• Equipment for Fostering and Rescuing Birds
• Rescue Techniques
• Natural Diets for Birds
• Cages and Aviaries
• Important Points to Remember

Equipment for Fostering and Rescuing Birds

• gloves
• assorted cardboard boxes
• pet carrier • hospital box
• wire cages
• aviary
• fish tank
• beanies
• feather dusters
• towels/rags
• hot water bottles
• lamp/leadlight
• coloured bulbs (25 and 40 watts)
• field guide for identification
• straw (if using straw, this must be changed daily)
• iodine/lotagen
• lectade
• psittavet (antibiotic powder)
• calcium powder
• syringes
• scissors
• tweezers
• thermometer
• eyedropper
• torch

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Rescue Techniques

Transporting:

The best way to transport a bird is in a cardboard box with air holes, and something to stop the bird from slipping around the box (eg clean rags, towels). Once the bird is enclosed it settles down, minimizing feather damage that can occur in an open wire cage or carry basket. It is preferable not to transport birds after dark but if unavoidable then catch the bird and put it in the box before it gets dark.

Handling:

Always remember that you are picking up a wild creature. Birds can give a nasty peck, if you’re not careful. Assess the bird when you get to the rescue site (How active is the bird? Are there are any obvious injuries? Does it need urgent medical attention?). Some birds you only need to be aware of the beak (eg kookaburras), with others you have to be aware of the beak and claws (eg magpies). When picking up a bird try and get your fingers either side of the back of the head and your other hand across the wings and gently place in the box.

If you’re not confident about picking up a bird use a towel to wrap around it, and place it in the box. Be extremely careful when handling water birds, as they can lash out at your face. Immobilize the neck and beak before trying to pick them up. Be aware that even baby birds are afraid of us so do not handle a bird more than necessary. Keep your bird in a quite place until you can assess any injuries safely. Passing around a baby bird for children or friends to see is unacceptable. These are not pets so do not treat them as such. Contact your Animal Coordinator as soon as possible to get advice on your bird. Keep the bird isolated to avoid spreading disease to other birds and never put your birds near or around domestic pets.

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Natural Diets for Birds

Granivores: Quails, parrots, doves, pigeons and finches

Natural diet: Insects, fruits, berries, nuts off trees and shrubs, grass seeds and grain

Nectivores: Lorikeets, friarbirds, honeyeaters and noisy miners

Natural diet: Native flowers, nectar, pollen, insects, soft fruits and berries

Carnivores: Kookaburras, magpies, tawny frogmouths, butcherbirds

Natural diet: Lizards, moths, mice, rats, cockroaches, crickets, reptiles, frogs, small snakes, beetles and grasshoppers

Insectivores: Silvereyes, swallows, willy wagtails, drongos and cuckoos

Natural diet: Insects, moths, flies, beetles, spiders, worms and grasshoppers

Frugivores: Figbirds, orioles, bowerbirds

Natural diet: Insects, native berries and fruits

Waders: Herons, plovers, ibis, swamphens, moorhens

Natural diet: Insects, small fish and reptiles (herons, plovers and ibis) Insects, worms, plant matter and seeds (swamphens and moorhens)

Ducks:

Natural diet; Grasses, seeds, insects and worms

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Cages and Aviaries

A correct size cage is the most important factor to consider when housing any bird. Always choose a correct size cage for the size of the bird. If the cage is too small or restrictive this can result in unnecessary stress and feather damage to your bird therefore delaying release in most cases. Your bird must be placed into an aviary for flight practice before release.

If you do not have an aviary contact your co-ordinator. This is why it is important to inform your co-ordinator of what birds you receive into care. General cleaning and maintenance such as disinfecting cages, changing floors and replacing perches must be carried out on a regular basis. Once the bird has been released the cage must be thoroughly cleaned with hot soapy water and bleach solution., perches changed and all flooring disposed of.

The position of your food dishes will depend on which species of bird you are housing. Canopy feeding birds such as lorikeets, currawongs, figbirds, cuckoo-shrikes and silvereyes must never be fed on the ground while ground dwellers must never be fed in the canopy. Ground dwellers include magpies, kookaburras, galahs. Make sure that fresh water is available for drinking and bathing at all times.

An aviary is essential for any bird before release or for when babies are beginning to fledge and wanting to fly. Certain species require certain length and height requirements. Some species must never be housed together, so consult your co-ordinator if you are unsure.

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Important Points to Remember

• Always maintain good hygiene habits. Clean out all cages and perches regularly and in between birds, especially if they have had a disease.
• Always find out where your bird was found as with release of some species this information is vital
• Always make a note of any treatment and medication that your bird receives at the vet
• Always remember that not all birds have a crop, identify your bird before you start feeding it to work out how often it should be fed.
• Always use insectivore rearing mix as a supplement only and only add it to meat (mince or ox heart) or sparingly over food - never as a slurry.
• Never give fluids (glucose and water) to birds until its injuries have been assessed
• Never try to give fluids or food to a bird with trauma injuries (concussion, internal injuries and shock) or if the bird is vomiting or coughing
• Never open the bird’s beak from the tip, always open it by putting fingers either side of the beak at the back in front of the jaw and gently prize open
• Never feed milk to birds
• Never give ocean birds fresh water. They must have access to fresh sea water at all times
• Never pour water down a bird’s beak
• Never feed a cold bird, always warm it up first - both adults and babies
• Never release a bird unless others of its own species are in the area (except for solitary species)
• Never release a migratory bird out of season. (Get to know arrival and departure dates of migratory birds)
• Never keep wild and domestic birds, birds and mammals and birds and reptiles together
• Never care for bird species that you do not have the necessary time and/or equipment required. Some bird species can require feeding from every 15 minutes to 2 hourly. Also have the correct facilities available to house certain species (eg it is unacceptable to keep Magpies, Kookaburras in a budgie cage). Feather damage can occur if they are not placed in the correct size cage. Exceptions are for broken wings, but the cage must be in proportion to the bird’s size.

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