In the eyes of a small child who protectively cradles an injured sparrow close to their heart, wildlife rehabilitation is truly without discrimination. By treating even the smallest and most common of nature's casualties, Wings is helping to compensate for the negative impact of human interference in our natural world. Rehabilitators ease the suffering of these animals by either caring for them until they can be released or by offering the final kindness of humane euthanasia; if quality of life is so severely compromised that a return to normal function is impossible. As humans, we all bear responsibility for the large numbers of injured, orphaned and displaced wildlife that pass through our centres every year. Habitat destruction; environmental poisoning; trapping and relocating nursing mothers; brush removal and tree-trimming during birthing season; collision impacts; unrestrained cats and dogs running loose; oil spill contamination; improper home repair and inadequate exterior maintenance; indiscriminate pest removal practices; and unreasonable fears and misconceptions about urban wildlife, all play a role in human tampering with our natural world. The volunteers at Wings hope to offset this negative balance by affording all our wildlife patients the same importance and significance, as if each and every one of them were borne to us on eagles wings.

Wings Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre is a charitable, non-profit organization of volunteers founded in March of 1991 for the purpose of providing specialized care for all native wild bird species. Since that time, we've expanded our mandate to include the offering of advice and placement assistance for mammals on an emergency basis.

Wings has two distinct locations serving the needs of Windsor/Essex County wildlife. Passerines are cared for at our songbird facilities at 54 Bingham Road in Amherstburg. Coordinator Shirley Moor has the expertise to rehabilitate injured adults as well as orphaned baby birds, who are raised through the nestling, fledgling and juvenile stages until they are ready for pre-release conditioning in outdoor avian flight cages on her property.

Wings head office is located on Essex Road 10 (Middleside Road) in the former Anderdon Township. Nancy Phillips has established an at-home, full service Critical Care, Water Bird and Raptor Centre complete with fenced-in pond, duck house, three spacious flight cages for hawks and owls, and spacious outdoor enclosures. With the help of her assistant, Lynn Moor, Nancy answers our Emergency Hot-Line and provides complete examining room facilities, hospital quarters and holding areas for many of the 2,400 wildlife patients who pass through our centres every year.

Nancy, Shirley, Lynn, and Colleen each have over 20 years of experience in the field of wildlife rehabilitation. When faced with an unfamiliar situation concerning wildlife, please remember: