Wings & Wild Things - August Edition

July was a month of long-awaited releases, unexpected recoveries and plenty of reminders that wildlife can surprise us.

We released 68 birds, including 29 Red-lored Amazons and 21 White-fronted Amazons – many of them birds that had been in rehabilitation since the 2024 nesting season. We also finally said goodbye to four Mottled Owls, two Red-footed Boobies, a pelican, our Plain Chachalaca and several other long-term patients.

This month we share the stories behind some of those releases – including Peggy, the one-legged White-fronted who finally found his place in the flock; a White-winged Dove who surprised us by flying after being written off as a sanctuary bird; Emilio, a Clay-colored Thrush who learned to thrive despite a badly damaged foot; and a pelican who took five months to prove that an old wing injury wouldn't stop him.

You'll also meet Sapling, our tiny White-crowned Parrot with the sap-covered feathers, WildOne, another White-crowned who refused to give up on flight, and four young Mottled Owls who learned to hunt before heading out into the wild.

It's a newsletter full of second chances, adaptation and one recurring lesson:

Never say never.

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