Each year, the Wild Bird Fund (WBF) provides emergency care to more than 1,500 birds and small mammals in New York City, including pigeons. Here, special tape is used to get a pigeon ready for an X-ray.

Workers at the WBF study a pigeon X-ray to see if the animal has broken any bones. Often, they take blood samples from birds. Blood tests can show if a bird is poisoned or diseased.  

WBF cofounder Rita McMahon slides a mute swan into a water tank. This kind of swan can weigh between 20 and 25 pounds and can have a seven-foot wing span. They’re the biggest birds in New York City. 

Saw-whet owls are only about seven or eight inches tall. This one was hurt flying into a building. When brought to the WBF, the little owl had an injured eye. The eye healed, and the bird was later released into the wild.

Nature lovers in Brooklyn, New York, spotted this young osprey stranded on a lamppost, unable to fly. Firefighters climbed up to rescue the bird. Workers at the WBF then wrapped a splint around its injured wing.

This baby bird calls out for food while being cared for at the WBF. Baby birds that have fallen from their nests do best when returned to their mothers. If that’s not possible, wildlife rehabilitators can help.