Jeremy, an Osprey, was admitted to Audubon's Center for Birds of Prey in April of 1994, from Seminole County, Florida. Apparently abandoned by his parents, Jeremy arrived as a nestling weighing only 2 ounces. He was barely a week old and suffering from infected wounds on his back and belly. One eye was considerably smaller than the other which could have been the reason he was rejected by his parents.
Jeremy's initial injuries were treated and he recovered fully from the wounds. His visual impairment became evident just as Center staff was becoming excited at the possibility that he might be returned to the wild. After further evaluation, it was determined that he was non- releasable and the Center would become his new home.
Jeremy has since become a very important bird staff member with a job that often saves lives. He and fellow cage mate, Dion, are on-call to help in the rehabilitation of other releasable Ospreys. Jeremy encourages them to eat! While this might sound simple, Ospreys in captivity are typically very hard to manage. They are easily stressed and prefer not to eat in the presence of humans. However, Jeremy often chirps and sings to recovering Ospreys which helps them feel more comfortable about eating.
Jeremy selected his favorite perch early on, preferring to be close to the pathway in the center of his enclosure. He can usually be found there, chirping away at visitors and the other Ospreys, enjoying the midday sun.
Jeremy can be sponsored through the Audubon Adopt-a-Bird program.
Call 407-644-0190 or e-mail info@adoptabird.org for details on how
you can make Jeremy a part of your family!
