Fish Crow Unable to Stand: Patient 21-930

This young Fish Crow arrived at the wildlife center in August 2021. He was unable to stand or walk without falling over. During his intake exam, we noticed he had curled toes with his feet balled up and turned inward. This is relatively common for us to see in young birds of many species These symptoms can be caused by an injury, nutritional deficiency or a poor environment. We’re thankful the crow was found as he was also very underweight and had multiple cuts on his feet from trying to walk.

Cute Splint for a Cute Crow

To correct his foot injuries, the crow had new foot splints (lovingly called shoes) after we gave him some time to stretch his toes. He quickly started improving thanks to our team’s professional care. After a month of wearing his special shoes and recovering in an outdoor enclosure, the crow made a full recovery and was released back into the wild.

Fish Crows are the smaller cousin of the more common American Crow. Other than the size difference, the best way to tell the species apart is their calls. Fish Crows have a more nasally sounding call, almost like an American Crow with a cold. Fish Crows are much less common, but we see quite a few each year, usually found in areas surrounding the Susquehanna River. Their big personalities and intelligence make them a favorite patient among our team!