One aspect of Ravensbeard's work that often surprises people is just how much time is devoted to answering the phone.
For the past 26 years, Executive Director Ellen Kalish has personally fielded the vast majority of calls that come into Ravensbeard. While Jessica Solomon has occasionally stepped in to provide relief, recently an experienced volunteer, Nikki Bartlett, took over phone duty for nine days, giving Ellen a much-needed break.
Although this was a relatively small sample, the numbers offer a fascinating snapshot of the demands placed on Ravensbeard's wildlife hotline. It's also important to note that the data reflects the height of nesting season and includes the busy Fourth of July holiday weekend.
During those nine days:
• 259 calls were received—an average of 29 calls per day.
• Calls began as early as 6:00 a.m. and continued until 11:00 p.m.
• During the busiest periods, as many as five calls were received in a single hour, and there was rarely a stretch of more than two hours without the phone ringing.
• Most calls were concentrated between 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., with another surge between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
The accompanying chart shows the number of calls by day of the week. Interestingly, Tuesdays appeared to be the busiest day, although calls continued to come in throughout the Fourth of July weekend.
A closer look at the calls revealed several interesting patterns:
• Approximately 75% of callers were women, while 25% were men.
• Nearly 60% of all calls involved baby birds that had been found, appeared injured, or were believed to be orphaned.
• Other calls involved hawks, owls, skunks, woodchucks, and a variety of other native wildlife.
What stood out most was how deeply people cared about the well-being of the animals they encountered.
After a recent rainstorm, one caller found a drenched Eastern screech owl on the ground. They carefully sheltered the owl and transported it to a veterinarian. Fortunately, the bird had not been injured and was later released back into the wild.
Another caller was concerned because a pair of hawks had been frequenting their backyard, likely because they were nesting nearby. The family wanted reassurance that their children and pets would be safe and guidance on how to peacefully coexist with the birds.
One especially difficult call involved baby birds whose parents had both been killed by the family's outdoor cat. The caller expressed genuine remorse and wanted to know if anything could be done to help the nestlings. It served as another reminder of the impact free-roaming cats can have on native wildlife—and how education is often just as important as rehabilitation.
Perhaps the most encouraging takeaway was that callers were willing to help. Many were prepared to transport injured or orphaned animals to a veterinarian or to Ravensbeard for rehabilitation. Often, what they needed most was reassurance and expert guidance on what to do next.
In an age of automated phone systems, online searches and AI, these conversations underscore the importance of having a knowledgeable, compassionate person on the other end of the line. Sometimes, that guidance makes all the difference—for both the people calling and the wildlife they're trying to save.