Overview
- The New England Wildlife Center is treating a New Bedford purple gallinule that is significantly underweight but showed no fractures or major injuries on initial exams.
- Clinicians are refeeding the Massachusetts bird in stages to prevent refeeding syndrome, with next steps to be set in consultation with MassWildlife.
- A separate gallinule found in Houlton, Maine, had a minor foot injury and mild corneal ulceration and is now rehabilitating at Avian Haven.
- Rescuers plan to transport the Maine bird to Florida alongside another gallinule recovered in Vermont, and a separate case was reported in care in New York.
- Experts attribute the unusual northerly arrivals to last week’s strong storm systems, note a prior 2010 Massachusetts record, and warn the species cannot withstand sustained New England cold; researchers also point to drought-linked vagrancy in some years.