- Admitted
- October 18, 2024
- Released
- November 5, 2024
- Rescue Location
- Richmond, Virginia
- Cause of Admission/Condition
- Suspected window strike
- Status
- Former Patient
Last Updated Jump to patient updates
On October 18, students at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond discovered a plump bird with a long beak grounded outside a campus cafeteria. Given the building’s many windows, they suspected the bird had collided with one of them. Upon arrival at the Wildlife Center, the bird was identified as an American Woodcock, a type of shorebird that frequents forests, shrubby fields, and wet meadows. This species lives year-round in some parts of Virginia, but since this bird was found in the middle of a city, the woodcock was likely migrating further south for the winter.
The Center's veterinary team performed a thorough physical exam on the woodcock upon intake. They found a small amount of dried blood inside the bird's mouth, but no other abnormalities were identified on initial examination. Given the bird's quiet mentation and inability to fly, the vet team suspected it experienced head trauma from the window collision and promptly provided anti-inflammatories, pain medication, and fluids. The following day, the team took a series of radiographs, which revealed a fracture in the bird's left shoulder.
The patient was closely monitored during its first 48 hours at the Center – the full extent of head trauma is nearly impossible to identify on intake, as symptoms typically take time to fully present themselves. The woodcock was placed on strict cage rest to allow its shoulder fracture to heal, and though the bird made it through its initial 48 hours uneventfully, its prognosis remains guarded. Woodcocks are a high-stress species in captivity, putting them at greater risk for capture myopathy, a fatal stress-induced condition. While staff are careful to keep patient stressors low while in care, being in human care is inevitably stressful for most wild animals.
During one of the daily checks, one of the Center's veterinarians noted abnormalities in the woodcock's left eye. A fluorescein stain revealed a pinpoint ulcer in the bird's cornea, and they started the woodcock on a medicated eye ointment twice a day. Vet staff will continue to monitor the bird's eye and neurological status in the coming days with hopes of returning the bird to its migration journey as soon as possible.
Patient Updates
Throughout late October, the veterinary team treated the woodcock’s eye injury while also providing gavage feedings (a specialized form of tube-feeding) to ensure proper nutrition. Caring for such a high-stress species requires a delicate balance—providing essential treatment while minimizing handling to support recovery. By the end of the month, the woodcock began eating on its own but struggled to maintain weight in captivity.
By November 4, the bird’s eye had fully healed, and the team determined that a swift release was the best course of action to prevent further stress or injury. The following day, Veterinary Research Fellow Dr. Olivia returned the woodcock to its rescue location in Richmond.