Photographer captures unexpected element of NYC wildlife: 'You never know what you're going to get'

It's not easy being a bird in New York City, with the near-constant risk of running into a glass building or window, getting run over by traffic, and other urban hazards. But a group of volunteers that rescues injured birds in the city is making their lives a little easier, and in some cases, saving them. 

As Feature Shoot reported, thousands of birds in NYC fall victim to building collisions, plastic pollution, and traffic accidents.

In fact, according to the Audubon Society, an estimated 230,000 birds die each year from crashing into glass windows or buildings, as they can't tell the difference between reflections and the surrounding habitat. In addition, the artificial lights can confuse migratory birds that use stars to navigate and cause them to fly into glass structures.

While the hustle and bustle of daily life can leave New Yorkers with little time to help injured birds, the New York City Bird Alliance Transporters are on call to pick up feathered friends in need and bring them to the city's sole rehabilitation center, the Wild Bird Fund. 

Travis Huggett, one of the group's volunteers, ensures that the Bird Alliance's noble work is captured in photographs, which he uploads to his personal portfolio. His son's fascination with birds led him to seek volunteer or conservation opportunities in the city, and since stumbling across the transport team, they've both been involved in rescuing birds throughout NYC. 

Feature Shoot explained that the majority of rescues involve pigeons, easily the most common bird in the city, but there's a larger variety during the spring and fall migration seasons. Many of the rescue calls involve collisions with glass structures, but poisonings, entanglements with trash, and attacks by dogs or cats are also common. The transporters usually have "little notice" when responding to calls. 

"You never know what you're going to get," Huggett told Feature Shoot, recalling a time they'd been called to bring a vireo to the rehab center, but it managed to escape before they could even transfer it to a box.

Sometimes, the birds are simply stunned and can quickly recover, but other times, more extensive treatments are necessary that require the Wild Bird Fund's intervention. 

When Huggett began volunteering, he would document the outings with several quick photos of the birds or portraits of his son, but it easily turned into a full-blown photography project. Huggett's work has expanded into snapping pictures of other volunteers and the birds they rescue, and he aims to add more portraits to his portfolio this year. 

The group is small and informal, so without documenting their work, most people would likely never hear about them or have the opportunity to learn about how to protect some of NYC's most vulnerable creatures. 

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The NYC Bird Alliance offers plenty of resources on what to do if residents come across an injured bird and how to report bird collisions using dBird, an online data collection tool. But without the efforts of the transporters, many of the birds probably wouldn't get a second chance at survival.

Despite the overwhelming presence of concrete and steel, there is an incredible amount of biodiversity to be found in pockets of nature, and even on the busy city streets. 

"It can seem like the city is filled with nothing but pigeons and sparrows," Huggett told Feature Shoot. "But once you start paying attention, you realize there are so many more species than you'd ever expect."

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