On May 1, an adult male Northern Cardinal was brought to a small animal veterinary hospital in Nelson County after the bird was stuck in a glue trap. The veterinary staff removed the bird from the glue trap by cutting the bird's feathers; because birds require intact feathers to fly, the cardinal could not be released after being freed from the glue trap. The bird was transferred to the Wildlife Center for continued care following the removal from the glue trap.
Cardinal #17-0738 was bright and alert during the initial exam; he escaped from his box during the initial exam, but he could not fly far because of his severely damaged feathers and was easily caught on the ground. The cardinal is in good body condition but had a sticky substance on the left side of his beak and face, on both feet, and on both wings. All of his tail feathers and primary wing feathers had been cut.
The patient was anesthetized for radiographs, which showed no further injury. While under anesthesia, a small amount of mineral oil was used to remove the sticky substance from the face, feathers, and feet. The damaged tail and wing feathers were plucked at the base. This will help promote premature molting, as this patient will need to grow in new feathers to fly again. If a premature molt was not encouraged, this patient would need to molt naturally -- a process which might not happen for several months and would prolong his time in captivity.
The cardinal is receiving fluid therapy and pain medicine. Although the bird suffered no significant injuries, due to the cut feathers he will need to be in captivity for weeks or months to molt completely.
Glue traps are very dangerous to wildlife -- explore alternative, humane options. If you find an animal stuck in a glue trap, contact a wildlife rehabilitator for advice.