Before a raptor is released, it is trained to catch live prey in a large flight cage. Just as specialized as raptor care is the task of raising baby quail. Quail are social creatures, and do best if raised with other quail so they will learn to scratch and peck for food. Stressed or solitary chicks benefit from the warmth of a hand warmer on cold nights. Living Desert's quail experts have returned hundreds of birds to the natural desert.
Hummingbirds are perhaps the most delicate, labor-intensive orphans in the desert.
Soft and pliable, the nest stretches as the infants grow. As with most nestling's, these babies instinctively defecate over the side, keeping the inside of the nest neat and tidy. For the first four weeks hummers must be fed every 20 minutes with a tiny syringe until they can eat on their own. When hummingbirds begin to flap their wings, they are put in a bird cage and provided with fresh flowers so they will learn to find real hummingbird meals on their own before release. Other baby birds such as mockingbirds, cactus wrens, orioles, sparrows and finches , require specialized care, too, including food every 30-60 minutes.