WMC Blog Archive - Veterinary Medicine at Illinois

Nestling cedar waxwing in an artificial nest with mouth open begging for food.

Notes from the Nest

We’ve all heard those sweet trills of our avian friends perched atop branches. They beckon our attention, but beyond the birds exhibiting their vast vocal range for every passing audience, have you ever stopped to…
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Bucket of 9 baby Virginia Opossum, with color marks on head to identify each individual.

Hypoglycemia in Orphan Patients

In the fall, the Wildlife Medical Clinic is booming with orphaned wildlife such as squirrels, rabbits, and opossums. On our initial triage examination, many of these orphaned patients present with mild to moderate dehydration, consistent…
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Juvenile Merlin (bird) in a hospital enclosure.

The Great Migration (of Birds)

Bird Migration Every fall and spring hundreds of bird species take to the skies to travel between their winter and summer homes. In the United States, most regions become too cool and mainly offer too…
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Winter Survival Secrets: How Animals Make It Through the Cold

Join Wildlife Medical Clinic Program Coordinator, Sydney Oliveira, as she plays some trivia on CiLiving to discuss common ways various wildlife survive the cold, winter months.

Looking straight on at a pumpkin with a vine on left side of stem and a small Virginia Opossum peaking over the right side of the pumpkin.

Virginia Opossum Coloring Page

Our newest ambassador, Pesto the Virginia Opossum, was inspiration for this cute coloring sheet drawn by one of our volunteers. Feel free to share your fully colored masterpieces with us on Facebook by tagging us…
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2026 Wildlife Medical Clinic Calendar with a hawk with the wings spread sitting on a handler. College branding.

WMC Giving Opportunities

Check out our recent visit to CiLiving where Wildlife Medical Clinic Director, Dr. Stephany Lewis, DVM, CWR, DABVP (Avian Practice) goes over some unique giving opportunities that the clinic has to offer. Some of these…
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Spiny Softshell Turtle recent hatchling sitting in the hand of a Wildlife Medical Clinic volunteer.

Beyond the Incubator, Spiny Softshell Turtle Edition

Spiny Softshell Basics Spiny Softshell Turtles are considered one of the largest freshwater turtle species within the United States. Their unique appearance makes them stand out among other turtle species. As their name suggests, their…
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Mourning Dove sitting on a towel between two gloved hands during a veterinary exam.

Wildlife and Domestic Cats

Wildlife Medical Clinic Overview Each year, the Wildlife Medical Clinic at the University of Illinois provides care to around 2,300 wildlife patients and about 120 different species. We take all native Illinois wildlife, excluding skunks…
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Captive Barn Owl sitting on a gloved hand.

Eerie Creatures- Scary or Misunderstood

As spooky season approaches, we want to talk about a few animals that get a bad rap for being scarier than they truly are. Owls Owls are often associated with death and bad luck and…
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Golden Plover Graphic with common and scientific name listed below images of a male and female plover. Image retrieved from Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Photo credit: Briansmallphoto.com

Deceptively Endangered? – The American Golden Plover

General Information and Characteristics Considered to be one of the fastest flying shorebirds, reaching speeds of up to 60 miles per hour, the American Golden Plover is a common migratory bird species found traversing the…
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