them. Often, taking in a bird like this creates good will and even donations. This pigeon came with a $50 donation. CWR does not return non-native birds to the wild but has a roster of people who keep pigeons as a hobby and birds like this one are placed with them.
Photo by Lisa Bortolotto

Baby bat pups that fell from a roof space onto a deck on Cayman Brac. Photo by Tansy Maki - Tansymaki@gmail.com

Bat pups were fed using eye-shadow sponges saturated with formula. – They were to be returned to the colony when they were old enough to fly, but were kept “as pets” until the family cat got them. This highlights the need for more and ever more education of the public. Wild animals belong in the wild – even if we think they are cute! Photo by Tansy Maki - Tansymaki@gmail.com

Velvety Free-tailed Bat – Molossus molossus – being fed “glop”. These little bats live in roof spaces and bat houses and are frequently found by people when they are ill or injured. Most can be easily rehabbed and returned to the wild. They are insect-eating, so there “glop” must be very high protein.

Another insectivore enjoys the “glop” – this Red Bat – Lasiurius ssp unknown was found on a wall at the prison. It was uninjured and only sleeping there. Because it had been in a prisoner’s hat for some indeterminate amount of time before we were called, it was fed before release that evening.
Photo by Anne Louise Band

A fruit bat – It’s important to know what species an animal is before attempting to feed it. Each species has very special needs. We consult often with wildlife rescue experts around the world.
Photo from Denise Tomlinson

A rare event. This newborn manatee was found floating alone near Grand Cayman. The Cayman Islands Department of Environment and volunteers fed and cared for this baby –named 4B after the four men who found him (all with names starting with the letter “B”.) He was air-lifted to the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, Florida where he is growing and thriving.
Photo by Lois Blumenthal