By ELSIE WALKER
Contributing Writer
WANTAGE — The sound of wings flapping and birds chirping can be heard in the
background as Giselle Smisko talks on the phone. You might think she was in the
middle of the woods. However, she is standing in her house.
Part of Smisko’s home is “for the birds” literally. There you’ll find the Avian Wildlife
Center. The center cares for rescued wild birds until they are well enough to be released.
It is also permanent home to those who are not able to return to the wild.
During a recent interview, Smisko talked about the center, its work, and sharing a home
with wild birds.
The birds have their own suite of rooms inside the house and outside a part of the yard is
dedicated to flying cages. These outdoor cages allow the wild birds who are
rehabilitating a chance to build up their muscles before release. The cages also allow
baby birds to get used to the outdoors in safety.
When asked how many birds are there, Smisko will say they don’t count anymore.
However, she goes on to note that during the slow season they usually house over 100
birds.
“I graduated with a biology degree, but it didn’t prepare me for this,” she said.
Wanting to get some first and experience as a naturalist after graduation, Smisko
volunteered at a private bird rehabilitation center near the Great Swamp.
She didn’t know anything about birds. “It was a great way to learn, better than through any
book,” Smisko said. She met her future husband at that bird rehabilitation center. Once
they married, they were living in Sussex County. Smisko’s husband suggested that rather
than commuting from Wantage to the rehabilitation center, they start their own. They’ve
had the Avian Wildlife Center for 15 years.
Although Smisko’s husband has a full time job outside of the center, he is still very much
involved in it.
“You don’t separate your private life from it,” she said.
Smisko’s sons, Justin 12, and William 6, help around the center, too. They’ve definitely
been influenced by it.
“Justin’s vocabulary started with dada, mama, and then owl. No joke,” said Smisko. She
said that at age 3, William was learning names for the surgical instruments used to fix
fractures on the birds.
The birds are not the only non-human residents of the house. The Smiskos do have a
cat. He is kept separate from the birds. Still, all live under one roof. Smisko said it is a
lesson for society. “We can live together harmoniously,” she said.
The bird residents run the gamut from American Kestrel (the smallest type of falcon in
New Jersey, the size of a blue jay) to Barred Owl to babies birds. “Permits from the
government allow me to keep birds that can’t be released,” Smisko said.
There are a lot of mouths to feed at this time of year. This is the season when baby birds
are born and some find their way to the center. It could be that the parent birds died and
left orphaned birds. Or, a nesting tree was cut down and no one realized there was a
nest in it. For whatever the reason, the baby population at the center rises at this time.
This keeps the center hopping, as some baby birds need to be fed every 20 minutes.
“We’re constantly feeding open mouths,” said Smisko.
Smisko said that man has created a world that is difficult for birds. She shared some tips
on making things better for them. When driving, be aware of wildlife in New Jersey.
“We have a lot of wildlife ...from hummingbirds to eagles crossing the road,” she said.
Birds are hit by people not paying attention. What’s worse, she noted, is when a car hits a
bird, but the bird is not killed. Yet, the driver will leave the injured bird to suffer and later
die. If brought to help quickly, a bird can be saved, she said.
Smisko explained that injured wildlife birds should be brought to a center like hers which
specializes in such creatures and not the local vet. Conversely, an injured domestic bird,
such as a canary, should not be brought to the center but taken to a veterinarian.
Besides cars, other man-made bird hazards include discarded fish line and
unhighlighted windows. Fishermen will leave behind fish line caught in a bush. Birds
coming upon the line get entangled in it and are injured. Smisko remembers a
Kingfisher that was found tangled upside down in line. Some birds will innocently take
line and use it as nesting material, only to tangle their young in it.
Tired during migration flying, some birds will fly into closed windows because they don’t
recognize that it isn’t open space. Smisko said wind chimes or other decorations in
windows will signal presence of the glass.
Another hazard are toxins in lawn chemicals which pass on their poisonous chemicals.
Poisoned rats or mice are ingested by other creatures such as birds, proving to be a
deadly meal.
Smisko noted that anyone who sees an injured wildlife bird can help it, if they remember
a few things. Baby birds can be put back in the nest. But wear gloves when doing this.
And it’s not because of the old wive’s tale that says if you touch a bird, the mother bird
abandons it, Smisko said. But gloves are used as a precaution to protect your hands.
If the injured bird is an adult, put something over it such as box. Then, slide something
under it. Once you have something under that you can pick-up, you can transfer the bird
to the box. Make sure to have something in the box to cushion the bird. Next, call the
center. Don’t try to feed the bird. Many times, Smisko stressed, people try to give water to
an injured bird and end up drowning it.
Information such as how to help birds is shared by Smisko through one on one
interactions with people who call or come to the center and during talks to schools and
other groups.
When she conducts a program, she brings along a couple of friends: a four year old
American Kestrel and a Barred Owl (the oldest resident of the center).
Smisko said that while some of her younger audiences may not remember her
specifically, they do remember her birds. She’ll come into a school to give a talk and hear
children telling each other, “that bird visited my class last year.”
Smisko is kept busy. And with all the work needed at the center, Smisko, even with family
help, can’t do it alone.
“We treat volunteers like gold,” she said, adding that a variety of skills are needed at the
center, so it offers something for everyone. From carpentry to cage cleaning, from helping
on the computer to working on educational programs, volunteers are needed.
Each volunteer’s unique skill finds a home at the center. For example, one volunteer
made bird hand puppets so that an orphaned hawk could be fed without bring imprinted.
When a baby bird is not with its species, it will bond with the hand that feeds it, so to
speak.
Some volunteers, like Carl Todt of Andover, go out into the field, pick up and bring back
injured birds that have been found.
Time is of the essence, said Smisko of bird rescue. If the injured bird is left too long it
could die.
Todt tries to keep the essentials for bird rescue in the trunk of each of his cars: gloves, a
box, and a blanket. He has driven as far as Princeton to pick up a bird. While he admits
that not every bird makes it, he knows that by bringing it to the center, he’s giving it a
chance. Each pick-up is a unique experience, such as one hummingbird that wouldn’t sit
still.
Todt had picked up an injured hummingbird and given it some sugar water as instructed
by Smisko. The bird was put in a box, but the lid was left on lightly. As Todt drove toward
the center, he suddenly realized his feathered driving companion, revived by the sugar
water, was not in its box, but rather flying about the inside of the car.
Even with his “adventures” in bird rescue, it is clear the Todt loves helping out the center.
“Birds are the most fascinating of all God’s creations,” said Todt, a licensed pilot. It is
their ability to fly he finds so interesting about them.
The Avian Wildlife centers is a 501C3 non-profit organization which relies on donations
and its educational programs for funding. And, the funds are needed. To feed just one
barred owl for a year costs $650.
First published June 18, 2005 in The Animal Companion.
Contributing Writer
WANTAGE — The sound of wings flapping and birds chirping can be heard in the
background as Giselle Smisko talks on the phone. You might think she was in the
middle of the woods. However, she is standing in her house.
Part of Smisko’s home is “for the birds” literally. There you’ll find the Avian Wildlife
Center. The center cares for rescued wild birds until they are well enough to be released.
It is also permanent home to those who are not able to return to the wild.
During a recent interview, Smisko talked about the center, its work, and sharing a home
with wild birds.
The birds have their own suite of rooms inside the house and outside a part of the yard is
dedicated to flying cages. These outdoor cages allow the wild birds who are
rehabilitating a chance to build up their muscles before release. The cages also allow
baby birds to get used to the outdoors in safety.
When asked how many birds are there, Smisko will say they don’t count anymore.
However, she goes on to note that during the slow season they usually house over 100
birds.
“I graduated with a biology degree, but it didn’t prepare me for this,” she said.
Wanting to get some first and experience as a naturalist after graduation, Smisko
volunteered at a private bird rehabilitation center near the Great Swamp.
She didn’t know anything about birds. “It was a great way to learn, better than through any
book,” Smisko said. She met her future husband at that bird rehabilitation center. Once
they married, they were living in Sussex County. Smisko’s husband suggested that rather
than commuting from Wantage to the rehabilitation center, they start their own. They’ve
had the Avian Wildlife Center for 15 years.
Although Smisko’s husband has a full time job outside of the center, he is still very much
involved in it.
“You don’t separate your private life from it,” she said.
Smisko’s sons, Justin 12, and William 6, help around the center, too. They’ve definitely
been influenced by it.
“Justin’s vocabulary started with dada, mama, and then owl. No joke,” said Smisko. She
said that at age 3, William was learning names for the surgical instruments used to fix
fractures on the birds.
The birds are not the only non-human residents of the house. The Smiskos do have a
cat. He is kept separate from the birds. Still, all live under one roof. Smisko said it is a
lesson for society. “We can live together harmoniously,” she said.
The bird residents run the gamut from American Kestrel (the smallest type of falcon in
New Jersey, the size of a blue jay) to Barred Owl to babies birds. “Permits from the
government allow me to keep birds that can’t be released,” Smisko said.
There are a lot of mouths to feed at this time of year. This is the season when baby birds
are born and some find their way to the center. It could be that the parent birds died and
left orphaned birds. Or, a nesting tree was cut down and no one realized there was a
nest in it. For whatever the reason, the baby population at the center rises at this time.
This keeps the center hopping, as some baby birds need to be fed every 20 minutes.
“We’re constantly feeding open mouths,” said Smisko.
Smisko said that man has created a world that is difficult for birds. She shared some tips
on making things better for them. When driving, be aware of wildlife in New Jersey.
“We have a lot of wildlife ...from hummingbirds to eagles crossing the road,” she said.
Birds are hit by people not paying attention. What’s worse, she noted, is when a car hits a
bird, but the bird is not killed. Yet, the driver will leave the injured bird to suffer and later
die. If brought to help quickly, a bird can be saved, she said.
Smisko explained that injured wildlife birds should be brought to a center like hers which
specializes in such creatures and not the local vet. Conversely, an injured domestic bird,
such as a canary, should not be brought to the center but taken to a veterinarian.
Besides cars, other man-made bird hazards include discarded fish line and
unhighlighted windows. Fishermen will leave behind fish line caught in a bush. Birds
coming upon the line get entangled in it and are injured. Smisko remembers a
Kingfisher that was found tangled upside down in line. Some birds will innocently take
line and use it as nesting material, only to tangle their young in it.
Tired during migration flying, some birds will fly into closed windows because they don’t
recognize that it isn’t open space. Smisko said wind chimes or other decorations in
windows will signal presence of the glass.
Another hazard are toxins in lawn chemicals which pass on their poisonous chemicals.
Poisoned rats or mice are ingested by other creatures such as birds, proving to be a
deadly meal.
Smisko noted that anyone who sees an injured wildlife bird can help it, if they remember
a few things. Baby birds can be put back in the nest. But wear gloves when doing this.
And it’s not because of the old wive’s tale that says if you touch a bird, the mother bird
abandons it, Smisko said. But gloves are used as a precaution to protect your hands.
If the injured bird is an adult, put something over it such as box. Then, slide something
under it. Once you have something under that you can pick-up, you can transfer the bird
to the box. Make sure to have something in the box to cushion the bird. Next, call the
center. Don’t try to feed the bird. Many times, Smisko stressed, people try to give water to
an injured bird and end up drowning it.
Information such as how to help birds is shared by Smisko through one on one
interactions with people who call or come to the center and during talks to schools and
other groups.
When she conducts a program, she brings along a couple of friends: a four year old
American Kestrel and a Barred Owl (the oldest resident of the center).
Smisko said that while some of her younger audiences may not remember her
specifically, they do remember her birds. She’ll come into a school to give a talk and hear
children telling each other, “that bird visited my class last year.”
Smisko is kept busy. And with all the work needed at the center, Smisko, even with family
help, can’t do it alone.
“We treat volunteers like gold,” she said, adding that a variety of skills are needed at the
center, so it offers something for everyone. From carpentry to cage cleaning, from helping
on the computer to working on educational programs, volunteers are needed.
Each volunteer’s unique skill finds a home at the center. For example, one volunteer
made bird hand puppets so that an orphaned hawk could be fed without bring imprinted.
When a baby bird is not with its species, it will bond with the hand that feeds it, so to
speak.
Some volunteers, like Carl Todt of Andover, go out into the field, pick up and bring back
injured birds that have been found.
Time is of the essence, said Smisko of bird rescue. If the injured bird is left too long it
could die.
Todt tries to keep the essentials for bird rescue in the trunk of each of his cars: gloves, a
box, and a blanket. He has driven as far as Princeton to pick up a bird. While he admits
that not every bird makes it, he knows that by bringing it to the center, he’s giving it a
chance. Each pick-up is a unique experience, such as one hummingbird that wouldn’t sit
still.
Todt had picked up an injured hummingbird and given it some sugar water as instructed
by Smisko. The bird was put in a box, but the lid was left on lightly. As Todt drove toward
the center, he suddenly realized his feathered driving companion, revived by the sugar
water, was not in its box, but rather flying about the inside of the car.
Even with his “adventures” in bird rescue, it is clear the Todt loves helping out the center.
“Birds are the most fascinating of all God’s creations,” said Todt, a licensed pilot. It is
their ability to fly he finds so interesting about them.
The Avian Wildlife centers is a 501C3 non-profit organization which relies on donations
and its educational programs for funding. And, the funds are needed. To feed just one
barred owl for a year costs $650.
First published June 18, 2005 in The Animal Companion.
| Avian Wildlife Center Definitely For The Birds |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |