American Kestrel
Fluff, a female American Kestrel, arrived at Flint Creek Wildlife as a nestling. (She was named Fluff by the lady that found her because she was just a little fluffball.) She suffered from West Nile Virus (WNV) and aspergillosis (a fungal infection that invades lungs and air sacs) plus she had a bacterial infection in her lungs. For months, Fluff’s neurological symptoms from West Nile Virus were so severe that she couldn’t stand or hold her head steady enough to take food from a pair of tweezers.
Fluff required intensive care for many months and, after being poked and prodded multiple times a day, she recovered from WNV. Due to the aspergillosis and bacterial infection, however, Fluff still suffers from diminished lung capacity that impacts her endurance during flight and causes breathing problems in cold weather. She could never suvive in the wild and, therefore, is non-releasable.