HawkTalk

Great Horned Owl patient in the Wildlife Medical Clinic. This photo was the initial picture taken when they arrived at the clinic.

The Journey Back to the Wild

Great Horned Owl, Bubo virginianus The great horned owl, Bubo virginianus, is found across the majority of North America. Here in Illinois, they are found across the entire state. They are very adaptable and can…
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Red-tailed Hawk "Ruby" landing on the glove of falconer, Sarah Spang. Ruby was being flown on a creance between Sydney Oliveira and Sarah Spang.

Ambassador Enrichment

Enrichment, What is it? In addition to the daily husbandry of our resident ambassador animals, we also provide training and enrichment. The goal of enrichment is to provide mental (and sometimes physically involved) stimulation while…
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Falconer and WMC volunteer, Sarah Spang, with a Red tailed Hawk on the glove while out in the field hunting.

Welcome, Sarah Spang!

We would like to introduce you to a special volunteer that is currently helping us with some of our raptor training. Sarah is a licensed falconer that has brought some new training techniques to our…
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Critters Uncaged: Vet Med Open House 2024

Join Sydney Oliveira, WMC Program Coordinator and Sarah Hollander, Wildlife Ambassador Care Coordinator and vet student, class of 2026 as they talk about the upcoming Vet Med open house.

Dr. Erica Bender and Tyson Jenkins, senior manager and student class of 2026 work to radiograph a Bald Eagle patient. The eagle is on its back and laying on the x-ray plate, with a tail guard over its tail. Tyson and Erica are positioning it for x-rays while wearing large raptor gloves to safely handle this patient.

Welcome Back to the New Academic Year!

As the summer draws to a close, we are overjoyed to welcome our talented students back to the clinic. The clinic has been working tirelessly to update and revamp our volunteer offerings by bringing in…
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Welcome to our New House Officers

House Officers and the Wildlife Medical Clinic This year we have some new faces around the clinic as we welcome our new house officers! The house officers are a very important aspect of the Wildlife…
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A photo of a North American Wetland. Water towards the bottom of the image with lily pads present and then taller grass and shrubs towards the middle of the image. Nice blue sky with fluffy clouds takes up the top of the image.

Wetland Birds

North American Wetlands North American wetlands are a sight to behold, with their crystal water reflecting the sun’s rays and the vibrant fish swimming beneath. The woven nests of pied-billed grebes, adorned with the leaves…
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Dr. Ready and former student Manager, Chloe examining a screech owl patient in the treatment room at the Wildlife Medical Clinic.

To Help or Not to Help

Steps to take if you are concerned about wildlife. At the Wildlife Medical Clinic, we frequently get calls and emails asking how to help the amazing wildlife in our community. Thank you for caring; we…
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