At the end of winter, migratory songbirds return to the Finger Lakes region to nest and raise their young. An eastern phoebe, however, may not be so lucky.

Found in a glue trap meant to catch insects, the little bird was taken to Cornell’s Janet L. Swanson Wildlife Hospital after its rescuers tried to free the creature from the powerful adhesive.

“Glue traps are bad news,” said Dr. Cynthia Hopf-Dennis, an instructor in the Zoological Medicine Section of the College of Veterinary Medicine. “While we hope people avoid using these traps altogether, we ask that they do not attempt to remove the animals from the glue themselves. We have an adhesive remover that will allow us to free the animals more easily. safer and smoother.

According to the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, eastern phoebes often breed around human structures, where they build mud-based nests under the protection of eaves or ledges – which may explain why this patient s came too close to a glue trap.

Unfortunately, the bird injured its leg and lost all of its tail feathers and most of its main flight feathers when rescuers tried to pull it out of the trap. Without these crucial feathers, the phoebe will not be able to fly.

“Songbirds cannot be released until all of their tail feathers have grown back,” Hopf-Dennis said. “It usually takes them a month to regrow.”

The clinical team found that the songbird’s leg was not broken. Gently manipulating the little foot, they noted that it was still holding on well, meaning the leg had only been stretched.

The team also assessed the bird’s hydration status by peeking into its mouth.

“If the saliva is thick and stringy, that means the bird is dehydrated,” Hopf-Dennis said. “Fortunately, the phoebe hadn’t been stuck in the trap for long and hadn’t lost much fluid.”

However, other animals aren’t as lucky as little phoebe. By nature, glue traps catch anything that comes in contact with them, which means that non-pest animals can easily get caught. According to the Humane Society of the United States, glue-trapped animals are usually left to die of starvation and exhaustion. Others will bite the limbs in an attempt to free themselves.

The Cornell Wildlife Clinic team advocates preventative measures instead of glue traps.

“A suitable place for a trap is inside your home,” Hopf-Dennis said. “Ideally, people should try to seal their homes and possibly call a pest control professional who can help solve the root problem of any infestation.”

If you find an injured wildlife, please call the Janet L. Swanson Wildlife Hospital at (607) 253-3060.

Lauren Cahoon Roberts is Director of Communications at the College of Veterinary Medicine.