BIRDS - Injured; Rescued; Displaced; Surrendered

11/01/2025

Never give up!!

Sadie the Indian ringneck has been missing since February 2024. 11 months.

Last month we had a similar looking bird come into care that had flown into someone's back garden. We posted about her and had several people believe she may be theirs, but she didn't match up to the photos or videos they provided.

Until we were contacted by Sadie's family.

They were hopeful there was a chance this one was theirs, and had kept her cage ready all of this time should she miraculously one day return, but didn't want to get their hopes up as it had been so long. They sent across several videos which I looked at and compared to the bird I had in front of me, and from all angles that I could see, she was a match. The ringneck in our care though was not particularly friendly and was not in good condition, but time out in the wild or wherever she had been over the past near year could explain that.

So we arranged for them to meet this morning. The family walked inside our house tentatively at first but when they spotted the little ringneck in her cage (note we have quite a few cages several with ringnecks in them), they went straight up to her without hesitation. I could see them holding back their excitement, not wanting to believe, but as they started to talk to her , the little bird got excited, jumping onto the side of the cage to be closer to them, and responded to them with a unique whistle that I hadn't heard her make before, and then realised they were also making the same sound.

It was Sadie. There was no doubt. They let her out and she flew immediately to land on the head of her 'dad'. We all had tears in our eyes.

Where she had been all of this time -surviving in the wild or living with another family? We will never know. But she is heading home now to one very happy family and from what I could clearly see, one happy and relieved little bird who has found her flock again.

05/01/2025

Especially on hot days like it is in Melbourne today (39°), please leave a bowl of water out for wildlife with a stick or stone to enable thirsty insects and smaller animals to then be able to climb out without drowning.

Not everyone can drink from a drinking fountain like Eddie!....

02/01/2025

This sweet little canary not only found it's way into someone's backyard, but went into their bungalow, clearly searching for it's own family. We would love to help it find them. If you or someone you know has lost a similar bird, please get in contact with us. Will need to be able to provide proof of ownership.

Location found: Hallam

01/01/2025

These four Eastern Rosella nestlings had fallen from the tree where their nest was, with three of them being found on the ground at the base of the tree by the residents of the property that they were at.

The finders placed them in a makeshift nest back in the tree for the parents to find and hopefully continue looking after them. The next morning they discovered the fourth baby a short distance away (they were alerted to its presence as it was calling out) with it apparently having suffered a head injury. We believe it may have been attacked by other larger birds as seemed to have peck marks around its face and head. It may have even been carried and dropped to where it was found by the bird. It's eyes were closed although it's siblings were all open. But it was alive.

The residents had been observing the other nestlings from a distance and noted that the parents hadn't seemed to have returned since the little ones had been found, and the babies were all now calling out in hunger. Perhaps the predator bird had attacked them and ravaged the nest hence the babies were thrown to the ground and the parents vanished? We can only guess.

So I was called to help. I arrived and assessed the babies, collecting them to go into care to be looked after and raised with a view to being released back to the wild once old enough to fend for themselves. We are hopeful the little injured one will make a full recovery.

01/01/2025

This poor little native noisy miner was spotted, along with another, on New Year's Eve in a private courtyard of one of the rooms of a hotel by the occupant, both seemingly unable to fly.

There were feathers scattered all around and a lurking cat was spotted, so it was assumed the birds had escaped from a cat attack. The caller was unable though to catch or contain them.

I attended but when I arrived there was no answer from either the phone of the caller I was trying to reach nor did they answer the door of the room when I knocked on it. I sent them a text letting them know I was there but unfortunately didn't hear back until the next morning. They had fallen asleep.

I returned this morning and only one of the noisy miners was there, with lots of feathers on the ground. Sadly we had to assume the cat had managed to get the other one.

I quickly caught the surviving bird and upon examination found a thick sticky substance all over one of it's wings and feet. No wonder the poor thing had been unable to fly. Its feathers were stuck together into a solid clump.

The poor thing needed a bath asap to try to remove the unknown substance which, besides hindering its ability to fly, may also be toxic to it.

One bath down and most of the substance off, but will need at least one more to get it off completely to minimise stress to the little one.

01/01/2025

This very hungry conure flew into someone's house clearly lost trying to find it's own. We would love to help it fine it's way back to its family. Location: Vermont Sth.

If you or someone you know has lost a similar bird please get in contact with us providing proof of ownership.

01/01/2025

Update: REUNITED

Happy new year everyone. We have another Indian Ringneck found that we would love to reunite with it's family. Not in great condition so may have been trying to survive in the wild on its own for a while. We hope to help improve that over the coming days/weeks.

Found in the vicinity of Narre Warren Sth, if you or someone you know has lost a similar bird and can provide proof, we would love to hear from you.

31/12/2024

Our resident free flying lorikeets - Charlie and Lola, have hatched two babies!

You may recall this gorgeous couple are free to come.and go from their outdoor cage so live free but have fresh food and the safety of their cage to return to wherever they wish. We find they are usually back in their cage each night for us to secure them inside to be let out again the next morning.

We were very excited to notice they had laid two eggs and were sitting on them and thrilled for them that they were able to successfully hatch them - though the two hatched several days apart so the babies are quite different in size from each other.

Charlie and Lola are now fiercely protective of their chicks so we have to be wary now when we are near their cage as they tend to fly out at unsuspecting passer-bys!

We are enjoying watching the little ones grow. Here is a little compilation of their first few weeks. Will keep you posted on their development.

29/12/2024

Another little Indian Ringneck found that was clearly lost and looking for it's home. This one was in Rowville. Has a couple of distinctive features that the owner would know and would need to identify in order to claim.

Hoping to reunite asap.

25/12/2024

Update: REUNITED!

This Indian Ringneck flew into a shopping centre in Dandenong looking for it's human. If you or someone you know has lost a similar bird and can provide proof, we would love to hear from you.

23/12/2024

Meanwhile one of our resident cockatoos (Bob) who we know is at least 40 years young, acts more like he is 4! Playing, destroying anything not packed away, and regularly throwing tantrums when he doesn't get what he wants immediately.........

23/12/2024

When I was at Regis Aged Care last week discovered that their resident cockatoo Snowy (who moved into the home with his human) is 90 years old! Love that they have both retired there together ###

21/12/2024

So over 6 weeks ago we posted about a sweet little galah that had been found seeking out human help, clearly someone's lost pet, and had been handed into a vet. The vet had held her for a few days, and not having any luck finding owner, asked us to take her into care.

Well through the power of Facebook, we were contacted a couple of days ago by someone who had lost their galah around the same time and in the same place that this one was found. We were told that theirs was chatty and friendly, but we hadn't heard this one speak in the 6 weeks she had been here, and she was fairly aloof, so didn't think it was the same bird at first.

We decided to have them Facetime her to see if she would react. It was incredible. She got so excited at the sound of their voices and started talking non stop, laughing the same way that they were and repeating back the noises they were making to her.

It was amazing to see leaving me in no doubt these were her humans.

They wanted to come over asap to see her in person, so we arranged for them to come over the next morning.

'Georgie' rushed over to them as soon as they approached the aviary, something she hadn't been doing with us. She was very happy to go with them, and later when they sent me photos of her back at home, it was clear she was happy to be there.

They said it was the best Christmas present they could have wished for.

Thank you to Deb Kosterlitz for noticing our post and theirs and putting two and two together that we were both posting about the same galah!

We love being able to reunite families ###

19/12/2024

This fledgling kookaburra found itself wedged between two pickets of a picket fence and was unable to free itself.

Once it was rescued we found that in its struggles to get itself out of the fence, it had lost most of its tail feathers and some flight feathers. These feathers are crucial to enable it to fly, especially when this fledgling was still only just learning to.

It was now gone into care with a wildlife carer where it will stay until the feathers have grown back and it is able to fly.

15/12/2024

This gorgeous conure was found lost and seeking human help in someone's carport in Dandenong Nth.

Would love to reunite with it's family.

If you or someone you know have lost a similar bird and can provide proof of ownership, we would love to hear from you.

15/12/2024

15/12/2024

I was asked to attend a case of a tawny frog mouth recently that had been trapped for at least 3 days between a narrow gap between a carport and a neighbouring fence.

Lucky for the adult frogmouth, due to a cat showing interest in what was behind the fence, the residents on one side were alerted to its presence.

I arrived and with the help of a ladder was able to climb up and see the helpless bird below. Due to the narrow gap he was unable to fly out.

With the use of a telescopic handled net I was quickly able to scoop him up and out.

A quick check up and besides being hungry he appeared injury free. We released him back there later that night and he flew strongly away. (Sorry no night cam for videos unfortunately!)

08/12/2024

So I had a message from a friend on Friday who had spotted a native noisy miner on the ground next to a bus stop on a busy road as he was driving past. He quickly did a u-turn to check it out and found that although alive, it was upside down, panting, dazed and he could see a little blood on its beak. He scooped it up and took it to a nearby vet. They accepted it but told him he should have taken to a 24hr emergency vet as they would not be able to keep it after they closed that night and would euthanise it if still there then.

Not knowing what he should do as he was on his way to work he contacted me for advice. I asked him to let the vet know I could pick up and/or find a carer which he did, but they advised it was ok, one of their nurses had volunteered to drive it to a 24hr vet on her way home, so all good. The miner by the way appeared to have improved a little since he dropped it off so that was promising.

Fast forward to today, two days later. I received a message from an emergency vet advising that they had a noisy miner there who was cleared for release and were trying to find someone to come and pick it up to take it back to where it was found. I was heading out and not far from me, so went and picked it up. To my surprise when I saw the details of where it was to be released I realised it was the same noisy miner that my friend had found on Friday that very nearly was to be put to sleep! He appeared fully recovered from what we believe was a concussion. I was thrilled to be given the honour of taking the little one back to its home and excitedly phoned my friend to let him know the outcome of the bird he had rescued.

I have said it before and am saying it again. I love this part! Is what makes what we do all worthwhile ###