Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation

Thursday Thoughts: White-Winged Crossbill Crossbills get their name from the very unique shape of their beak, where the top and bottom actually cross over each other! This scissor-like bill helps the birds to quickly and efficiently remove spruce and pine seeds from their cones, which can prove tricky for many other species. Interested in learning more about the different species currently in care at AIWC? Join us for our next virtual talk, all about overwintering animals at the hospital! You can register for this event at https://aiwc.shop/collections/events.

Patient of the Week: Cedar Waxwings We currently have 8 cedar waxwings in care at AIWC, all of whom were injured just before migration season and who now will need to overwinter with us until they can be released in the spring! These birds love to eat berries, including wild blueberries and their absolute favourite, mountain ash! If you're interested in learning more about how we care for these birds and our other overwintering patients, we still have tickets available for our December 1st online talk! You can get your tickets here at https://aiwc.shop/collections/events.

Domestic Animals in the Wild With the cold weather settling in, we at AIWC are hearing from people who are spotting strange looking ducks and geese still hanging around the Calgary area. Unfortunately, many of these waterfowl are domestic animals that have either escaped their enclosures or been "released" into the wild when their owners no longer wanted to care for them. This is not only dangerous for the animals released (they have a very difficult time being outdoors in Ca...nadian winters), but also for the environment. It is possible for wild geese and ducks to breed with domestic species, creating hybrid animals that are also poorly equipped for our climate and unable to migrate as the wild animals do. Please make sure any pens with domestic animals are secured properly so that our wild species stay wild, and the domestic animals stay safe! See more

Did you know that Alberta is home to thousands of pelicans in the spring and summer months? The June photo for our 2021 calendar features these incredible birds, who breed in Alberta and then head south to the Gulf of Mexico for the winter months! You can order your 2021 AIWC calendar today at https://aiwc.shop//christmas-g/products/2021-aiwc-calendar, with all proceeds going towards taking care of Alberta's injured and orphaned wildlife.

New AIWC x Artist collaboration! Local artist and illustrator, Crystal Driedger (Crystal Driedger - Artist), has created some adorable artwork to highlight a few of the animals AIWC has cared for in 2020. The animals featured are: Black Bear, Big Brown Bat, and Wilson’s Snipe. Artwork of each animal has been beautifully created on a fine-art print, pin, keychain, and sticker. These items are fantastic Christmas gifts for the animal and nature lovers in your life. Proceeds fro...m this collection will go to where it’s needed most: caring for injured and orphaned wildlife. Shop now at https://aiwc.shop/collections/crystal-driedger-x-aiwc!

We couldn't do what we do without the help of all our amazing volunteers, but today we'd like to give a special shout out to our wonderful volunteer photographers. They donate their time and talent to help us share the stories of our patients and the organization's impact. This is a Savannah Sparrow currently in care at our hospital. #aiwc #albertainstituteforwildlifeconservation #albertawildlife #wildlife #canada #canadianwildlife #wildlifeconservation #wildliferehab #wildliferescue #wildliferehabilitation #wildlifehospital #nonprofit #charity #yyc #yeg #airdrie #cochrane #imagesofcanada #alberta #explorealberta #urbanwildlife #curiocitycalgary #dailyhiveyyc #sparrow #birdsofalberta #volunteerphotographer #yycphotographer

We see all kinds of Alberta birds in our wildlife hospital. Here is a White-winged Crossbill currently in care. Males and females look quite different; males are red in colour, while females are yellow. #aiwc #albertainstituteforwildlifeconservation #albertawildlife #wildlife #canada #canadianwildlife #wildlifeconservation #wildliferehab #wildliferescue #wildliferehabilitation #wildlifehospital #nonprofit #charity #yyc #yeg #airdrie #cochrane #imagesofcanada #alberta #explorealberta #urbanwildlife #curiocitycalgary #dailyhiveyyc #birdsofalberta #whitewingedcrossbill

Happy Sunday from this Great Horned Owl currently in care. Did you know 118 bird species came through our doors in 2019? Birds make up the vast majority of our intakes. You can learn more about our numbers and read some patient success stories at aiwc.ca! #aiwc #albertainstituteforwildlifeconservation #albertawildlife #wildlife #canada #canadianwildlife #wildlifeconservation #wildliferehab #wildliferescue #wildliferehabilitation #wildlifehospital #nonprofit #charity #yyc #yeg #airdrie #cochrane #imagesofcanada #alberta #explorealberta #urbanwildlife #curiocitycalgary #dailyhiveyyc #greathornedowl #birdsofalberta #sunday

Patient Update: Redheads and Scaup We've got all our ducks in a row here at AIWC! We have admitted many waterbirds over the past month, especially following the cold snap back in October which caused a lot of waterfowl to be frozen out of their ponds before migration began. These three ducks are recovering at AIWC until they gain enough weight to resume their journeys south, and will likely be released in the next week or so. If you spot any injured wildlife in Southern AB, be sure to give us a call on our hotline at 403-946-2361!

Remember to order your 2021 Calendars soon in order to beat the rush! This year our calendars will feature pictures from the winners of AIWC's photo contest, with gorgeous photos of some Alberta's most stunning wildlife species. All proceeds from calendar sales will go to supporting wildlife in need. You can purchase yours today at https://aiwc.shop/products/2021-aiwc-calendar!

Patient of the Week: Short-Eared Owl This adorable medium-sized owl arrived at AIWC on November 11, after being found on the ground with a broken wing. To prevent any issues with the bone healing properly, we have "wrapped" the wing so that it cannot be moved, and are slowly introducing some physical therapy so that the muscles stay strong! If you would like to help us take care of this owl and other patients in residence, you can now "adopt" an animal on our website at https://aiwc.shop/collections/adopt-an-animal

Did you know we'll be overwintering at least 30 patients at AIWC this winter? Join us for a special presentation on December 1 from 7-8 pm MST to learn how we care for animals long term at the facility, and discover the many different kinds of animals currently in care at the centre!