CROW seeks handmade nests to comfort baby wildlife patients

May 12, 2026 2 min read

and small mammals in their care. Needed sizes are 8-inch, 10-inch, and 12-inch diameters for the nests. Photo provided by CROW

The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife is seeking handmade knitted or crocheted nests for orphaned and injured baby birds and small mammals in their care. Needed sizes are 8-inch, 10-inch, and 12-inch diameters for the nests. They should be made with tight stitches, a soft but sturdy construction, and machine-washable materials such as acrylic or cotton yarn.

Please avoid fuzzy yarns, large holes, decorations, or anything that could snag tiny claws or toes. These nests help provide warmth, comfort, and support for vulnerable wildlife during rehabilitation.

All donations are greatly appreciated and are tax deductible. Donations may be delivered to CROW Visitor Education Center, 3883 Sanibel Captiva Road, Sanibel, FL 33957, or mailed to CROW, P.O. Box 150, Sanibel, FL 33957. For more information, contact Pam at (239) 472-3644, ext. 229.

This has been a busy season for CROW. According to CROW Communications Manager Meredith Darnell, the patients at CROW currently include baby birds that have fallen from their nests, or found abandoned, or whose nests were destroyed. Some of the baby birds were injured in attacks by cats and dogs.

The CROW patients include a coyote pup who was hit by a car in Cape Coral, a Florida box turtle who was hit by a lawnmower, orphan raccoons who were hit by a car and injured at a construction zone, and 27 infant Virginia opossum who were found after their mother were hit by a car.

The full list of patients at CROW includes:

• 1 juvenile coyote pup, which was hit by a car in Cape Coral (female confirmed 6-7 weeks old)

• 6 juvenile northern raccoons

• 27 infant Virginia Opossum

• 2 infant Eastern cottontail

• 2 neonate Eastern cottontail Bird

• 1 juvenile Florida box turtle

• 4 juvenile gopher tortoise

• 1 juvenile corn snake

• 11 Mottled Ducklings

• 2 hatchling Eastern Screech Owls

• 1 nestling Eastern Screech

• 1 nestling White-winged Dove

• 2 nestling blue jays

• 3 nestling Mourning Dove

• 2 nestling northern mockingbird

• 1 nestling red-shouldered hawk

• 1 nestling loggerhead shrike

• 1 fledgling loggerhead shrike

• 1 nestling fish crow

• 3 fledgling blue jays

• 10 fledgling Eastern screech owls

• 1 fledgling boat-tailed grackle

• 6 fledgling mourning doves

• 4 fledgling northern mockingbirds

• 2 fledgling common grackles