Skybird Wildlife Center’s
Current Projects
Wildlife Rescue in Durham, ME, Serving the Greater Portland, Maine Area
What’s going on in 2027
With two acres of forest and river in Durham, Skybird Wildlife Center can grow and thrive in real ways, while introducing ourselves to the greater Portland, Maine and surrounding area community.
Our next BIG step: Aviaries!
Help Us Build What Comes Next!
We are working diligently to better serve wild birds of Maine. One of our biggest current projects is building aviaries for bird rehabilitation—an essential piece of infrastructure that will allow us to make an even greater impact for Maine’s wild birds. Our first aviary is finally done, and it’s gorgeous! We are hoping to build several others to help species such as hummingbirds, songbirds, woodpeckers, small raptors, and select waterbirds. These structures are their second chance at freedom.
Once these structures are complete, our application to become a Federally Permitted Facility will be submitted.
We are hoping by Spring 2027 to be a fully-functioning wild avian rehabilitation center!
With the help of our community, we can fund the building of these elaborate and specialized aviary structures. Please consider supporting this much needed project, to help as many more birds as possible.
Support Skybird’s Turtle Clinic!
DID YOU KNOW?
There are very few wild turtle rescues in Maine. Rescue and rehab of wild turtles is an in-depth process of wound healing and long-term care required for release.
Supplies:
Rubbermaid stock tanks to house large turtles in recovery
A variety of small to large plastic tubs for recovering turtles
Terrariums
Donated medical supplies:
rubber gloves, vet wrap, telfa pads, tegaderm, 3M transpore plastic tape, 3M micropore paper tape, aluminum tape, super glue, thin pliable wire, syringes of all sizes, isotonic fluids, fluid lines, surgical instruments.
LOG ON TO OUR Amazon Wishlist here: https://a.co/09bz5nxk
WISH LIST
HOW DO TURTLES GET INJURED?
They get hit by cars
Run-over by lawn mowers
Have run-ins with pets
Are poisoned by pesticides & chemicals
They have lost their home / habitat
⫸HELP US WITH “STABILIZATION”
Stabilization is the first stage of rehabilitation. This occurs after triage (our intake and exam process), which includes setting up in a quiet, clean, stress-free habitat designed for rest and minimizing damage to wounds. Usually x-rays are needed at intake for further inspection. Importantly, and with your help to grow our community turtle clinic,
the turtle will receive pain medication, rehydration, and antibiotics if needed.
⫸SHELL REPAIR
Shell repair is the practice of mending a turtle’s fractured shell. Once they are stable, case by case we work to bring the shell pieces together with a number of techniques, in hopes that new tissue will grow and be functional enough for eventual release back to the wild.
⫸REHABILITATION
Offering turtles in our care with mindful habitats and diets during their recovery is paramount to our mission and practice. Long term care is usually required for these patients as shells can take a long time to mend. When the turtle proves to thrive and once it’s injuries are stable, it is released to the native watershed or habitat where it was found.
