Although the rescuer didn’t know why this bird couldn’t fly, he knew he needed to help.

This pileated woodpecker (patient 26-2654) was rescued after being found downed in a Fort Myers backyard. Rescuers brought the bird to the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) for treatment.

CROW’s veterinarians found the issue on radiographs; the woodpecker had a dislocated coracoid and an old, healed femur fracture. The coracoid, a bone in the pectoral girdle, plays an essential role in flight.

To help the woodpecker recover, CROW’s team placed him in a body wrap, which stabilized the wing. Birds heal nearly twice as fast as mammals thanks to their fast metabolism, so CROW’s staff expect to remove this wrap soon.

One concern with wing-related injuries is the inevitable loss of muscle mass and range of motion. To keep the woodpecker’s wing from contracting, CROW’s staff perform physical therapy multiple times a week. This may include gentle stretches, massages, and applying heat or ice packs. The woodpecker also receives anti-inflammatories to reduce swelling and relieve pain.

With time, continued care, and rehabilitation in an outdoor flight enclosure, CROW’s staff are looking forward to this woodpecker’s recovery and are hopeful for release.

Why are woodpeckers important?

Pileated woodpeckers are a large, unmistakable forest bird with a flaming red crest. These birds are powerful excavators, using their beaks to drill deep cavities in dead trees. Their diet primarily consists of insects found in rotten wood, like ants and termites.

Unlike many other birds, which return to the same nesting site year after year, pileated woodpeckers rarely reuse their nesting cavities. This is great news for secondary cavity nesters, who use abandoned cavities rather than making their own. This includes wood ducks, squirrels, screech owls, and more.

In one study on cavity nests, researchers found that only 10% were not created by an excavator like pileated woodpeckers. This means woodpeckers are a crucial link in wildlife conservation. Each pileated woodpecker rehabilitated and released is cause for celebration.