Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research, Inc.

Tri-State envisions a world where informed communities demonstrate respect and care for native wildlife through responsible stewardship. Guided by our core values of professionalism, excellence, teamwork, and stewardship, we strive to provide best-in-class rehabilitative care to all native wild birds we treat.

Tri-State’s Wild Bird Clinic is one of the premier wildlife rehabilitation centers in the United States. We treat more than 3,000 patients each year, mitigating the harmful outcomes of human influence. Operating under federal and state permits, the staff and volunteers in our clinic provide expert medical care, housing, and diets to injured, orphaned, and oiled native wild birds, with the goal of releasing them healthy back to their natural habitat. The clinic places a high priority on reuniting healthy baby birds with their natural families or with wild foster parents whenever appropriate. This not only frees up resources for patients in the clinic, but also provides young birds with the best possible chance of success in the wild.

Tri-State is one of just a handful of organizations in the United States that can manage an oiled wildlife response effort. The Oiled Wildlife Response Team works to reduce the impact of oil and other contaminants on wildlife and to provide rapid response, effective treatment, and humane care for animals that become contaminated wherever needed, practical, and feasible on a global basis. Since 1976, the Tri-State has responded to hundreds of incidents from Canada, the Caribbean, and beyond. The team is routinely contracted across the United States and the world to educate other organizations on proper oiled wildlife treatments.

We place a strong emphasis on education in all facets of our organization. Our public outreach programs provide information about wildlife rehabilitation and how we can reduce injuries to wild birds from window strikes, cat attacks, and accidental poisoning, as well as reducing inadvertent nest destruction by teaching homeowners the best timing for pruning trees and bushes. The Clinic internship program helps cultivate the next generation of wildlife care workers, offering a hand-on educational experience for students each summer.

Tri-State’s board, staff, and volunteers work together to make certain that we meet our objectives, following short-term and long-term strategies that offer the best chance of success.

Under the supervision of the Clinic Director, and with the assistance of clinic staff and volunteers, the Wild Bird Clinic works cohesively to care for a wide range of wild, native birds. Tri-State is equipped to assess and treat unusual or higher-maintenance species, such as gannets or murres, seabirds that require specialized housing to protect their feet. Our wildlife veterinarian is capable of performing surgery and other medical procedures directly in the clinic. Strong emphasis is placed on minimal contact with patients, to avoid undue stress or human imprinting on birds that are candidates to return to the wild. The Wildlife Hotline and admission desk serve as the front line for the public, and through them, many questions are answered. Clinic and staff and volunteers take advantage of conferences, workshops, and professional development opportunities to ensure that their skills and knowledge remain current. They also share any significant findings, case studies, and research to other rehabilitators to foster continued improvements throughout the field.

The Oiled Wildlife Response Team collaborates with other rehabilitators and responders to determine capacity on the local, regional, and global levels. They educate corporate partners about the importance/benefits of spill preparedness. They plan and lead workshops, exercises, and drills for partner organizations, as well as create response plans to use in case of emergencies. Oiled Wildlife maintains networks with additional corporate partners and responders to establish a broader potential pool of response resources. The team fosters alliances with industry, government, and NGO partners to financially support oil programs and oiled wildlife preparedness in the region. They look to educate others by increasing readership of our quarterly newsletter OWL (Oiled Wildlife Log), and plan to include articles and testimonies from industry clients and external partners. Staff will continue to identify internal and external professional development opportunities and support ongoing research, such as the Tri-State Sedation Study, as well as explore new areas for oiled wildlife specific research.

Our Marketing and Development team, along with Volunteer Services, works in support of the Clinic and Oil teams by increasing awareness of Tri-State, seeking funding sources, and providing essential volunteers to assist staff on all levels. The Facilities team ensures that on-site maintenance is kept to standards for staff and patients.

Tri-State has over 45 years’ experience and has become a leader in oiled wildlife response and wild bird rehabilitation. We are confident in the knowledge, experience, and reputation we have gained in that time, and we continue make improvements through self-assessment, collaborations with partner organizations, and by engaging in educational and training opportunities. Our policies and organizations standards allow us to quickly
pivot as circumstances change, such as an influx of patients due to a storm, a major oil spill, or the challenges of the global pandemic.

We currently engage in educational activities through several programs throughout the year. Our staff veterinarians hold a course in wildlife medicine for first year veterinary students at the University of Pennsylvania. Clinic supervisors mentor 12 - 20 undergraduate interns every summer. Our clinic & outreach volunteers give presentations to community groups upon request. These programs allow us to steward the next generations of rehabilitators and wildlife veterinarians, as well as build awareness for the ways we can help the wildlife around us.

Our staff, board of directors, and team of 150 active volunteers work together to provide funding, public awareness, and direct patient care for a large portion of the Tri-State area in the clinic, and for the Eastern seaboard and beyond for the Oiled Wildlife Response Team.

For 45 years, people have looked to Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research to answer the call to help wild native birds and oiled wildlife recover and return to life in their natural habitats. Tri-State has responded to over 170 spills involving wildlife, restoring thousands of wild lives back to health. We have been activated to some of the largest spills in history, including the Deepwater Horizon incident in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 and the Sea Rose incident in Newfoundland in 2019. Our Wild Bird Clinic is one of the premier wildlife rehabilitation centers in the United States. We are open 365 days each year to answer the community’s call to care for some of our most vulnerable creatures. During that time, Tri-State has taught thousands of members of the public about living safer with wildlife.

We continue to research and update how we care for patients to reduce stress and increase their chances of survival. Tri-State’s Oiled Wildlife Response Team is building even more connections by collaborating and training with other not-for-profits that can assist in the event of a large regional spill. We will be expanding our educational program in order to teach more community members and children about respecting wildlife and preventing injury to our wild neighbors. Our Marketing Department is establishing a greater presence on social media so that we can reach even more people to share information about wildlife rehabilitation.