Wild birds are increasingly exposed to anthropogenic threats that compromise population viability. Wildlife rehabilitation centers provide valuable data to monitor these pressures and their conservation implications. This retrospective study analyzed wild bird admissions to the Wildlife Recovery Center of the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (CRAS-UTAD) in northern Portugal between January 2007 and October 2025. A total of 5090 birds from 135 species and 44 families were admitted. Causes of admission were grouped into 11 categories, and outcomes into 7. Admissions increased over time, rising from approximately 160 birds in 2007 to more than 430 in 2025, although the overall temporal trend was not statistically significant. Birds of prey were the most frequently admitted group, particularly Strix aluco (9.16%) and Buteo buteo (8.00%). The most common causes of admission were orphaned birds (26.2%), followed by seizures from illegal captivity (12.2%) and collisions (5.0%). Overall, 43.2% of birds were released, while 29.4% died and 18.3% were euthanized. Admission cause was strongly associated with outcome, with electrocution showing the poorest prognosis and seizure from illegal captivity the highest probability of release. These findings highlight the major impact of human activities on wild bird morbidity and mortality and reinforce the importance of rehabilitation centers as sentinels for conservation and mitigation strategies.
Cardoso et al. (Thu,) studied this question.