CARETAKERS WEARS RAVEN MASKS TO PREVENT ORPHANED RAVENS FROM IMPRINTING ON HUMANS

The image of a person wearing a bird mask feeding baby ravens may appear odd at first. Actually, it's a methodical approach to rehabilitation. When feeding orphaned wild birds at Congress of the Birds in Rhode Island, the staff dons these masks to keep the birds from leaving their mark on people. In order to give the young birds the best chance of surviving on their own when they return to the wild, caregivers make sure they don't teach them to identify people with food and safety by hiding their faces.

Congress of the Birds just released a video that has gone viral, showing them feeding four young ravens under their care. Since the birds were only a few days old, the rehabilitation centre's staff has been taking care of them. The team posts on Instagram, "We've been committed to their care for the past five months—feeding them every 15 minutes in the early weeks, monitoring their weights and developmental milestones, and watching them gradually learn to walk, hop, perch, self-feed, and ultimately, fly." "To keep them wild, we've carefully reduced human engagement from the beginning—masking up and limiting contact. As they should be, these young ravens are cautious around people today.

The ravens are nearly ready to be released back into the wild thanks to the diligent efforts of Congress of the Birds. "They have been coming and leaving from their spacious flight enclosure as they explore the world beyond since the soft release process started last week," the team said. "We anticipate that they might remain in the area for a few more weeks—and maybe (ideally!) even establish themselves on our property or in the hundreds of acres of protected habitat that surround it."

Congress of the Birds has already employed this peculiar yet successful masking technique. In the past, employees would even feed a group of owlets while wearing a huge owl mask. They add, "It is really vital that our young raptor patients do not get imprinted on people—and the only way we can prevent this is by covering our faces and saying nothing at all while feeding them." For the owlets to be successfully released back into the wild, this ensures they don't associate food and care with people. In order to assist the youngsters in developing their instincts without ever interacting with humans, we even use lifelike raptor puppets that simulate the appearance and behaviour of adult owls.