Understanding the factors that determine successful post-release survival for rehabilitated wild birds improves welfare decisions about rehabilitation candidacy and pre-release conditioning.
Rehabilitation success research has improved welfare decision-making by identifying which patients are appropriate candidates for rehabilitation investment and which are likely to die post-release despite recovery. The welfare framework is utilitarian — expending resources on patients unlikely to survive post-release takes capacity from patients with better prognosis. Pre-release conditioning requirements, particularly flight conditioning for birds with wing injuries, are now better understood as essential rather than optional. Species-specific survival data allows honest prognosis assessment that guides both treatment intensity and client counseling about realistic outcomes.