By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Alabama’s April 27 severe weather outbreak not only caused widespread destruction and human loss of life across the state, but also had a big impact on the state’s animal population, said Alabama Wildlife Center Executive Director Beth Bloomfield.

Because the daylong severe weather event caused hundreds of downed trees across the Birmingham metro area, the Wildlife Center is expecting to see an influx in its injured bird intake.

The center, which is located in Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham, helps to treat and rehabilitate injured and orphaned birds before releasing them back into the wild.

“We have already started to see some of the birds come in already,” Bloomfield said, noting the center has already received five woodpeckers and at least one owl. “This weekend we are fully expecting a full house.”

Every inclement weather event typically increases the number of birds brought to the center, but the severity of the April 27 storm likely will cause a large influx, Bloomfield said.

“It’s already happening today, but tomorrow we are expecting to get even more animals,” Bloomfield said April 28. “We are calling for extra volunteers to come in and help us over the next week.

“You don’t necessarily find injured birds and other animals right after a storm,” she added.

Bloomfield said the center is prepared to help anyone who finds an injured bird, and is seeking community support to help the center deal with the increased number of animals.

“People can help us by transporting the injured birds to us or calling us to learn how to transport the birds to us,” Bloomfield said, noting late spring typically is the busiest time for the center. “Donations are always welcome, because we will have more mouths to feed and wings to bandage.”

Bloomfield also said the center has information about transporting and caring for injured birds on its website at Awrc.org. To donate, volunteer or learn more about the Wildlife Center, call 663-7930.