Being a raptor wrangler for WIRES has moments of deep satisfaction, and unexpectedly, one of these moments recently came about for one volunteer when he enlisted the help of the latest technology.
Raptors are birds of prey – hawks, eagles, kestrels, kites, goshawks, harriers, falcons and owls. WIRES volunteer Morgan Philpott of Kurrajong has been rescuing raptors for only a couple of years, but the release of one of his charges stands out in his memory.
“Someone was taking a tree down at Bowen Mountain and it just happened to be the one some crested hawks were nesting in. The fledglings in the nest flew away when the tree was felled but there was one that couldn’t fly yet.
“We had it in care for a week and then we wanted to put it back in a tree nearby. I used to be an arborist and I got up and put it in a tree but it wasn’t making any sound to draw the parents back to it.
“So I got out this bird ID app I have called the Morcombe and Stewart Guide to the Birds of Australia which plays the bird calls. I played the crested hawk call and the baby started calling and calling. The mother came back and checked him out then went away and came back with some food and started feeding him again. It’s a really good app.”
He has just recently been raising three tawny frogmouth chicks which a member of the public had found on the ground. “We were unable to locate their nest,” he said.
He fed them beef strips dipped in Insecta Pro, a powder that provides insect proteins and fats. “We then transition them on to frozen adult mice which are chopped up and defrosted in warm water.” He said when they are on the mouse diet they start to cough up bones and fur, a good sign. He named the trio the ‘three mouseketeers’.
He also mentioned an unexpected nesting spot he’s called to most years – a hangar at the RAAF Base. “A pair of kestrels nests in a large hangar there every year,” Mr Philpott said. “When the fledglings take their first flights, usually one of them won’t quite make it and they crash.
“We get called in and we make sure there are no injuries. But sometimes [if there’s no-one to witness the flight attempt and crash], they run and hide somewhere and by the time they’re found they can be a bit dehydrated.”
When they’ve been checked by him, they can be put back in the nest. “They have a team that can reunite the bird with the parents,” he said, which can be tricky as it’s so high.
WIRES has warned that ‘teenage’ birds of prey on their first flights often have high speed collisions and mishaps in September when they’re leaving the nest. several casualties came in for treatment in the south of NSW by specialist raptor carers - two juvenile boobook owls, a juvenile nankeen kestrel and an adult brown falcon, all suffering concussion.
The falcon had flown straight into something and fallen on the ground. A man working nearby kept an eye on her to see if she’d recover but after a while she was being attacked by magpies. As she was still so groggy he was able to gently pick her up and contain her and get her to a raptor carer.
Mr Philpott said if anyone sees a raptor needing help to contact WIRES. “It’s not a great idea to approach them yourself – their talons can be nasty, especially with wedgetails [eagles]. It’s best to ring while someone keeps an eye on them.”
He agreed that if you had no choice but to deal with the bird yourself, it was best to put a towel or something similar over it before attempting to pick it up.
He said he did that with a boobook owl that had got caught on a fence. “Putting a towel over them also keeps them calm until help arrives,” he said.
When caring for them they have to take steps to ensure the birds don’t bond with them in any way as falconry is illegal in Australia. If they become tame they are supposed to euthanase them.
Contact WIRES for rescue or information on 1300 094 737.