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Category: wild birds

Brave baby birds

Filed Under: wild birds, wildlife rehabilitation by sharonstjoan — Leave a comment

July 11, 2023

Hulimavu, an area of southern Bangaluru, a city in the south of India, features luxury shopping, restaurants, and upscale homes.

A sacred site, the Hulimavu Cave Temple, is also located there. Inside a single giant rock, clean, elegant passageways extend though the cave and lead to areas of worship for three deities: Shiva; Devi, the Goddess; and Ganesha. The temple has been declared to be a 2,000 year old single rock cave.

India, of course, is filled with many thousands of extremely ancient sites.

Two baby birds

On the evening of June 1st, 2023, two small young baby birds (who, as far as we know, knew nothing of the ancient history of their region) unfortunately took a tumble and fell from a significant height on to the grass below their nest.

Two kind residents of Hulimavu came across them, but, at first, the people were not quite sure what to do to help them. Early the next morning, they thought of bringing them to the WRRC (the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre), and they rushed them there as soon as they could.

Dr. Roopa Satish examined the little birds on arrival, judging them to be about a month old. She found no external injuries; however, internal injuries could not be ruled out because they had fallen from a significant height.

Breakfast helps a lot

They were definitely hungry, and the two were fed banana and papaya, which they eagerly gobbled up. Soon they were eating on their own and making happy sounds. White-cheeked barbets make an energetic, repetitive call, which when they are grown up, resounds through the forest.

They live especially in this area of southern India, in the tall forests. Their main range is along the mountains of the Western Ghats. These birds rarely leave the trees, and they obtain most of the water they need from eating fruit.

Within two weeks the little birds were moved into a large aviary to practice their flying skills. It’s important that they have adequate space to practice so that they become strong fliers.

They flew well naturally and started flying with ease almost immediately.

Oops! Back to freedom, one way or another

As can sometimes happen with lively, active birds, one of them escaped when the keeper came in to put down their feed. They could see the escapee hanging around, almost daring his companion to escape as well.

Dr. Roopa writes, “Sure enough, in two days the lonesome twin in the aviary used the same old trick and escaped between the legs of the keeper who by now knew the shenanigans of the barbet.

This escape flight between a human’s legs is a very daring act for a shy timid bird like the barbet. The fact that both the twins managed it successfully fills us with pride for their skill and bravery.”

Soon, these brave birds will find their way out of the large area of the WRRC (where hundreds of birds and animals are cared for). They will fly into the large, deep Bannerghatta Forest, which is adjacent to the WRRC, where they can expect to lead their wild lives in freedom, eating fruit and singing their enchanting, happy notes for many years to come.

Photo Credit: WRRC Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre, Bangaluru, India

© Copyright, Forest Voices of India, 2023

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Too windy for a little bird

Filed Under: wild birds, wildlife, wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife rescue by sharonstjoan — Leave a comment

July 5, 2023

It was a warm, windy day as Varaprasad walked along in the Jigani area near the Bannerghatta Forest. It is an industrial area dotted with occasional acres of grass and a sprinkling of trees. Looking down for no particular reason, he suddenly spotted movement in the grass. There, he was startled to see a baby bird in among the blades of grass.

The baby bird must have fallen out of its nest. He picked up the chick very carefully and looked up to see if he might see the nest in a tree. Unfortunately, the branches were very high up, and there would be no way to put the baby back in its nest even if he could find the nest. The baby seemed weak and exhausted, but not visibly injured.

Holding the bird very carefully, Varaprasad turned around to head straight for the large, enclosed area which is the wildlife rehabilitation center, where thousands of birds and other animals are rehabilitated every year. He is a local wildlife rescuer and has often brought injured or distressed wildlife to the WRRC (Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre).

Inside the Clinic, Dr. Roopa Satish examined the little bird. The young shikra chick weighed 125 grams. There were no visible external injuries. However, Dr. Roopa suspected internal injuries because of the height that the bird must have fallen, and because she was quite weak.

She was able to eat though, and eagerly gobbled down some food which she was handfed. She was very small and still had fluffy down feathers. Every few hours she was fed and had a ravenous appetite.

In a span of just three weeks, she transformed into a grown-up shikra looking very beautiful in adult plumage. If there had been any internal injuries, they had healed and she was feeling strong and alert.

By a happy coincidence, the WRRC, has, at the same time, another young shikra, around the same age, who will be put into an aviary with her. The two will be good companions and will be able to practice flying together, becoming stronger day by day – and getting ready for release back to the wild.

Because they have each other — and their human caregivers are very careful to respect them as wild birds and not interact with them, they will remain wild, will not become tame, and will be able to take up their lives again living free among the trees in the Bannerghatta Forest.

Shikras are accipiters – small hawks distantly related to sparrow hawks. They fly fast and are agile hunters. These are native to India and similar shikras are also found in Africa. They are beautiful, graceful birds – very lively, yet small enough to fly among the tree branches.

By Sharon St Joan

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If you’d like to help these little birds and support charities in India that help the natural world, your donation will go a long way and will be much appreciated! Donations to Forest Voices of India, a 501 C 3 organization – go to help four charities in India.

Photo Credit: Rb.sg, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons. The photo is of another shikra – from Bangaluru, India.

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Bird of the Day: Crimson Sunbird — Organikos

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July 5, 2023

Kumaon Hills, Uttarakhand
Bird of the Day: Crimson Sunbird — Organikos

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Bird of the Day: Blue-winged Minla — Organikos

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Kumaon Hills, Uttarakhand
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Letters to free parakeets

Filed Under: art and culture of India, Blue Cross of India, forests, wild birds by sharonstjoan — 1 Comment

June 2, 2023

Ring-necked Indian parakeet

Photo 48071477 © Glacyer | Dreamstime.com

By Sharon St Joan

A breeze came through the window as Captain Sundaram sat at a table composing a letter. He wrote many letters – thousands during his lifetime on behalf of animals – often dozens of letters each week. This one was to the temple authorities of the Meenakshi temple in Tamil Nadu, in south India.

He asked that the temple discontinue their practice of allowing worshippers to donate parakeets to the temple. These long-tailed parakeets – or parrots as they are generally called in India — were being sold to devotees by shops along the streets near the temple. After they were purchased, the birds were then given to the temple, supposedly as an offering to the Goddess Meenakshi, who was always depicted along with a parrot. Sadly, instead of being well cared for, the parrots then found themselves in an overcrowded aviary at the temple, where they did not live long.

Early days of Blue Cross of India

Captain Sundaram, along with his wife Usha Sundaram and his son, then a teenager – now Dr. Chinny Krishna -was one of the founders of the organization Blue Cross of India. Blue Cross is well known all over India for their outstanding work with and on behalf of animals.

Today, several decades later, whenever Dr. Chinny Krishna is visiting Madurai and has a chance to go back to the Meenakshi temple, he is pleased to note that the big parrot cage is now gone forever and that the parrots are no longer condemned to life in a cage. The big cage was taken down and the parrots are instead flying free in the wild, as they should be, as native birds of India.

When the temple authorities discontinued the practice of allowing birds to be donated to the temple, newspaper reports at the time reported that this practice was being stopped. They gave credit to Blue Cross of India for their persevering work encouraging the temple to abandon the unkind practice.

Back to the wild

The long-tailed parrots – or parakeets — are a species native to India, where they have always lived happily out in the wild. They can also be spotted up in the branches of city trees – and definitely heard as well. Like parrots generally, they enjoy singing really loudly, especially as the sun sets in the early evening.

Now flying free in the wild, the parrots are happy, and Dr. Krishna smiles too, glad that that they are living their lives in freedom.

His father’s letters, over so many years freed many birds and animals from harsh treatment. It was a mistreatment that did occur, but that was always out of line with the ancient reverence that people in India have traditionally held for the natural world – a country where animals historically have always held a respected place as the companions and friends of the Gods that are worshipped.

Blue Cross of India is now celebrating their 60th year of saving many thousands of city animals – and occasionally protecting wild ones, like the parrots. Blue Cross is the largest, the best known, and the earliest of the modern animal organizations in India, which now number several thousand groups.

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Bird of the Day: Ruff — Organikos

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Hanchinal Lake, Vijayapura, Karnataka
Bird of the Day: Ruff — Organikos

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Bird of the Day: Indian White-eye — Organikos

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April 1, 2023

Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand
Bird of the Day: Indian White-eye — Organikos

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A chance to be wild again

Filed Under: wild birds, wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife rescue by sharonstjoan — Leave a comment

February 13, 2023

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In January 2023, the CID (Criminal Investigation Department) forest cell officers raided an illegal pet traders’ hub in the city of Bangaluru, in the south of India, and rescued ten Alexandrine parakeet chicks.

These are large parakeets native to India. Unfortunately, they are very popular in the pet trade because they are considered to be “talking parakeets.” They are protected under Schedule IV of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and it is illegal to take them out of the wild.

The demand for this species is high, and so this raid was intended to send a stern message to poachers.

When the chicks arrived at the WRRC, they were weighed, and their weight was between 110 to 140 grams. Dr. Roopa Satish, the Chief Veterinarian and Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator for the WRRC (Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre) and her assistants, examined each chick carefully, looking for any injuries or abnormalities. Then they were dewormed, dusted with an anti-parasite powder, and given fluids.

Next, they were divided into two batches of five chicks each and placed into two spacious cages. There was a wood stand for them to perch on and a heating lamp to keep them safe and snug.

Twice a day, they were handfed with a high-quality bird feed, reconstituted daily with water that was boiled, then cooled. Each chick was fed using a sterile syringe and was then carefully wiped off with lukewarm water.

Wiping them off keeps them safe, free from any ants or other insects.

Learning to eat on their own

After three weeks, their food was reduced just a bit to encourage them to learn to eat by themselves, and they were given plates of delicious fresh fruit.

One of the consequences of the young birds having been kidnapped from their nests and not having spent much time with their parents is that they don’t have very good natural immunity.

Lacking good immunity, they needed to be vaccinated for common poultry diseases. Extra attention had to be paid to keeping them really clean, not handling them except when necessary, and maintaining strict hygienic practices around them.

So far, so good

So far, thanks to all this care and attention – all is going well. They’re showing a good growth rate, their feathers are coming in well, and they are really lively and active.

Very soon, they’ll be ready for the next stage which is flight practice in a large aviary. The aviary will be prepared with lots of branches and other enrichment, then they’ll be moved into their new aviary for the next stage of rehabilitation, which is flight practice. During this time, they won’t be handled at all, but will be left to their own devices, preparing for life in the wild.

There’s a lot for them to learn – vital flight skills, as well as overcoming becoming imprinted on people. They’ll need to develop proper parakeet social skills, so that they’ll fit in well once they’re back in the wild.

There’s an enormous amount for the young parakeets to learn in order to get along well in their flock – the right etiquette and language – plus alarm calls, what predators to watch out for, and courtship behavior.

We might think the life of a bird is simple, but the lives of birds are never simple. Actually, life in the wild is very complex – and it varies with every species.

If all continues to go well, these young parakeets will be all ready in one or two years to be released back into the wild – to live in freedom.

Thanks to the WRRC and everyone there for their care and expertise in getting these parakeets all set for their next adventure – so they can fly free with long, happy lives ahead of them.

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Photo Credit: ID 71351990 © Rafael Ben Ari | Dreamstime.com
This photo is of another parakeet, not one of those in the story.

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