Issue 6A Wildlife Rescue Magazine

Kookaburra in flight with takeaway foodPhotographed by Suzanne Lowe

KookaburrasFEATURE!

Willy WagtailsFEATURE!

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www.wildliferescuemagazine.com February 2013 v1n6 Part A

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About the Artist...Mel Hills is a locally grown artist who grew up in Orford and wentto school at Triabunna. She has persistently lurked about theEast Coast ever since.Mel specialises in wildlife art, scientific illustration andwatercolour landscapes. Murals are also a sideline. A need to explore, discover and understand led Mel to linkstudies in both art and science. She says “For me there is noboundary between the two disciplines; both require observation,analysis and experimentation. They’re very complementary.”

The Inspiration“I love to share my joy in the landscape and the wonders thatsurround us. I get a bit caught up in the detail of piecessometimes, wanting to get it just right. I love the challenge oftrying to capture the essence of something and show that toothers.

I’m just a kid who likes to say “hey, look at how cool THIS is” allthe time. ”

The CreationMels' favourite tools are her sketchbook, camera and hermicroscope. (Although the microscope is a little less portable.) Of her images she says, “Each image comes togetherdifferently. Some are achieved on the spot, when I have a closeencounter with a creature that captures my attention. Mylandscapes are increasingly influenced by the plein-airsketching I love to do. Generally though, things are a littleslower. Often I have an idea for an image and it will take memonths or years to gather enough information to create thepainting. I do a lot of field sketching, where I gather information abouthabits and behaviours. I also take lots of photos and use museum specimens to ensure

details are correct. Once I have all the information, the finishedimage is roughed out and then built up in successive layers inorder to get the complexity, depth and detail required. ”

What’s next?In the future I’d love to explore a total landscape more fully. – Itwould be fun to do an Antarctic study, or study an island suchas Macquarie, or Maatsuyker – in all weathers, with all theiroccupants. Exploring the Desert and the Kimberley are alsoideas that have been growing in my mind for some years. Thenthere are also those bugs I keep drawing, I might have to dosomething with them..

For more information about Mel, her product range or to justcheck out some images please visit her web site:www.melhillswildart.com.au

Wildlife Rescue Magazine www.wildliferescuemagazine.com February 2013 v1n6 Page 6

Publisher’s wordsAndrea Devos

This is such an amazingissue for us – it marks ouranniversary of one whole year!!

We know you will enjoyIssue 6 Part A – Part B comingsoon!

We want to thank ourreaders so much, not only have

you read our magazine – but the support you have givenus in the form of photos, stories, sending us lovelycomments and more than anything else you have sharedour ups and downs.

This issue has also been a difficult issue to get out– originally the December issue of 2012 – our magazinegraphic designer and friend had his mother fall seriouslyill – he flew to be by her side in hospital and later wentback for her funeral.

For us this has also been a difficult time. Myhusband had a heart attack (recovering well now), butour son was diagnosed with a fatal illness, somethingunnamed-to-date that causes 'sudden death', avirus/disease that attacks the chromosomes in his littlebody (chromosome 12 and 16 are already affected). Theysay things come in three's so we hope it is over for now.

On a happier note, we started a subscription forthe magazine – we offered the magazine 24 hours to 2days before anyone else receives it – A GREATSUCCESS.

Our wonderful subscribers have had the privilegeof choosing the front cover for this issue of the magazine– they were given 6 covers and from those 6 covers theysent in their choice – the winning cover is the one that isthe front … if you would like this opportunity, thencome and subscribe and support us too.

Subscriptions have a 20% discount this issue andeveryone who subscribes goes into the draw for afabulous giclee print from Gerardine Simmons of aGorgeous Koala.

We hope to start a forum soon for our subscribers– so stay tuned – you will only know about it if you are asubscriber so subscribe today!

http://wildliferescuemagazine.com/subscribe-today.html

In our last issue we had a wonderful prize of astunning set of earrings of the 'Tasmanian DevilPawprints” offered by Rocklily Wombats (ad on page 4).We are proud to announce the winner is: BRONWYNHILLHOUSE.

All Story Writers in this Issue receive a copy of'Puggle in a Pocket' by Kevin Baker. - We want to thankour writers for their wonderful story – please vote and letus know your favourite story as the winner recieves agorgeous book: The Mahogany Glider by Jill Morris – ahard cover book illustrated by Sharon Dye in pencil andwatercolour on coffee-stained paper. A factual naturalscience presentation which includes gorgeous shortstories from wildlife carers of these endangeredmarsupials.

Winner of Issue 6 – Readers Choice Story isLynda Staker with her great story and photos - 'Kooky'sNew Beak'. Your prize is the great children's book by JillMorris – 'Kookaburra School'.

Next Issue Story Writers will receive a thank-yougift of this adorable book by Jill Morris – Silly BabyMagpie – a comical adventure of a magpie fledgling whohas to learn the skills to survive. Colourfully illustratedthroughout by Heather Gall – we know you will reallyenjoy this beautiful children's book – get your storiesinto us today!

Did you know that you can get these WildlifeRescue Magazines in print? More information will beavailable in the next issue of the wildlife rescue magazine

Silly Baby MagpieJill Morris

This is an amazing children’s book by Jill Morris – Silly Baby Magpie – a comical adventure of a magpie fledgling who has tolearn the skills to survive. Colourfully illustrated throughout by Heather Gall – thank you to 'Greater Glider Productions' for

once again donating to us this wonderful prize.To receive a FREE copy of this book – email us a wildlife rescue story complete with photos to

[email protected] and if your story is chosen to be published you will receive a copy of this book – FREE!

Wildlife Rescue MagazinePublisher/Advertising 0413 587 613Email [email protected] www.wildliferescuemagazine.com

Wildlife Rescue Magazine is published six times per year.

PublisherWildlife Rescue MagazinePhone: 0413 587 613Website: www.wildliferescuemagazine.com

Editor [email protected] Devos

ProductionArtizen Image Design, Brisbane, Queensland

AdvertisingWildlife Rescue MagazinePhone: 0413 587 613Email [email protected]: www.wildliferescuemagazine.com

© 2012 The materials in this publication constitute Wildlife Rescue Magazinecopyright. Unless otherwise indicated, you MAY download the full magazine,store in cache, distribute, display, print and reproduce materials from thismagazine in an unaltered form only (retaining this notice and any headers andfooters that appear with the original materials) for your personal, non-commercial use or use within your organisation. No part of this publication maybe reproduced or reprinted in any form or by any means for Commercial Usewithout the prior written permission of the publisher. Copyright Act 1968©Wildlife Rescue Magazine 2012If you have questions about the use of this magazine or would like to apply forpermission to use articles from this magazine for commercial use, pleasecontact: [email protected] The intellectual rights in all new material vests in the author or creator of suchmaterial. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act, no part of thispublication may be reproduced by any process, or any exclusive right exercised,without the written permission of Wildlife Rescue Magazine.Authors warrant that they are the owner of all intellectual property rights relatingto all material supplied by them, their officers, servants and agents to WildlifeRescue Magazine.Authors hereby indemnify Wildlife Rescue Magazine in respect of all actions,proceedings, claims and demands made against Wildlife Rescue Magazine byany person arising from the use by Wildlife Rescue Magazine of any materialsubmitted to Wildlife Rescue Magazine by the authors, their officers, servantsand agents for publication in Wildlife Rescue Magazine.The articles represent the view of the authors and the editorial represents theview of the editor. Other opinions expressed in this journal are not necessarily those of the Editoror Wildlife Rescue Magazine.Please note that the material presented in this online magazine has beenprepared for the general information of the reader and should not be used orrelied upon for specific applications without first securing competent advice.Wildlife Rescue Magazine, its members, authors, staff and consultants, do notrepresent or warrant its suitability for any general or specific use and assumeno responsibility of any kind in connection with the information here in.WARRANTY & INDEMNITY – Authors, advertisers and/or advertising agenciesupon and by lodging material with the Publisher for publication or authorisingor approving of the publication of any material INDEMNIFY the Publisher, itsservants and agents, against all liability claims or proceedings whatsoeverarising from the publication and without limiting the generality of the foregoingto indemnify each of them in relation to defamation, slander of title, breach ofcopyright, infringement of trademarks or names of publication titles, unfaircompetition or trade practices, royalties or violation of right to privacy ANDWARRANTY that the material complies with all relevant laws and regulationsand that its publication will not give rise to any rights against or liabilities in thePublisher, its servants or agents and in particular that nothing therein is capableof being misleading or deceptive or otherwise in breach of Part V of the TradePractices Act 1974.ADVERTISING CONDITIONS - See advertising rates available atwww.wildliferescuemagazine.com

Wildlife Rescue Magazine www.wildliferescuemagazine.com February 2013 v1n6 Part A Page 7

Contents v1n6 Part A

COVER STORY30 Kookaburras

in careAndrea Devos

COVER STORY80 Willy Wagtails

Jodie Blackney

Feature stories Articles63 DIY GUY

A simple polecameraGlen Burston

77 Herbivore nutritionsupplementsBeverley Young

66 Pelicans andgannetsHelen Burrell

70 Galah hit and runNora Preston

73 Tully and WilmaMichelle Thomas

WIN A PRIZE!25 Win a Koala

giclee print

WIN A PRIZE!29 $100 worth of

Burston Blue Teats

Readers’ stories11 Milton the

MicrobatMary Crichton

Burston Blue Silicone Wildlife Teats

Teat Size and Description PriceMini – suits 1-3mL syringes $ 1.00Medium Mini – suits 5mL syringes $ 1.00Large Mini – suits 10mL syringes $ 1.50Xtra Large Mini – suits 20mL syringes Offset $ 2.00

Teat Size and Description PriceA Teat 2 Coats $ 3.50B Teat 2 Coats $ 3.50B Teat 3 Coats $ 5.00C Teat 2 Coats $ 3.50E Teat 3 Coats $ 5.00F Teat 3 Coats $ 5.00

2 Coats are suitable for Young Animals Only

Teat Size and Description Price#1 Teat 2 Coats $ 3.50#2 Teat 2 Coats $ 3.50#2 Teat 3 Coats $ 5.00#3 Teat 2 Coats $ 3.50#3 Teat 3 Coats $ 5.00#4 Teat 3 Coats $ 5.00#5 Teat 3 Coats $ 5.00

2 Coats are suitable for Young Animals Only

ComfortsSmall $ 3.00Medium $ 4.00Large $ 5.00

Comforts Extra SoftSmall $ 3.00Medium $ 4.00Large $ 5.00

PostagePostage will be advised

1 Kangaroo Pinkie and Wallaby2 Kangaroo over 1.5kg and larger

Wallabies3 Kangaroo 3kg to 5kg4 Kangaroo 5kg to 10kg5 Kangaroo 10kg to weaning.A Flying Fox's less than 10 daysB Flying Fox's to weaningC Unfurred Possums, Bandicoots,

Antechinus and Small MammalsE Small Koalas and WombatsF Larger Unweaned Koalas and

WombatsMini Teats – suitable for tiny pinkies,

bandicoot, wallaby and numbats

Mini Teats

Teats A-B Teat C Teats E-F

Comfort Teats Teats 1-5

Payment by direct deposit please.Either online, or you can go into your own bank and ask them to do it for you.

Note: Direct deposit can take up to three days to reach our account.Orders are Usually 7-10 Days.

Account Name: GJ + JM BurstonCommonwealth Bank

BSB: 066179Account No: 10173533

In Reference: Please put your Name.Email: [email protected]

Inquiries to Jo: 0409 086973RMB 161 Perup Road Manjimup W.A. 6258

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Email: [email protected]

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Support our work

17-19 May 2013Westport Conference Centre

Buller StreetPort Macquarie

Their Future is in Our HandsA conference focusing on all aspects of wildlife rehabilitation

Research findings, translocation and conservation of wild koalas

VolunteerPRESS HERE TO SIGN UP

DonatePRESS HERE TO MAKE A DONATION

Mary Crichton – Adelaide Bat CareMitton the Microbat


'Mitton' looking well and ready to bereleased after seven weeks in care.

A Gould's wattled Microbat her elongatedjoint raised, exposing her nipple.

‘Mitton’ is a juvenile/sub-adult -Gould’s Wattled Microbat. (Chalinolobus Gouldii)

Mitton was found on theground at Henley Beach,exposed to the elements,

with the resident’s dog hot in pursuit!She had total fur loss. (reasonsunknown)

Her wing membranes were dry,chalky and clear. Applications of alittle Ungvita for her dorsal/back areaand Solosite Gel were applied to herwing membranes.

Her wing membranes also showedsigns of infection – bacterial or fungal.

It was very important for Mittonto be in the sunshine every day forapproximately half a hour (she had theopportunity to hide in a light blanketif she was feeling insecure – see pic).

The sunshine would hopefullyhelp her infection heal.

Diluted Betadine was used initiallyto clean all the infected sites. ManukaHoney 10+ was also applied in tinyamounts to Mitton’s wing membranes,as Manuka Honey is known for beingused for fungal infections. ('GrifulvinV' was not recommended on thisoccasion by my local, dedicated andlearning vet as it was advised that itmay be too strong.)

Eight days later, Mitton’s fur wasstarting to be seen through her dorsalarea. The ventral area (underneath)took longer to regrow.


Mitton on arrival, applications were applied to her back and wingsFive more days and Mitton ismunching on mealworms extremelywell. She is now well hydrated atevery feed, receives her feeds ofcrickets, mealworms and ‘woodies’cockroaches (mealworms of course thefavourite on the menu).

Another few days later and Mittonis looking so well now. Her fur issteadily growing back evenly aroundher dorsal/back area. Stomach fur stilla little slow growing back. She is alovely little groomer and has been verypatient with all the topical applicationsand cleansings at every feed.

Upon examination of Mitton’swing, her membranes are darker now,are looking much more hydrated, andare healing quite well.

Four weeks in care and Mitton ishappily self-feeding on mealwormsthat have been dipped in Insectivore/Missing Link/Small Carnivore Mix(alternating) with a little added water.

Heads are taken off justtemporarily until she is able to feedfrom a D cup. Mealworms were alsosupplemented with Wombaroo InsectBooster prior to feeding to Mitton.

After seven weeks in care Mittonthe Microbat is flying very well andeats and drinks extremely well.

Mitton was given the finalapproval for release by our SeniorVeterinarian at the Adelaide Zoo on 23January 2012.



Elongated joints mark the young age of a juvenile/sub-adultmicrobat. Here you can see the fungal damage from theinfection on the microbats wings.

Mitton was put in the sunshine every day for approximatelyhalf an hour, with hopes it will heal the wings faster. Eight days later and Mitton’s fur is being seen through dorsal area.


Mitton munching on mealworms, cricketsand 'woodies' cockroaches.


Mitton' enjoying a ‘woodie’cockroach – of course mainlythe innards were consumed.

Two weeks in care and her fur is steadilygrowing back evenly around her dorsal/backarea. Stomach fur still a little slow growingback. She is grooming herself well now.


Mitton’s' wing is being examined. Hermembranes are darker now, look muchmore hydrated, and are healing quite well.


Mitton' on Day 18 in care, showing us howwell she uses her hanging and holding onability! Such a sweet little patient!


Mitton having her wings checked daily –unfortunately they are still patchy.


A couple of days later, checking Mitton’swing membranes outside in the light. Stillnot happy with the dullness of her wingmembranes but her infection has cleared.You may notice the patchiness throughouther membranes.


Mitton outside again being checked over.She is such a beautiful little patient!! Stillnot happy with how the membranes look.She has been through a lot of topicalapplications of sorts.


Finally Mitton is lookingready now for release afterseven weeks in care.

VOTE

Did you love this story - vote for yourfavourite story in Issue 6 part B. Thewinner will receive a wonderful bookcalled "The Mahogany Glider" by Jill

Morris.

A Kanga A Day

April 2011 and October 2012Dolly then and now - wiser and more confident, but still recognisably and quintessentially herself.

Photos by Brett Clifton

RECEIVE DAILY PICS AND STORIES LIKE THIS ONESign up to receive a free daily picture of Brett Clifton’s beautiful Eastern Grey Kangaroos also known as Forester Kangaroos in Tasmania.

Email to [email protected]

“When I draw wildlife I see more than just theanimal – I see a soul.”

RMNREver since I was a child my fascination and wonder for wildlife has never

stopped. I continue to be in awe of the diversity of wildlife that is a part ofour world and for the unique traits and strengths each species exudes that

assists me on an unfolding path of self-discovery. When I draw, myexpression flows through where I feel at one with the animals that I portray

as I enter their world. e first thing I notice is their eyes. When I look deeply and study their expression I connect with their beauty,

innocence and power. “

e koala is my favourite Australian animal even since my childhood. e most exciting thing for me when I lived in England before moving to

Australia when I was eight was receiving my Australian Nana’s home-sownkoala toys made out of felt. So dear to my heart they brought me hours of joy

and an ever-evolving appreciation of all animals; especially wildlife… I can thank my nana for influencing my creativity from an early age.

e creative process for this painting began with a watercolour wash over mylead pencil outline. I started on the background using both the reference

photo and my imagination that I trusted in how the shapes and colours tookform. For the koala I started working in layers of coloured pencil and pastel

building on each layer to gradually bring in the fur texture. For extra detail I used gouache paint.

e reference photo for Tree Top was supplied by my neighbour RobyneGlover from one of her holidays in NSW. Many koalas that were in

abundance on the northern beaches in Sydney where I live have now sadlydisappeared due to the increasing urbanisation over the past few decades.

RMNRVisit Geraldine’s website: www.geraldineswildlifeart.com

and follow her works in progress on facebookwww.facebook.com/geraldineswildlifeart

Go into the draw toWIN this amazingKoala giclee print by Geraldine Simmons

Simply sign up as a subscriber and enter as many timesas you like...

Subscription is only $25 for a year’s worth of magazines – getyour magazine before everyone else – yep that is right – as a

subscriber you get to have the Wildlife Rescue Magazinebefore anyone else can read it - PLUS – pick the next frontcover of our magazine – prizes, gifts and loads of tips and

hints available in our exclusive ‘Subscriber Only’ newsletter.

Want more – click here http://wildliferescuemagazine.com/subscribe-today.html

and not only will you be able to enter into the draw andpossibly WIN this amazing picture – BUT – receive 20% off

the official price.

Normally $25 – for a short time only – PAY ONLY $20

KangarooFootprintsMargaret Warner has combined her experience as ateacher, writer and wildlife carer to produce KangarooFootprints, an information and activity book for children

aged 7 to 12.

This 75 page book can be used by children individually orby teachers with a class as all pages are designed to bephotocopied. Each double page consists of an informationpage and an activity page e.g. crossword, drawing, magic

squares, word search and origami.

A full colour Kangaroo Trail poster showing all species ofkangaroos and wallabies and where they can be found

across Australia is included with each book.

Kangaroo Footprints is available from the websitewww.kangaroofootprints.com.au for $20.00 with free

postage in Australia.

RESCUED!Rescued is the first book of its kind in describing and bringingattention to the unsung heroes of wild animal care – the widerange of wildlife rehabilitators throughout Australia and beyondwho dedicate their lives to caring for wild animals who becomeorphaned, injured or sick. Many people don’t realise howemotionally and financially draining this work can be, or thatwildlife rehabilitators generally receive no government support.

“Rescued! enthralls readers with true stories of sick, injured and orphaned Australiannative animals and the unsung heroes who are prepared to step in to help them in theirtime of need. These stories combine to not only demonstrate the magnificence ofAustralia‛s wildlife but they carry a powerful message too – that every individua animalis unique and precious and that saving one animal is the stepping stone to saving anentire species. I encourage every Australian to read this book.” Gail Gipp, Manager –Australian Wildlife Hospital

Rescued! is in a soft back format, with a collection of 43 true stories aboutthe work of wildlife rehabilitators. The book has colour illustrations andincludes contributions from wildlife rehabilitators, veterinarians andveterinary nurses who have a professional working role in animal care.

“This beautiful book is rich with wisdom, inspiration, and sound advice. It is educationwith a smile and an invitation to open your heart to the unique animals all around us.It is a tribute to those brave and compassionate people all over this country who givetheir time, money and love so selflessly to help those creatures whose suffering wouldotherwise go unnoticed and whose cause would go unchampioned. Their stories are purejoy.” Tania Duratovic - International Fund for Animal Welfare

This book is available NOW to purchase online for only $9.95 R.R.P. If youare a wildlife carer or organisation and are interested in purchasing copiesto sell as a fundraising idea. This fantastic discounted price, allows you to sellthe book at normal R.R.P of $15.95 or $19.95 at your Wildlife Centre.

“The book is based on true stories from wildlife rehabilitators and what they have facedwhile helping our native wildlife to recover from injury or raising orphans to be releasedback into the wild. Their stories will make you laugh, make you cry, break your heart,make you angry and help you to believe in miracles again. And at the same timeeducating the public about wildlife and wildlife rescue.” Jodie Blackney.

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Andrea DevosKookaburras in care


The Blue-winged Kookaburra. Photographed by Pippa Allen


The Blue-winged Kookaburra(Dacelo leachii) is very similar to thewell-known Laughing Kookaburra(Dacelo novaeguineae) , only the Blue-winged Kookaburra appears muchbrighter and more top-heavy, andseems to be not as shy as the LaughingKookaburra.

The Blue-winged Kookaburra is alarge kingfisher with a big square headand a long bill. The adult has adistinctive pale eye, (a juvenile willhave a brown eye until it is 2 years ofage).

The head is off-white with brownstreaks across the whole of the head,the shoulders are sky blue and it has auniform blue rump.

The throat is plain white and theunderparts are white with faintscalloped orange-brown bars. Theback is mid brown.

Males have a dark blue tail while

females' tails are barred red-brown orblackish. Otherwise the sexes aresimilar.

The legs and feet are grey and thebill is dark above and yellowish below.Juveniles have paler streaks on thehead with darker mottlings.

There is slight geographicalvariation with plumage more buff innorth-western Australia (race clifoni).HABITAT

Primarily savanna woodland butalso timbered creek parks and gardens. DIET

Very similar to the LaughingKookaburra but the Blue-wingedKookaburra appears to take a higherproportion of snakes, possibly becausethese are more common in the tropics.

Most prey is taken on the groundby hunting from a perch. Prey is seizedwith the bill after a glide and beatenagainst the perch.

The Blue-winged kookaburra.Photographed by Pippa Allen

There are two species of Kookaburra in Australia. They are the largestbirds belonging to the Kingfisher family found in Australia.

The Blue-winged Kookaburra (Dacelo leachii) is distributed in coastalnorth Australia from the Pilbara in the west to just south of Brisbane –

Toowoomba.The Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) found in Eastern

Australia from Cape York Peninsula to Eastern Eyre Peninsular in SouthAustralia, and has been introduced into Tasmania and the South-West of

Western Australia.Care and diet are the same for both species.


The Blue-winged kookaburra.Photographed by Pippa Allen


The Blue-winged kookaburra head shot.Photographed by Pippa Allen


Blue winged Kookaburra with bug. Notice the scallops across its chest and the unique whiteeye. This blue winged Kookaburra is a male – you can tell by the tail feathers. In a male thetail feathers are blue. Photographed by Maureen Goninan


The Blue-winged kookaburra eating a bird.Photographed by Drew McLellan

BreedingGenerally a single pair raises the young but occasionally they will

cooperatively breed as does the Laughing Kookaburra. They breed betweenSeptember and November. Blue-winged Kookaburras nest in arboreal termitemounds or tree hollows. They show a strong preference for Poplar Gum(Eucalyptus alba).Blue-winged Kookaburra family groups are often larger thanthose of the Laughing Kookaburra, with up to 12 members.


Laughing Kookaburra in flight.Photographed by Robbie Sydney


Kookaburras live in family groups.Photographed by Robbie Sydney

The Laughing Kookaburra isapproximately 45cms long from headto tail. Iti s the largest of its species.Ithas a creamy-white chest and headwith brown markings/stripes throughthe eyes and on the crown. The backand wings are brown, with a blue patchon the side of each wing. Males usuallyhave a blue patch on the rump, but itcan be as small as one or two feathers.The tail is striped rufous* and brownwith white tips to the feathers.

*Rufous is a colour that may bedescribed as reddish-brown orbrownish-red, as of rust or oxidisediron

The beak is large and strong, thetop beak being black and the lowerbeak being buff-coloured.

The juvenile LaughingKookaburra is easily distinguished byits shorter beak and tail-feathers whichmay be still growing. The lower beakis also black and turns slowly buff-coloured at approximately four monthsof age. Young birds are often darker onthe chest than the adults.

Baby Kookaburras are called –pullus.

Hatchlings are young betweenthe ages of 0-7 days, or until the eyesbegin to open. A kookaburra is anAltricial young – meaning they arehelpless, fragile, bottom-heavy andunable to walk. They rely on theparents totally for food and warmth.Baby Kookaburras without feathersneed to be kept warm 24 hours a day


The Laughing Kookaburra. This is a male, some have a very minor blue patch on theirrump. Photographed by Tanya Puntti

The Laughing Kookaburra. This is a male, some have a very minor blue patch on theirrump. Photographed by Levon DymondA Juvenile Kookaburra. Photographed by Lynne Katona

between 33C and 37C, and a brooderor hot box is best for this. (To buildyour own hot box see the article in thisissue of the magazine DIY GUY).

The temperature would need tobe gradually lowered as the feathersgrow. A nest needs to be placed in thehospital cage or brooder, and theenvironment should be kept humid.Humidity should be 50-60%.

This can be done by placing a dishof water in the brooder, add aseasponge to the dish, as this preventsany accidental drowning if your chickmanages to get out of its nest.

All bedding should be changed atleast once per day, and the vent(cloaca) should be checked and cleaned

regularly to make sure it doesn'tbecome blocked with faeces. .

Hatchlings should be fed a dietconsisting of more fluid than solids. Itwill be easier to feed the bird if theaccommodation has a door that opensfrom the top.

Nestlings are chicks still in thenest, with open eyes and quills. Chicksshould be fed a slightly higherproportion of solids than hatchlings.After about 10-12 days, the nestlingsmay be able to thermoregulate. TheKookaburra is a hole nesting bird andwill need the arrangement of a shoebox or wine cask with an opening atthe end as this is quite suitable at thisage.

This can be lined at the inner endwith tissues, as the nestling will movebackwards towards the hole anddefecate through it.

Fledglings are young birds thathave full length primaries. Whennestlings approach the fledgling stagethey will become more active. Theymay start hopping around or mayinstantly fly.

At this stage they should betransferred to a lined cocky cage orsmall aviary. At first they should bestill kept indoors, then after a shorttime the young should be moved to asheltered outdoor aviary.


Kookaburra hatchling. Helpless, fragile, bottom-heavy and unable to walk. Photo courtesy of Seaview Wildlife. Kookaburra hatchling. Photo courtesy of Seaview Wildlife

Kookaburra hatchling. Photo courtesy ofSeaview Wildlife


Kookaburra nestlings. Photographed by Kristin Dvorak


Kookaburra fledgling. Photographed by Fred


Kookaburras breed in the springand usually hatch two or three chickswhich are bald and pink, and bysixteen days are covered in pin-feathers. They leave the nest at aroundthirty-six days of age and are fed bythe adults until about three months ofage.

Kookaburras generally lay threeeggs at about 2-day intervals. If thefood supply is not adequate, the thirdegg will be smaller and the third chickwill also be smaller and at a

disadvantage relative to its largersiblings. Chicks have a hook on theupper mandible, which disappears bythe time of fledging.

If the food supply to the chicks isnot adequate, the chicks will quarrel,with the hook being used as a weapon.The smallest chick may even be killedby its larger siblings.

If food is plentiful, the parentbirds spend more time brooding thechicks and so the chicks are not able tofight.

Kookaburra chicks have a hook on their upper mandible. Photo by Phillip EltonKookaburras can accidentally fall from the nest doorways as they back up to the light todefecate. Photographed by Sebastian Tauchmann

Reasons for chicks coming into careBlood sucking insectsNests accumulate a number of

parasites - fleas, lice, fly larvae andmites - which can be discarded withthe nests, but re-used nests,particularly nest hollows, are likely tocarry parasites from previous years.

Unfortunately the more bugs in anest the more weight a nestling loseseach night when the bugs bite. Sicklychicks may be kicked out of the nestby the parents.

ColdCold is another killer.

Kookaburras need to be keptwarm for several days after hatching.

Hole nesters like kingfishers andkookaburras, are at an advantagewhere chilling is concerned but theycan accidentally fall from the nestdoorway as they back up to the lightto defecate.

These young can usually be safelyreturned to the nest hole to rejointheir siblings. However, if they arecold or slightly injured they can bekept in care for a short time beforereturning them to their parents.

RESCUEWhen sent on a young bird

rescue, it is advisable to take a varietyof containers, such as margarine and/or ice cream containers, warmed hotwater bottle, cardboard box or petcarriers, as well as some cloth for 'nest'padding. People have differentdefinitions for 'small' and 'large'birds.

Many calls for baby birds have infact been for something quitedifferent, so be prepared. A baby emuturned out to be a plover, a babypelican was an unfeathered Indianmynah, a sea eagle was a starling, akookaburra was a tawny frogmouth,and so on! Try to identify the bird assoon as possible.

If the chick is injured or very coldit should be taken into care andmonitored.

Take note at the rescue site ofexactly:• where the chick was found,• whether there is a nest around,• if the parent birds are around and• are predators such as cats or

currawongs there.If the chick recovers well it might

be possible to take it back to itsparents. Every year the lives of manyyoung birds are upset by people whomean only to help. Fledglings leavethe nest some time before they areable to fly. They are left for a time bythe parents while they search for food.

At this time the young birds sit quietlywaiting, apparently abandoned. It isnow that well meaning people findthem and by mistake think they needhelp. Always ensure that rescue isnecessary. These members of thepublic often can help identify reasonsfor the chick displacement.

Returning a nestling to its parentsrequires either making a substitutenest or replacing the young in itsoriginal nest. An artificial nest can bemake out of aflower pot, icecream containeror similar. Alwaysmake sure there isa drainage hole inthe bottom.

A chick that isperching caneither be returnedto its parents or inthe case of manyAustralian birds may be introduced toa substitute family. Birds that breedcommunally can often be persuaded totake and care for unrelated young. Ifyou have an orphaned kookaburra thatis attracting the interest of your localgroup of kookaburras it might bepossible to encourage them to comedown, feed and in time take thefledgling off with them. Other speciesthat have been reported adoptingorphans are magpies,peewees, wrens,currawongs, lorikeets, rosellas and

silver eyes. Never try to put unrelatedseagull chicks in a nest in the wild -they will be killed instantly.

Do not feed the chick beforereturning it as it is important that itbeg for food and screech and screamto attract its parent’s attention.Monitor from a distance to make surethat the parents recognise the chickand go down to feed it. If the chick isnot claimed by the birds within twohours it must be taken into permanent

care or maybereturned a coupleof days later to seeif it issubsequentlyaccepted.

Some chickshardly seem tonotice that theyhave been throughany trauma at alland are ready to

be fed. Others may be suffering fromsome degree of shock or stress, andmay be cold. A chick will normally feelquite hot as its body temperature canbe five degrees hotter than a human’s.If it is cold, then your first priority willbe to put it in a warm, dark box in aquiet place to recover and get its bodytemperature back to normal. Don’tfeed the chick until you are sure it iswarm and stable.

Rehydration - a chick cominginto care will be suffering from some

degree of dehydration. Dip its beakinto some warm water or alternativelydribble it onto the outside of the beakand wait for it to swallow it. Oneteaspoon of glucose in a cup of warmwater is acceptable, but there are alsospecial products available such asVetafarm "Spark". A dehydrated birdwill have wrinkled skin. In severe casessubcutaneous fluids can be injectedunder the skin by a very experiencedcarer or veterinarian.

How to recognise the correcttemperature?

Does the chick feel hot or cold? Abird's body temperature is 42C. As thisis higher than a human bodytemperature the chick should feelwarm to the touch.

Chicks will expire faster ifoverheated than if under-heated, sostart with a lower temperature andincrease it until the optimumtemperature is reached.

If you are using a light bulb as asource of heat, it is preferable to usecoloured 25 or 40 watt bulbs ratherthan white or clear ones. To increaseor decrease the temperature, adjust theheight of the bulb or install a dimmerswitch. If you are using a pet heat pad,you may need to add additional towelson top of the pad to ensure the chickisn't too hot. The chicks are thenplaced in their container on top of thecovered heat pad.

A thermometer placed close to


R8RDoes the chick feel hot or

cold? A bird's bodytemperature is 42˚C. As thisis higher than a human bodytemperature the chick should

feel warm to the touch.

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the bird's body will enable you tocheck that the temperature is right at aglance.

Nestlings of hollow-nesting birdssuch as the kookaburra appear to beable to manufacture calcium withoutsunlight. It is still a mystery how theydo so. As soon as they fledge and leavethe nest hollow they must be givensunlight or vitamin D as with all otherfledglings.

The most common injuries toKookaburras are broken wings or legs,internal injuries, concussion andbruising. Unless the bird is bleeding,place it gently in a warm quiet placefor about an hour before examining it,because it will almost certainly besuffering from shock.

If a hospital box is not available,place the Kookaburra in a cardboardbox, making sure it is the right size forthe bird so that feathers will not bebroken and have to regrow ( which cantake up to twelve months). Place someextra holes in the box for ventilationand place a lid on the box.

If it is a cold day, a hot waterbottle well wrapped in clean towelsmay be placed at one end of the box tokeep the bird warm (about 25C.).Check the temperature of the waterbottle every two hours to make sure itis still warm. Be careful, a cold waterbottle will act as a heat sink and chillthe bird.

If the bird is bleeding it can be

stopped by holding a pad made from aclean cloth such as a handkerchief andapplying pressure with fingers.

If the bird is having difficultybreathing, check mouth and throat andremove any obstructions.

Kookaburras don't usually drink,they usually derive enough moisturefrom their prey. Unless you areexperienced with giving water with asyringe, do not risk getting water intothe lungs. If you think the bird isdehydrated and itis a very hot dayyou can gentlydribble water overthe top of birdsbeak, so that itruns down sides ofthe beak.

When a birdis rescued anaccurate historyshould beobtained and passed on to anyone whowill attend to the bird

Where was it found?With few exceptions, wild birds

should be released as close to the pointof rescue as possible. It is essential thatthe place where the bird came from beidentified and recorded with as muchdetail as possible.

Why was it rescued?Was the bird found on the side of

a road, beneath a tree, in a cat’s mouth,in a backyard, caught by the children,

found in a swimming pool, unable tofly, unable to walk – all these areimportant to note.

When was it rescued?Birds that are held onto without

medical attention have been shown tohave a reduced chance of successfulrehabilitation.

The length of time that an injuryhas existed will often determine abird’s “treatability”. The fresher theinjury, the better the chances of

successfulrehabilitation.Treatment offresh, openfractures seem tobe quitesuccessful, butgrosslycontaminatedwounds and/ordry exposedfracture fragments

are very reliable indicators thatrehabilitation is unlikely.

Kookaburras have weak feetcompared with other birds of prey buttheir beaks are large and strong. It ispreferable to have someone helpingyou when examining the bird. Evenvery young Kookaburras haveextremely strong beaks. Take carewhen handling them.

Hold the bird firmly but gentlywell away from your face, keeping allfingers close to the bird's body or you

may find your nose or your finger heldin a vice-like grip which is hard torelease.

If a wing or a leg is broken it willneed to be splinted by a Vet, unlessyou have experience in doing this. Ifyou are going to transport it to a Vetbecause of a broken wing place atemporary strapping on it to preventfurther damage during transport.Broken bones heal very quickly inbirds so it is essential they are attendedto urgently otherwise the bone mayheal in the wrong position.

Check that eyes are wide open andclear, with both being the same size.Any abnormality could indicateconcussion or brain damage and a Vetwill be necessary because the bird mayneed medication to reduce theinflammation in the brain.

If the bird is standing with headbowed and both wings drooping it isprobably feeling very weak. Check thebody condition by feeling the keel-bone (sternum) at the front of bird onits chest. This should be well roundedand firm. If the keel bone is very sharpthe bird has not been eating well,which could indicate disease.

Check the throat forTrichomoniasis (canker). This willappear as a cheesy-yellow fast growing,foul-smelling growth, which will befatal if not treated promptly.Trichomoniasis can prevent the birdfrom swallowing food, and if it

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Kookaburras don't usuallydrink, they usually deriveenough moisture from

their prey.

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becomes really severe will interferewith the bird's ability to breathe.Never attempt to remove the growths(lesions) in birds which haveTrichomoniasis, because it will bleedto death in a very short time.

Kookaburras may also be poisonedby insecticides. or by eating poisonedmice, or have internal parasites.

All the above problems will needto be treated by a Vet, preferably byone who knows birds.

Broken beaks will grow again, butit takes months and both top andbottom beaks will need to be filed alittle at a time every two or threeweeks with a medium bastard file untilnormal again. The lower beak mayneed to be cleaned out gently if abuild-up of food has caused the tongueto be stuck down, making it difficult toswallow.

This can be done by softening thebuild-up with a few drops of water,taking care not to get any in the birdslungs, and removing it slowly andcarefully with a blunt object such asthe rounded end of a nail file.Cleaning the beak should only benecessary if the bird is not feeding tselfbut watch for it anyway.

A common mistake made byinexperienced people is to assume thatthe bird will get better if an obviousfracture of the wing cannot be found.If a bird cannot fly, all the otherinjuries need to be ruled out before

time and rest can be concluded to bethe treatment of choice. Somediagnoses can be very difficult andrequire time and the ruling out ofother injuries before they are made.

Treatment for birds can rangefrom orthopaedic surgery to cage restfor a concussion. Where theveterinarian leaves off and therehabilitator takes over will depend onthe individual arrangements betweenthe vet and the carer and the facilitiesavailable to both parties.FEEDING

Kookaburras are carnivores – theyeat whole prey in the wild and thesame needs to be fed in captivity. Miceand rats make excellent food sourcesfor many birds. Meat alone is notbalanced and should be mixed withinsectivore mix if no other food sourceis available. You can purchaseInsectivore mix through Wombaroo.

In the wild Kookaburras eat avariety of small animals, reptile andinsects, such as: mice, small snakes andlizards, small birds and insects such ascrickets, worms ,beetles andcentipedes. In captivity they areusually fed mice, day-old-chicks,pieces of beef, small rats, sparrows andmealworms. It is important to givethem as much natural food as possiblebecause the feathers and fur provideroughage while the bones and insectshells provide calcium.

Knowing how a kookaburra


A kookaburra swooping. Photographed by Ian Sanderson

catches its food is important as youwill have to give training to your handreared young as they get older.

The Kookaburra uses a “wait-and-pounce technique”, taking up a postwith a good view. When prey appears,the Kookaburra drops straight downfrom its perch, its wings back, withbeak ready to grab its dinner. (They donot use their feet and claws to catchprey as an eagle would.)

Large prey items like lizards andsnakes are bashed against a tree or arock, to kill them and soften them upbefore they are eaten.

Adult Kookaburras bash their preyon a perch to break up the bones andmake it easier to eat. It also serves to

“tenderise” the meat of the prey.Feathers and fur from their mealsprovide roughage while the bones andinsect shells provide the calcium.

Kookaburras can devour snakes upto one metre in length.

They even continue with the“Bashing of Food” ritual in captivitywhen “dead” food is fed to them, as itstill serves the purpose of tenderisingthe flesh and pulverising the bones.

Although Kookaburras are NOTclosely associated with WATER. TheyDO like to bathe, and will sometimescatch fish with plunging dives and, onoccasion, raid suburban goldfishponds.

Prey is stunned by dropping from


A kookaburra taking a bath. Photographed by Danack

a height or whacking it against abranch before swallowing. They willeven kill poisonous snakes by grabbingthem behind the head and smashingthem against a rock until they aredead.

They regurgitate a “cast” once perday of undigested material in the formof a dry pellet (a bit like an owl does).The casts resemble mammaliandroppings!

If they get stressed they willregurgitate their meal - even hourslater.

An adult bird will eat about oneand a half day-old-chicks per day ortwo to three mice a day. YoungKookaburras will eat a little more.

If stressed a Kookaburra willregurgitate their last meal, even hourslater.

If it is necessary to force feed aKookaburra, place the food well backin the mouth to help them swallow, asthey have very short tongues. Foodcan be moistened by dipping it in alittle water to make it slide down theirthroat more easily. A Kookaburrascrop is between its legs so allow timefor each piece to go down beforetrying another. When force feeding,small pieces of food are best, and thescissor-type tweezers are handy forplacing food in their mouths to avoidgetting bitten.

Baby Kookaburras (pullus) shouldbe given pieces of food that are small

enough for them to swallow withoutdifficulty and the size of the pieces offood can be increased gradually as thebird grows.

In the wild, baby Kookaburras arefed by their parents and the otherfamily members in the group untilthey are about three months of age, soif the bird has a short, all-black beak itwill probably need to be hand fed.

Feed only freshly caught mice orones that have been frozen and thawedout properly before use. Never feedmice which have been found dead asthey may have been poisoned.

Very young birds need to be keptwarm when being fed. Never feed acold lifeless bird. Always warm it upfirst. Warm your hands and keep thechick wrapped - a facial tissue willsuffice. Have the food at bodytemperature. Never feed a dehydratedbird, rehydrate it first. One teaspoonof glucose in a cup of warm water isacceptable, but there are specialproducts available such as VetafarmSpark. A dehydrated bird will havewrinkled skin.STICK FEEDING

Kookaburras, koel, tawnyfrogmouths - place a ball of meatmixture on the end of atoothpick/stick, or held with tweezers.Dip in water and deposit at the back ofthe bird’s mouth.


Kookaburra eating a snake (notice how thesnake is curled up in the kookaburra’smouth. Photographed by Maureen Goninan


Kookaburra with a wasp or beetle.Photographed by David Traish


Kookaburra with a legless lizard.Photographed by Jenny Thynne

Kookaburra with a snake. Photographed by Karen Collins



Kookaburra eating a praying mantis.Photographed by Duade Paton

Kookaburra eating a stick insect.Photographed by Stan Cochrane



Kookaburra eating a bug. Photographed by Lynne Katona Kookaburra eating a duckling. Photographed by Stan Cochrane

Kookaburra eating a frog. Photographed by Claire Clinch Kookaburra eating a bug. Photographed by JZ Liu

BARE HANDS METHODSome birds can be difficult to

encourage to open their beaks,kookaburras are very often difficult. Inthis case the beak should be prisedopen close to the base of the beak andthe wetted food placed behind thetongue and past the tracea. If the headis held upright for a short time thiswill encourage the bird to swallow andnot spit out the unfamiliar food.

A Kookaburra's crop is betweenits legs so if you had to force feed (orhand-feed a baby) allow extra time forthe food to get as far down as the crop.You will have to push the food a littlemore to the back of their mouths.

Scissor-type of tweezers are idealfor feeding like this to prevent gettingbitten. Food should be moistened first,Dip it in water first. This will help thefood slide down the throat easier asthey also have very short tongues.

As a general rule, feed small mealsoften. After rehydration, newlyhatched nestlings should be fed at leastevery half hour, 14 hours a day.Partially feathered young of goodweight can be fed every hour or two

Weigh daily to monitor weightgain and therefore indicate adequacyof diet.


Kookaburra eating a lizard. Photographed by Suzanne Lowe Kookaburra eating a frog. Photographed by Claire Clinch

Kookaburra with a baby rat. Photographed by Jarra

Kookaburra with a lizard. Photographed by Suzanne Lowe



Feeding a Kookaburra with tweezers. Photo courtesy of Seaview Wildlife

34 day old Kookaburra being weighed. Photographed by Fred

Kookaburras should be offered a‘meat mix’ as a captive diet. This is a50/50 mix of beef mince and eitherInsectivore Mix (Wombaroo) or‘Insecta-pro’ (Vetafarm).

Pic: Insectivore Mix (Wombaroo)Logo of WombarooPic: Insecta-pro (Vetafarm)Logo of VetafarmTo feed these birds place small

food items in their mouth withtweezers, forceps or the blunt end of atoothpick (for smaller species).Foodshould be placed well back in themouth when the chick gapes. This issupplemented with mealworms andinsects as well as insect-coveredfoliage. Chicks also require 2% of themeat weight in calcium as well as 1g ofavian vitamins per 200g of food. Thiswill ensure that the chick receives the

correct nutritional content that itrequires to grow healthy strong bones.As a general rule, carnivorous birdsmay take up to 50ml/kg body weightper feed.

Some kookaburras are quite calmaround humans, but others areextremely nervous and often injurethemselves trying to get away. Theyshould be disturbed as little as possibleand placing towels/blankets over theircages reduces the stress of visualstimuli. The flightier they are, thelonger it takes them to eat in captivityand the more likely they are to damagetheir feathers. They routinely do noteat for the first 4 days and sometimesrequire force feeding (small mice areuseful). They are also a kingfisher andoften appreciate a shallow dish tobathe in.

Wildlife Rescue Magazine www.wildliferescuemagazine.com November 2012 v1n6 Page 56

Kookaburra photographed by DavidCook

Kookaburra photographed by DavidCook

Feeding – usually offered a mix ofmeal worms, fly pupae, crickets, EcoPet dog food, and mice, the micebeing a preferred food. Mice are usefulto administer medications. Themedications are injected into the deadmouse and fed to the kookaburra.NATURAL HAZARDS

Leaving the nest is the mosthazardous step for a young bird, andfor some this can be a ratherpremature but nevertheless essentialevent. A Kookaburra baby is fed byboth parents and its older brothers andsisters who have yet to fly off and findtheir own area.HOUSING

Baby Kookaburras without


R8RWhen kookaburras are put in outside avairies, they spend alot of time watching out their enclosures and perches shouldbe offered to facilitate this as tail feathers are often damagedif they are hanging off wire frequently. Tail guards may be

necessary. Tail guards are not used regularly, but ifnecessary, small zip lock plastic bags stapled to the feather

shafts work well. The feathers should be dry when this is doneas mould can grow on wet feathers.

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feathers need to be kept warm 24hours a day at around 30˚C, and abrooder or hot box is best for this.(See the DIY Guy article in Issue 5.)

Young Kookaburras which nolonger need brooding, and injuredbirds with strapping or splints etc. canbe kept in a large cocky cage, partiallycovered with a blanket and cleaned outeach day. Keep the bird in a quietplace away from draughts. householdpets, people and household noise andactivity. Keep handling to a minimum.Always remembering that it is a wildbird and is naturally afraid of people.

In captivity, Kookaburras are not avery active bird, but unless they areunable to fly, they need a large aviarywith plenty of natural perches such asgum boughs and some stumps or rocksto sit on.

Kookaburras do not usually needto drink as they derive enoughmoisture from their diet but they loveto bathe and a bird bath or shallowpond with the water changed regularly,is appreciated.

The Kookaburras’ laughter istheir territorial call and they laughvery loudly before dawn each morningwhich can cause big problems withneighbours. One Kookaburra incaptivity may not laugh at all unlessthere are wild Kookaburras withinhearing distance, as they are notsoloists but choral singers.

It is best not to put Kookaburras

into an aviary with other birds,especially small ones which they willeat, so house them separately.

In the wild the kookaburra searchour termites mounds or hollows to laytheir eggs.

DIY GUY article in the last issue of themagazine will teach you how to make ahot box. Kookaburra in a termite mound high up in a gum tree. Photographed by Suzanne Lowe

10 metres up a tree this termite mound isused as a nest by the kookaburra.Photographed by Suzanne Lowe



Hygiene• Wash hands before and after feeding young chicks

• Clean the bill and surrounding skin after feeding.

• Food should be fresh, and warmed immediately before feeding.

• If reheating food in a microwave stir it thoroughly to avoid hot spots thatcan cause crop burn.

• Unused food should be discarded.

• Clean feeding implements immediately after use. Sterilise if the chick isunfeathered.

• Most kookaburra chicks will defecate over the edge of the nest. They willback up to the edge of the nest and deposit their faecal sac over its edge. Ifthe edge of the artificial nest is too high for them to do this it is importantto change the shape of the nest provided.

• Never under any circumstances leave nestlings in a nest that might havebeen brought with them. It is impossible for us to keep this type ofconstruction clean.

• Older chicks start to poop over the side of the nest and can require muchmore attention to cleaning the nest and environment.

• Birds which nest in holes or hollows often back up to the opening of thenest box and propel their faeces as far away from the hollow as possible -this liquid waste can be propelled quite a range.

• Chicks will normally defecate immediately after being fed. Remove faecesimmediately.

Any young Kookaburra chick thatis hand-reared alone will to someextent become imprinted on the carer.This might not be immediatelyobvious to the carer but on release itsconspecifics (group) will notice thedifference and may shun it. Researchhas found that these human imprintedbirds seldom breed in the wild. All itssocial behaviours will be misdirectedtowards people. When feeding chicks,therefore, try to do so in a way that thebird does not see you and above allavoid eye contact. The less handlingthat the bird has the better. Do notkeep chicks that need frequent feedingin the kitchen even though it might beconvenient to you.

It is vital, therefore, that a chickcoming into care be buddied withothers of its own kind immediately. Ifthis is impossible, a mirror in the cagemight help it to recognise others of itsspecies. When they fledge they shouldbe with a group in the aviary.STRESS

Even nestling and fledgling birdscan be affected by stress. The moreobvious signs of stress are fluffing-uptheir feathers or tucking their headunder the wing. Appropriate food,shelter and comfort will decreasestress, which in turn, may increasetheir rates of recovery and release.HOUSING

Nestlings feel secure and thereforeless stressed if the nest size and shape

is appropriate for the species. In thecase of Kookaburra, they should be ina nest box made specifically for them –the hole must be at the top and sunmust not be able to reach them as thiscan cause problems with their eyeslater.

With juveniles, the housingshould be lined with shadecloth andface the outdoors, with a cover toinsulate them from human sights andsounds. Whenever possible allhusbandry tasks, such as weighing,watering, cleaning and medicatingshould be done once a day at the onetime. Arboreal birds (especiallykookaburras) should be housed inenclosures that are at head height.

Cages should have an area wherethe birds can hide when they feelthreatened - nest boxes or tree hollowsfor cavity nesters like the kookaburraand perches placed as high as possiblein the cage, with some leafy branchesfor shelter.

With thanks to NormaHenderson’s notes on the‘Identification and Care of Chicks,Nestlings and Fledglings’, DrPhillippa Mason's notes from theNational Rehabilitation Conference2005, ‘Rehabilitating Birds’ andfinally to the ‘Birdcare andconservation Society'.

To rehabilitate an animal and bird and toset it free – is the most wonderful feeling inthe world. Here is a Kookaburra flying freein the wild. Photographed by BenjaminSloan


‘Kookaburras’CLICK HERE to see more!

www.ozwildart.com

Elizabeth CogleyAustralian Wildlife Artist

Ever wondered what was in thosetree hollows? Well now you canhave a non-invasive look inside

but before I start I need to work on mycommunication and timing skills.

Picture this - it’s a wonderfulevening experimenting in the ManShed when I meander up to theHomestead with a New Bright Idea torun past she who must be obeyed. Iwalk in muttering we need a “Pole”,unbeknown to me, She is watchingsome show called “Dances with theStars” [sheesh!] And a I get a well-placed 4x2 behind the ears before I canexplain myself…

“Not THAT type of ‘pole’ whatwere you thinking?”

Anyways back to the project.There are some wonderful gadgetsshowing up all over the place and thisis how they can be modified for ourwildlife work. This is a 2.4 Gigahertz[yes I can all hear you saying awhat?]… it is wireless… so you don’tneed a cable from the camera to themonitor.

Don’t forget some hollows aredark and the LED headlight worksgreat as you can also change howbright you want it to be.

The pole is from a pool scooper

Camera andwireless receivermounted on a pole

Glen Burston


TTHHEE DD..II..YY GGUUYY

A simple pole camera

and is available from Bunnings and atthe time of this article was under $30each on special. Just squash one end tomake a mounting platform for thecamera - it’s easy as its aluminium.

I have two poles – one is 5m long[extended], and the other is 4m long[extended]. That gives me a range to9m plus me at 2m tall gets me to 11m.Don’t believe me? Check the photoout.

Joining is easy and can be done inthe field using wing nuts. These poles


Here we have the camera, torch and thereceiver that connects up to a standard TV.

The camera is the rectangular thingie onthe top. Below it is a LED headlight minusthe head strap, attached using a cable tieand double sided tape.

The rear shot shows the charger positionand the switch for different channels andthat little antenna.

are great as one will slide into theother. Just remove the plastic insertand drill a couple of holes for thebolts.

Wireless allows us to go into thebush and it will transmit back to thecar. Did I say it’s all in colour too!.Wanna know the range — 200m+ inthe open and about 30m in thick bush.

Awesome.I fitted a 12v to 240v inverter

some time ago into the back of theRescue Vehicle and it has come inhandy many a time. So it is biggerthan what we need but I am a blokeafter all.

The inverter also powers heatboxes and heat pads when we go anddo rescues.

Well I do hope this has helped andwill allow you to see what is in all

those hollows out there safely. By theway this can be used both day andnight so what are you doing? Go getout there!

Any questions or need help justsend us an email.

Happy HollowsThe DIY Guy


I have two poles – one is 5m long[extended], and the other is 4m long[extended]. That gives me a range to 9mplus me at 2m tall gets me to 11m.

Joining is easy and can be done in thefield using wing nuts. These poles aregreat as one will slide into the other Justremove the plastic insert and drill acouple of holes for the bolts.

TV monitor and inverter in the boot of the Rescue Vehicle.

As with almost every rescue, thephone rang. It was Brook fromParks Victoria calling from the

Bellarine Vet Clinic in Drysdale, theyhad found a emaciated baby pelicanthey wanted me to take in.

He was so underweight, his keelbone was visible and poking outthrough his downy feathers.

We had had lots of pelicans overthe years, come into care. Injured frombeing tangled in fishing line. Almostall the pelicans had fishing hooks inthem, still attached to fishing line andsinkers. David, my husband now has anice collection of fishing lures, hooks,and sinkers all collected from injuredpelicans.

So the pelican came into our lives.He didn’t think much of the dead fishwe tried to feed him. By law, we arenot allowed to feed him live fish. SoDavid had to force fed him for almost2 weeks. We filled all our ponds upwith fresh water and encouraged himto feed himself.

He became a very expensive birdto fed, upon release; we were spendingup to $20.00 a day on his fish to feedhim. And by then we also had 5 babyGannets in care.

Our outdoor enclosures are under

surveillance 24/7 with a web camallowing us to monitor all the wildlifein the backyard, without them seeingus.

It was almost two weeks before wereceived the pelican; we had rescuedour first baby gannet. When weintroduced the baby gannet to thepelican, it was love at first sight.

They were instant best friends.Whenever the gannet made a noise,the pelican was there, to see if he wasalright. We recorded footage of thepelican mothering the baby gannet,even to the point of trying to feed it.

They were inseparable, theyswam, ate, played and slept togetherfor the next 8 weeks.

By that time, we had now 5 babygannets, 2 seagulls and a pelicanleading the group.

The gannets were fed on whitebait and the pelican was fed on all thelarger fish. He was growing into a verybig pelican. 20 kilos of white bait waslasting only 2 days.

On April 6th 2008, we decided torelease him. He had grown into abeautiful healthy pelican. As withrescues, we try to involve ourvolunteers to attend the releases.

When the pelican was released,

Helen BurrellPelicans and gannets


there wasn’t a dry eye on the beach.He had never flown for a long

distance before, apart from the littleflapping hops around his enclosure, sowe were not sure how the releasewould go.

He stood there on the beach forwhat seemed like forever, before hemoved. He then lifted his head, outstretched his wings and startedflapping running towards the water.

Before we knew it, he was airborne, effortlessly gaining height withevery flap of his wings. His wing spanwas around 10 ft.

We stayed and watched him landon and take off from the water severaltimes. As I said before there wasn’t adry eye on the beach. No one spoke,but as if on cue everyone started toclap their hands. And through thetears of joy, we laughed and huggedeach other. A perfect release.

We have only seen him once sincehis release. He has a blue no11 on hisright shoulder above his wing, toenable us to keep an eye out for himand to make sure he is doing ok.

So far so good, a greatrehabilitation and even better release.


Gannets in care

Pelican in care

VOTE


Morris.


Exclusive to

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Only $7.50ea + $2.00 p&h




This Galah was handed into meafter being hit by a car andleft on the road to die with a

broken leg.The vet examines her leg (photo

14), with the left leg seen facingoutwards that was realigned and had apin inserted into the left leg.

Photo 15 shows the vet examiningthe wing.

There was also a fracture at thecarpus (wrist) on the right, and thatwas placed in a splint.

The Galah was also givenantibiotics.

Three weeks later the leg is now

stable with the pin and splint removedand she is perching on it as shown inphoto 2.

Photo 3 shows the galah in theaviary learning to fly again.

A good quality parrot mix wasbeing fed to the Galah avoiding blacksunflower seeds.Photos taken by NORA PRESTON.NORA PRESTONFounding PresidentWILDLIFE CARERS GROUPPO Box 3509WESTON CREEK ACT 2611Mobile: 0406 056 099

A very lucky Galah in the aviary learning to fly again.

Nora PrestonGalah hit and run


Photo 14. The Galah’s broken left leg.

Photo 15. the vet examining the wing.


3 weeks later the leg is now stable with thepin and splint removed and she is perchingon it as shown in photo 2.


VOTE


Morris.

Tully the wombat is one luckycar accident victim althoughsadly her mum was not.

Orphaned and alone this youngfemale wombat was in the right placeat the right time as Steven Kuiter wasmaking his way back from a nocturnalphotography session (Steven is an avidwildlife photographer) when he saw aadult wombat that had just been hit bya car.

Not knowing if the wombat wasalive or dead he pulled over and wentback to check. Although the wombathad passed Steven had the presence ofmind to check the sex and realised itwas a female with a healthy and liveyoung joey in her pouch.

He then went about gentlyremoving the baby wombat from thepouch and although this may seem asimple task it is not, wombat pouchesare extremely tight and often the onlyway to get a wombat joey out is to cutthe pouch open which is exactly whatSteven did.

When Steven arrived homeMichelle from Animalia was on herway to take the young pinkie into careand this process was made in such agood way due to Steven’s actions in theway he had kept her warm inside his

Michelle ThomasTully and Wilma


top. This meant that when she wastaken back to the shelter she could befed immediately.

With only minor scratches Tullyhas been packing on the weight and isone of the calmest wombats to ever becared for by Michelle. Steven and hismother Alison have both made weeklyvisits to photograph and document theprogress of young Tully since shearrived at the Shelter in August 2011.

Tully started off on 3 hourly feedsall through the day and night. Shestacked on the weight and then startedto have bigger feeds further apart.Once she was mobile she startedchewing on grass and leaves.

Fortunately for Tully, Michellereceived another female wombat whohad also been orphaned. Wombatsadjust and learn life experiences betterwhen there are two of them to workthings out and they also learn toplay/fight for future wild living.

Wilma arrived at Animalia Shelterand the two wombats became best ofbuddies, playing with each other andfinally doing what all good wombatsdo.... digging a burrow in theiroutside enclosure.

They are both on dried food, leafand whatever grass and roots they canfind in their enclosure... but they stilldo love their formula. At about 2.8kgthey are growing. (November 2011)

Tully and Wilma spend all theirtime in their outside enclosure with

their self constructed burrow, feastingon carrots, vegies, grass and oats. Theyare both healthy and happy.... look likewombats and smell like wombats.(March 2012)

UPDATETully & Wilma were moved to a

private property in Nar Nar Goonafter Alison Michelle and Grahambuilt a temporary pre release enclosurein which they would be able to adjustto their new surroundings.

They were released from thetemporary enclosure on 20th October2012, and are enjoying a truly wild life.Animalia receives regular updates fromthe property owners and on the 1st ofNovember 2012 Tully had built asecondary burrow on the property.

Check out the story inMornington Peninsula Newspaper"The News"

http://www.mpnews.com.au/wombat.html


VOTE


Morris.



RATIONALE FOR THESTUDY

Over many years we haveexperienced frustration in findingeffective methods to treat a range ofproblems in young possums in care;conditions such as malnourishment,poor appetite and feeding, failure tothrive, Caecal Stasis, low immunitydiseases (bacterial and fungal), anddiarrhoea. In some cases of course,there is a known reason for thecondition but response to the usualtreatment methods has often beendisappointing. Records of all babyRingtails coming into care over 8 years(some 3000 possums) show that,despite using known preventativemeasures and many medications andmethods to treat these conditions ourresults – the numbers surviving - havenot improved. This particularly appliesto Caecal Stasis.

In May 2009 we set up a means ofrecording the history, symptoms andtreatment for all ‘in care’ babiesexhibiting early signs of poordevelopment and malnourishment –symptoms we had come to recogniseas invariably the precursors of CaecalStasis, as well as other conditions suchas susceptibility to bacterial and fungal

infections for instance. We wanted tolook at the effectiveness of thedifferent treatment methods availableto us. We believe our results show avery positive story.

THE INITIAL STUDYCarers of baby Ringtails were

asked to watch particularly for at leasttwo of three emerging signs and reportin immediately these were noted. Thesigns were:

• Thin face, tail and limbs.• Poor, sparse fur development• A large or ‘pudgy’ abdomen, out

of proportion to the rest of the body.These were considered with all

the known data on the animal’s history– reason for rescue, early feedinghistory and weight gain. If the possumwas considered to be ‘at risk’ in termsof this study, the carer was asked tofollow a regime of treatment and makerecords daily, covering such areas as:weight, abdomen (measurement, feeland noise), any medications(prescribed by Vet), supplements ( eg.fibre, High Protein Supplement,Oxbow Critical Care), normal diet (formula, leaves), fluids (extra?), urineand faeces condition and output,behaviour (stress, backriding?),housing (space for exercise, compatible

buddies?), fur growth, independence.In the short period of this study

we have the progress of seven youngpossums recorded in detail. Here wewill have a quick look at two of these:

Tommy – a case history.Rescue weight 43g. In cat’s mouth

but no marks.Always thin, poor weight gain,

poor fur development.Several formula changes, trying to

improve appetite and nutritionalabsorption.

Happily buddied, but buddiesgrowing and developing better.

Nibbling leaves, but not as muchas buddies.

Pudgy tummy noted at 120g.Recording commenced.Continued normal diet (feeding

self formula and leaves at night).Given three extra feeds through

the day – extra fluids (weak lectade)with ¼ tsp.

OxbowCC sprinkled over, kept upfor 3 weeks.

Monitored toileting for 10 days –all normal, including soft caecalpellets, so not continued.

Results for Tommy:After 3 weeks, abdomen

decreased, face and tail filling out, fur

thickening.OxbowCC now added to formula

only (self feeding at night).Supplements - extra protein and

vegetables given over the weaningperiod (as we normally do).

All ‘supplements’ (includingOxbowCC) ceased about three weeksbefore release.

Soft released fit and wild.The ultimate survival measure –

Tommy is now a father! (He was softreleased in the garden of his carer, henested with one of his ‘buddies’ andthe following year both are still around– with joeys).

Lucky – a case historyRescue weight 54g.Emaciated and several deep

wounds from bird pecks on face andshoulder.

Poor weight gain.Poor fur development.Pudgy tummy noted at 80g.

Records and treatment commenced.Hand feeding formula four times

daily – OxbowCC added to milk.From 160g. normally feeding self

at night only – still taken out twicedaily for extra fluids and OxbowCC.

240g. abdomen normal, furthickening, face and tail fatter.

Beverley YoungHerbivore nutrition supplements


OxbowCC added to milk and water incage only (night feed).

420g. released fit and wild, withbuddies.

In both cases, comparing with pastrecords, Oxbow was the only newtreatment used.

We have to believe OxbowCCmade the difference – survival.

OXBOW Critical Care andVETAFARM Critta Care Herbivore

We will now look at the twoproducts in this study. We startedtrialling Oxbow first – we had heardabout it just before starting the study.Later we heard there was an Australianproduct made by Vetafarm, and we areincluding this in our discussionalthough we have not had sufficienttime to study results from its use.Basically both products are nutritionsupplements for herbivores, though inthe case of Oxbow, not specifically forAustralian wildlife. We have been verypleased to see just how effectiveOxbowCC has been for possums – andthere is further discussion on itsbenefits for other wildlife. Theproducts have very similar contents.

BROAD ANALYSISNatural fibreProteinMineralsVitamins – (the higher level of

Vitamin D in Vetafarm was an initialconcern as Vitamin D can be toxic topossums. However we have confirmed

its safety).Probiotics (though, in Oxbow

these are negated by quarantine‘zapping’ on entry to this country)

BENEFITSDigestive balancePromotion of micro-floraEssential nutrimentFibre for gut healthCONCLUSIONS FROM THE

INITIAL STUDYResults using OxbowCC versus

previous treatments showed verypositive results.

• Seven treated – seven successful,all now released fit and wild. We mustassume that at least some of thesewould have gone on to develop CaecalStasis.

• Statistics from previous 5 years –an average of six died from CaecalStasis per year.

• This year, using OxbowCC –only one, not in the controlled study,died from Caecal Stasis.

ONE DEATH FROM CAECALSTASIS – WHAT WENT WRONG?

This possum was not in theoriginal controlled study but the carerhad used OxbowCC and had keptrecords of her own so we investigatedto see if there was an explanation forOxbow appearing not to help in thiscase. The possum died late in care –just 3 weeks before it was due to bereleased. The history:

Baby rescued at 62g., always a

poor feeder, poor weight gain and‘sticky’ faeces.

Started on Oxbow at 70g, becausebaby was malnourished, thin, had poorsparse fur, and was falling well behindhis buddies of the same age, indevelopment.

Oxbow was added to the milkfeeds, but ceased when possum was123g. because the appetite hadimproved.

Continued to develop, but wellbehind the buddies. A new carer tookthem at aviary stage and she noted helooked thin, and was often ‘rejected’by the buddies (pushed out of thedrey).

He died eight days after weaningceased. When found on the floor hehad all the signs of Caecal Stasis – verydistended abdomen, very thin, andpoor fur cover. He was only 268g.Several important points stood out:

• Oxbow should have beencontinued through to at least afterweaning – ie. it was stopped too soon.

• Weaning was too early and notsupported with extra nutrition.

• His system was so compromisedhe could not survive on leaves alone,after weaning, so he quickly lostweight and died in typical CaecalStasis condition.

OTHER RINGTAILCONDITIONS – responding well toOxbow.

THRUSH

Five severe cases were recorded,three of these with additional bacterialskin infections. Oxbow was used as amilk substitute for three days. Thiswas in addition to the usual treatmentfor Thrush – Nilstat, and Baytril forthe bacterial infection.

In each case recovery was quickerthan in the past, there was no weightloss and there were no side effectsfrom the medications. Wherediarrhoea was present it cleared upquicker than usual.

We believe OxbowCC workedbecause it gave essential nutrition toboost the general condition andimmunity, and stimulated micro florain the gut. We know these infectionstypically strike when you have a bodyin low condition – Oxbow helps thebody to fight off infection, by buildingup general health.

Other conditions treatedsuccessfully with Oxbow:

• Poor appetite, poor weight gain– add to regular feeds

• Diarrhoea – Oxbow used as asupplement or substitute for milk.

• Weaning stresses – additionalnutriment as milk is withdrawn.Vetafarm being used through weaningin current trials.

OTHER WILDLIFEBENEFITTING – in Sydney Wildlife

BRUSHTAIL POSSUMSExcellent results in cases of poor

appetite/underweight problems and


diarrhoea.• Case #1 – severe diarrhoea for 5

weeks. When milk was stopped thediarrhoea stopped. However thisyoung joey needed his milk so Oxbowwas added to the milk – this made thedifference - there was no morediarrhoea and he started to put onweight normally.

• Case #2 – this joey, rescued at40g. had had constant diarrhoea for 10weeks! He had been treated withantibiotics and probiotics, with noeffect. His very experienced carer hadtried everything known. We startedhim on Oxbow in his milk and hisfaeces immediately started to firm up –the first pellets appearing 4 days later!He is now 400g. and doing very well.

• Case #3 – 350g. joey came inwith mother dying from poisoning.This joey would not take formula, ateonly a few leaves and went downhillfor two weeks. At this stage Oxbowwas added to the formula and heimmediately took 15mls. Over the nextfew days his appetite and intakeincreased to normal for his age. Oncenormal feeding was established Oxbowwas discontinued (after one week) andhe has progressed to develop normally.

We have had reports of successwith Oxbow with other herbivoremarsupials – wombats, koalas andkangaroos. There is a lot to learn butcertainly the possibilities

are encouraging.

Dr. Anne Fowler has given ussome ‘Potential Uses for OxbowCC’

• Give around caecal colonisationtime in healthy orphan possums. Weare currently trialling Vetafarm withtwo joeys at this stage.

• Give when macropod/wombatjoeys are starting to mouth and chewsolid food.

• Give to sick orphans to assistwith normalising gut flora and provideeasily digestible energy. Successfultrials as described.

• Give to sick/injured adults tosupplement energy intake or weanback on to solid food. Currently usingVetafarm with a severely injured adult– it is making a good recovery.

CONCLUSIONSOxbowCC has been proved to

assist in helping sick and malnourishedwildlife.

OxbowCC saved every potentialCaecal Stasis victim in the controlledstudy.

No negative effects have beennoted with the use of OxbowCC orVetafarm Critta Care Herbivore.

The supplements are readilyavailable and easy to feed.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSOxbow Australia Vetafarm Terry

McKayDr.Anne Fowler Uta Wicke Ian

YoungSydney Wildlife Carers: Carol

Abbott, Lee Adolfson, Dianna Bissett,

Glenda Clark, Frances Heath, HollyManwaring, Helen Merkel, ClaireNewman, David and Janice Pitt,Claire Seccombe


Edited by NSW Vet: Dr Ross Perry

Common Name: Willy Wagtail, alsospelt Willie Wagtail.

Description: The Willy Wagtail isthe largest, and most well-knownnative bird to Australia. There areThree subspecies recognised:• eucophrys from central and

southern Australia, • the smaller picata from northern

Australia and • the larger melaleuca from New

Guinea and the islands.The Willy Wagtail belongs to the

Fantail family. They grow from 18.5 to21.5 cm. Its plumage is entirely blackon top with a white tummy, it also haswhite eyebrows and white whiskermarks. The young birds look similar tothe adult birds, the only difference isthey have a paler, slightly rusty edgeon the feathers of their wings.

Habitat: Widespread andabundant, the Willy Wagtail is foundthroughout most of the Eastern andSouth-eastern mainland of Australia,and Northern Tasmania, but is notfound in Northern Queensland. Theylive in most open forests andwoodlands. They prefer the wetterareas, with lots of leaf-litter, forA Willy Wagtail.

Photographed by Jeremy Ringma

Jodie BlackneyWilly Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys)


feeding, and mud that is available forbuilding their nest.

The Willy Wagtail is at home in awide variety of habitats. It lives almostin any habitat except for very denseforests; it prefers semi-open woodlandor grassland with scattered trees, oftennear wetlands or bodies of water.Although the Willy Wagtail is mostoften seen singly or in pairs, they mayform flocks in winter and often mixwith other types of birds.

Behaviour: The Willy Wagtail isalmost always on the move and israrely still for more than a fewmoments during daylight hours. Evenwhile perching it will flick its tail fromside to side, twisting about looking forprey. It is called a "wagtail" because itconstantly wags its tail in a sidewaysmotion.

The Willy Wagtail is highlyterritorial and can be quite fearless indefending its territory. The male andfemale will both defend their territoryagainst other birds, dogs, cats andother pairs of willy wagtails, enlargingtheir eye brows in threat. Defeat issignaled by reducing the eyebrows andretreating. Their territories rangefrom 1-3 ha area. They generally aremore defensive in the breeding season.

Food: Willy Wagtails eat a widevariety of arthropods, includingbutterflies, moths, flies, spiders,centipedes, beetles, weevils, fly larvae,sugar ants, grasshoppers, crickets,


A Willy wagtail taking a drink.Photographed by Jan Martin

Willy Wagtail with a dragonfly.Photographed by Grahame Bowland


A willy wagtail in care. It is best to try tohave more than one in care howeversometimes that is impossible.Photographed by Elizabeth Nathan.


millipedes, cockroaches, earwigs,ladybirds, caterpillars, ants, cicadas,bees, termites, lacewings andmosquitoes, wasps and bees.

While Willy Wagtails are in carethey must be offered insects which aresoft – not hard or sharp.

They are very active when theyfeed, darting around lawns as theycatch their food. Willy Wagtails areoften seen with domestic and farmanimals, like cattle and sheep, wherethey may run behind them while theyare moving and snatch the insects asthey are disturbed.

Breeding: Willy Wagtails usuallypair for life. The breeding season is


The nest of a Willy wagtail is made up ofSpiderweb,, here you can see the parent-to-be still creating its nest. Photographedby Nihal.

R8RAt Fishermans Beach LongReef in NSW, willy wagtailsfeed extensively and intenselyon the flies hovering over the

rotting kelp. Fruit fliesDrosophila can be bred in a

large dry fish tank forfledglings in short term care,just add rotting fruit and useof a UV light at night toattract soft insects – this

would be helpful.(With thanks to Dr Ross Perry for this

information.)

R8R

mainly from August to February,anywhere up to four broods may beraised during this time. The nest is aneatly woven cup made of grasses,mud, strips of bark and other fibrousmaterial which is then covered withspider's web on the outside and linedinside with soft grasses, hair or fur.The nest of the Willy Wagtail may bere-used in successive years, or an oldnest is often destroyed and thematerials used in the construction of anew nest. The nests are normally builton a horizontal branch of a tree, orother similar structure.

The female lays two to four,cream- white coloured eggs, which arespeckled with grey and brown. Bothmale and female sit on the eggs andthe young birds hatch after about 14days. Once hatched, both parents takepart in feeding the young, and may


This willy wagtail couple have chosen tobuild their nest precariously at the end of atwiggy branch. Photographed by Susan A. Sneath

Willy wagtail chicks. Photographed by Hone Morihana

Willy Wagtail on her nest in the WarriewoodWetlands, Northern Sydney, NSW.Photographed by Richard Fabiszweski


Willy wagtail on her eggs. Photographed bySusan A. Sneath


Recently hatched chicks and an egg of thewilly wagtail. Photographed by MaraikaMason


continue to do so while the female laysmore eggs, the nestlings remain in thenest for around 14 days beforefledging, the mother will lay anotherbrood of eggs and the nestlingswarmth help keep the new eggs warm,so both parents can continue to feedthe larger babies, when the youngfledge they will stay with the parentsfor a further two weeks until the eggsfrom the next clutch start to hatch.Upon leaving, the fledglings willremain hidden in cover nearby for afew days before venturing furtherafield. Parents will stop feeding themnear the end of the second week, as theyoung birds increasingly forage forthemselves. Then they are driven awayby the parents.


Willy wagtail chicks. Photographed bySusan A. Sneath

R8RReasons why WillyWagtails might come

into careNatural Hazards – SomeWilly Wagtails are injured ordisplaced during severe storms.

After storms the young birds maybe found on the ground, havingfallen or been blown from the

nest.Predation – Cat attacks

Humans – Children robbing the nest

R8R

Can they be reunited with theirParents?

Willy Wagtail fledglings leave thenest sometime before they are able tofly. They will remain around theirparents for a few days before venturingfurther afield. Sometimes a wellmeaning person might find them andby mistake think that they need help.Always ensure that rescue is necessary.

If the Willy Wagtail is a nestling,it does require its parents to survive, soit will need to be reunited with itsparents if possible. Returning anestling to its nest requires making asubstitute nest, or placing the young inthe original nest. You can make anartificial nest out of an margarinecontainer, or an old flower pot, makesure there is a drainage hole in thebottom of either one you use.

Do not feed the nestling beforeyou return it, as you want it to beg andscream for food, getting the parentsattention. Monitor from a distance tomake sure the parents do go down andfeed it. If the chick is not claimed byparents within two hours, it will needto be collected and taken to yournearest wildlife rehabilitationorganisation.

Transporting: The best way to transport a Willy

Wagtail is in a small cardboard boxwith air holes for ventilation, with aclean towel on the bottom to stop thebird from slipping around in the box,


Soon to be fledglings. Photographed bySteve Scally

and a feather duster on top so it feelssafe and secure. Once the bird isenclosed it should settle down,minimizing feather damage that canoccur in an open wire cage or carrybasket.

Handling: Perform and initial assessment.How active is the Willy Wagtail?

Are there are any obvious injuries?Does it need urgent medical attention?If so, take it straight to the vet or anexperienced wildlife carer for anassessment.

Be aware that even baby birds areafraid of us so do not handle a birdmore than necessary. Keep the bird ina quiet place until you can assess anyinjuries safely. Passing around a babybird for children or friends to see isunacceptable. These are not pets so donot treat them as such.

Keep the bird isolated to avoidspreading disease to other birds andnever put your birds near or arounddomestic pets.

If you are not experienced incaring for wildlife, you will need tocontact your local Wildlife RescueOrganisation in your area as soon aspossible to get advice or for someoneto collect the bird.

First Aid.Hopefully the homeless or

orphaned Willy Wagtail chick willarrive uninjured. Check if it issuffering from any degree of shock, or

stress or it may be cold. Signs of shock can be;

• Increased heart rate.• Increased respiratory rate.• Dilated pupils.• Decreased body temperature.• Overall depressed appearance.• Heat stress; pantinh (beak open)

wings speading.• Sitting at the bottom of the cage,

listlessness Willy wagtail chicks can feel quite

hot as its body temperature can be fivedegrees hotter than humans. If itcomes in cold, you must immediatelyplace it in a warm, dark box in a quietplace to recover and get its bodytemperature back to normal. Do notfeed the chick, until you are sure it iswarm and stable.

Stress causes dehydrating, so allbirds coming into care should betreated for dehydration. Fluids shouldbe given at body temperature, dribblethe water on the outside of the beakand wait for it to swallow it. Rehydratewith lectade or vytrate, or oneteaspoon of glucose in a cup of warmwater is ok. A dehydrated bird willhave wrinkled skin.

If the bird is unable to take anyfluids orally, it should be taken to a vetor a very experienced wildlife carer, sothey can give subcutaneous (under theskin) injection of fluids.

Willy Wagtails in careWilly Wagtails are small


Willy Wagtail Fledgling. Photographed byElizabeth Nathan

Willy Wagtails need warmth while they arefeatherless. Photographed by Ian Lawrie


insectivores, ground feeders; they areshy and prefer to avoid humancompany.

They have a special niche in thehabitat and should be returned to theexact location they were found whenreleased. Mortality rate while in care isvery high due to high stress reactionand little or no body reserves of fat.They can be difficult to feed over aprolonged time in care.

Young Willy Wagtails are difficultto raise in captivity due to the problemof monitoring energy requirementsand their constant need for feeding.Young willy wagtails should be fed asoften as every 20 -30 minutes duringall daylight hours.

If the birds are reared to fledglingstage, the education of the young birdin collection of its food is vital tosurvival in the wild. There is a highmortality rate at the time of movementto an aviary, due to the higher energyoutput and the difficultly inmonitoring their intake of food.Temperature control is also importantfor the young willy wagtail as they areso small they will lose heat veryquickly.

Willy Wagtails are fed by theirparents after fledging for up to twoweeks, so educating the bird to feedcan be encouraged by placing themwith adult willy wagtails.

Feeding baby Willy WagtailsWilly Wagtails can be difficult to


A Willy Wagtail fledgling Photographed by Dean Wiles

feed in captivity, they do not recognizecaptive food and usually require force–feeding. The sooner a natural diet isprovided, the better.

Their food should include insectsin some portion each day. This can bedone by either as a paste for forcefeeding or as small pieces of insectsadded to the supplementary food. Thesupplementary food will need to behigh in energy, high in fluid and wellbalanced. With small birdsdehydration is a serious problem.

Or you can feed them 50% mincemeat and 50% Insectivore Mix(Wombaroo), along with crushed smallinsects, make into small pellets andbefore giving them to the chicks, dipthem in water, the use of tweezers(plastic is better) makes it easier toplace the pellet well back in the mouthwhen the chick gapes.

You can supplement meals withcrushed mealworms, squashed pinhead crickets or squashed dragon flylavae. If you use mealworms, you needto separate a few first and kill them bypouring boiling water over them in abowl, rinse them with cold water anduse tweezers to feed or forceps whichare much safer (removing the heads).

Maggots are a good standby food;however they should not be fed tothem for too long as they are very highin fats. (If you live near the beaches ofSydney, lots of maggots inhabit thesand under moist kelp)


Willy Wagtails depend on their parents to feed them even after they have left the nest but are still fledglings. Phtographed by Dean Wiles

Willy Wagtail chicks will opentheir gape when the arrival of theirparents come to sit on the nest. Themovement of the nest is the stimulus,so if you tap the edge of the nest youshould get an instant open mouthready to be filled. If this doesn’thappen straight way maybe try to tapharder or softer on the nest, or gentlyshake the nest. If tapping and shakingon the nest doesn’t work, try gentlytouching the fleshy sides of the beak. Ifall fails you might have to open thechicks mouth and very gently put thefood in it.

Hygiene when feeding a baby birdis very important. You should alwayswash your hands before and afterfeeding baby willy wagtails. Clean thebeak and surrounding skin afterfeeding. Unused food should bediscarded. Willy wagtails will defecate


R8RFine meat mix

50g fine ground beef20g crushed dry dog food2 teaspoons of wheatgerm1 hard boiled egg but use yolk only for

small birdsgood pinch calcium carbonateadd some insectivore mix (Wombaroo)Mix well and from into very small

pellets for feeding

R8R

over the edge of their nests, they willback up to the edge of the nest anddeposit their faecal sac over the edge.If the edge of the artificial nest is toohigh for them to do this, it isimportant that you change the shapeof the nest you have put them in.Willy Wagtail chicks will normallydefecate immediately after being fed,so you will have to remove faecesimmediately. It is important that thelining of the nest where the feet touchis not slippery. I good idea to putmaterial type bandaids or plasteraround the rim They need to be ableto grip and the nest shape inside needsto be concave to prevent leg splay etc...

Important things to remember;• Never give fluids (glucose and

water) to birds until its injurieshave been assessed.

• Never try to give oral fluids orfood to a bird with trauma injuries(concussion, internal injuries andshock) or if the bird is vomiting orcoughing.

• Never open the bird’s beak fromthe tip, always open it by puttingfingers either side of the beak atthe back in front of the jaw andgently prize open.

• Never feed milk to birds. • Never pour water down a bird’s

beak. • Never feed a cold bird, always

warm it up first - both adults andbabies.

ImprintingAny young willy wagtail chick

which is being raised by a carer, will tosome extent become imprinted. Toavoid imprinting on the young birds,try to when feeding the chicks do so ina way they cannot see you always andavoid all eye contact. The lesshandling of the young birds, thebetter. It is important that a youngwilly wagtail chick coming into care,will hopefully have some siblings withit or if you have any other willywagtails in care they will need to bepaired up with them immediately.

Nestling HousingNestling - unfeathered willy

wagtails need a temperature between33c – 37c. This will need to begradually lowered as the feathers beginto grow. The artificial nest should bein a hospital box or cage and theenvironment should be kept humid. Itis easier to feed the bird if the hospitalbox or cage has a door that opens fromthe top.

Nestling willy wagtails can behoused in a lined dish or icecream/margarine container, dependingon how big it is. Bunch up papertoweling or toilet paper so that thenestling is cushioned on all sides. Itcan be lightly covered with a featherduster to stimulate the mother sittingon it. The nestling should be able toplace their behinds over the edge oftheir nest to deposit their package of

faecal sac.Willy wagtails require a higher

temperature, as they are small birdsthey lose body heat much faster thanother larger birds. They will die ifover–heated then if under heated. Tohelp regulate the temperature, startwith a lower temperature and increaseit until the correct temperature isreached. (between 33-37c)

If you are using a light bulb as asource of heat, it is recommended touse coloured 25 or 40watt light bulbsrather than white or clear ones. If youneed to decrease or increase thetemperature adjust the height of thebulb within the hospital box or cage. Ifyou are using a heat pad for a source ofheat, you will need to add additionaltowels on top of the pad to ensure thebabies don’t get too hot. The babiesthen can be placed in their cage orcontainer on the covered heat pad.

All birds need some sunlight inorder to produce vitamin D, which isessential for the absorption of calcium.If you can place the willy wagtailsomewhere it can receive sunlight eachday ( not through glass), that wouldhelp with them getting their vitamin Dintake. If you cannot do this, you willneed to add to its diet Vitafarm“Calcivet Liquid Calcium and VitaminD3 Supplement for Birds”. This is aspecially formulated as a supplementproviding calcium, vitamin D3 andmagnesium to be added to their

Willy Wagtails in Care – they like to poopover the edge of the nest so make sure thatthey have access to do this. Photographedby Tracy Brownell


drinking water or sprinkled over theirfood.

Cages and AviariesA correct size cage is the most

important factor to consider whenhousing a willy wagtail. A plantedaviary is best, they should not becaught for force–feeding once placedin the avairy.

Water should be for them, this isessential. They require a naturalhousing, to reduce stress, andencourage natural feeding and provideessential exercise. Insects in plentifulsupply need to be in the aviary,provided at all times in a small waterbowl /dish or tray. Caution must betaken when installing water bowls ordishes in the aviary as not to makethem too big, a rock can be placed inthe bowl to assist the willy wagtailwhen drinking.

Their aviary should have an areawhich provides shelter, shade andkeeps the willy wagtails dry and warmin all weather conditions. This can beprovided by plenty of natural shrubs,grasses and trees in the aviary for themto rest and hide in. Place a kitty littertray on the floor of the aviary and putheaps of bugs daily in it, for them topractice hunting. Also to encourageinsects into the aviary, place rottenfruit in a tray. This will attract insectsfor the Willy wagtails so they start toforage and hunt for food.

Interestingly, at the Sydney

beaches kelp is plentiful, maggots canbe found under moist kelp and thesecan be placed in the aviary.

Willy Wagtails love to perch, so asuitable number of perches and ofvarying sizes are needed, so as not tolead to feet and claw conditions.

Hygiene and Cleaning• Always maintain good hygiene

habits. Clean out all cages andperches daily.

• Water bowls should be emptied,scrubbed and refilled daily.

• Food bowls should be cleanedevery day. Excess food removed,food bowl washed in disinfectantand rinsed thoroughly. The messaround the feed areas should becleaned up.

• Faeces should be scrubbed dailyfrom perches, aviary wire andwalls.

• Regular changing of the branches,grasses so they are always fresh.ReleaseWilly Wagtails should be released

(soft release) at the site of capture,unless there is a very good reason notto. As willy wagtails are territorial, itwill return to the family group oncereleased. A common mistake is to keepbirds too long in captivity; nestlingsneed to be released 5-6 weeks from thetime of perching. Once the willywagtails have full plumage and are ableto take off from the ground and fly,they should be released.


In the wild the Willy Wagtail likes to perch on thin branches, even when feeding theiryoung. Photographed by Susan A Sneath

Willy Wagtails in a nest as fledglings. Photographed by Steve Scally

Willy Wagtails should not be kept too long,as soon as they can fly they should bereleased back to their family group.Photographed by Elizabeth Nathan


Willy Wagtails should get a softrelease, which means setting it freewhile providing a degree of supportfollowing the release. You might haveto leave a tray of insects around at therelease site until it is more confident inits new surroundings, and hopefullyunites with its family members.

References• Caring for Australian Native Birds

by Heather Parsons, 1999• http://www.birdsinbackyards

.net/species/Rhipidura-leucophrys• Caring for Australian Wildlife by

Sharon White, 1998• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Willie_Wagtail• Identification and care of chicks,

nestlings and fledgings by NormaHenderson

We would like to thank Dr Ross Perryfor editing this article for its use inthe Wildlife Rescue Magazine


A proud Willy Wagtail. Photographed by Richard Fabiszewski


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Trowunna Wildlife Park

Trowunna has been conserving and rehabilitating native Tasmanian wildlife since 1979 and we have successfully rehabilitatedcountless orphaned native wildlife such as wombats, Tasmanian devils, quolls and a variety of birds to name a few.

Trowunna has been operating successful breeding programs, specifically Tasmanian Devils and quolls for over the past 25 years. Trowunna’s Devil population is of highest priority due to the breeding success since 1985 and is recognised as one of the longest

continuous breeding programs of any species in the world under studbook conditions.

1892 Mole Creek Road, Mole Creek, Tasmania 7304 Telephone: +61 3 6363 6162 Fax: +61 3 6367 6213 E-mail: [email protected]

TrowunnaWildlifePark

Specialised One Day Courses onTasmanian Devils and Wombats

These one day workshops are especially for those interested in acareer in the wildlife industry.

Each one day course is held on Fridays from 9am- 6pm (bookingsonly), with a BBQ lunch; morning and afternoon tea provided. The

course will be delivered through demonstrations and practicalhusbandry sessions consisting of handling, husbandry and

observation of animals in the captive collection on site. The participants of the Wombat (Vombatus ursinus tasmaniensis)

Workshop will also be given demonstrations and practicalhusbandry sessions consisting of handling, husbandry and

observation of animals in the captive collection on site.

The cost of The Tasmanian Devil Workshop and The WombatWorkshop includes printed materials, venue hire and personalisedhands on Tasmanian Devil/Wombat training. Each course is $300.

1892 Mole Creek Road, Mole Creek, Tasmania 7304Telephone: +61 3 6363 6162 Fax: +61 3 6367 6213

E-mail: [email protected]/

TrowunnaWildlifePark

The Tasmanian Devil andDasyurid Captive Management

CourseRun by Androo Kelly this course will be held at Trowunna Wildlife

Park on 29th October to 2nd November 2012.This two part course is divided into a number of sequential modules.

The first part of the course being offered (Module 1) consists ofcompetency in Dasyurid husbandry for display, focusing on

Tasmanian Devils. The second part (Module 2) will be held atTrowunna from the 4th- 8th March 2013, module 2 consists of

advanced husbandry for breeding and exhibit design.The course will be delivered on site at Trowunna Wildlife Park

located in the central north of Tasmania.The cost of The Tasmanian Devil and Dasyurid Captive Management

Course with Androo Kelly, printed study materials; venue hire;hands on training with occasional one on one Tasmanian Devil

training over the 5 days is $1,200.

1892 Mole Creek Road, Mole Creek, Tasmania 7304Telephone: +61 3 6363 6162 Fax: +61 3 6367 6213

E-mail: [email protected]/

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Bonorong Wildlife SanctuaryTASMANIA

Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary’s passion and work centres around helping our native wildlife survive. We thrive on educating as many people as possible about how we can all help save, rehabilitate andrelease injured animals. All of Bonorong’s ‘residents’ undergo meticulous assessments to ensure they

are healthy and happy in our care.

Are you passionate about wildlife?

Would you like to become a wildlife rescuer?Central to our work is Bonorong’s volunteer FOC Wildlife Program.

(Friends of Carers, Friends of Critters, Free of Charge.) This is Tasmania’s first community run wildlife assistance service,

designed to help our devoted volunteer carers and the many nativeanimals in need. We are always looking for new volunteers to help

nurse our wildlife back to health.Once trained for Bonorong’s FOC program, participants can registerto become part of Bonorong’s rescue team, spread across Hobart

and beyond so that when Bonorong receives a call about an injuredcreature on its wildlife hotline can look through the database of

rescuers and find the closest person to the incident. Being a rescuer is very non-invasive. When an animal is reported

orphaned or injured a group text is sent to all the volunteers in thatarea and people can choose to do the rescue or ignore it

if they are busy. From that point animals are either taken to a vet or cared for by the

rescuer for less than 24 hours, while Greg arranges for their transportto Bonorong where they are assigned to another group of local

heroes, the wildlife carers! Find out more at

www.bonorong.com.au/foc_program.html

Come and experience theultimate Tasmanian wildlife

evening!The ULTIMATE experience for any wildlife lover who

thrives on the up close and personal experience!This two and a half hour fully guided feeding tour of thepark has been a massive success this year and has

received the most incredible feedback. You will be insidethe enclosures with animals such astawny frogmouths, golden possum,wombats, bettongs, sugar gliders and

many more. Hand feed a Tasmanian devil!Most of our animals inTasmania are

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your exclusive tour to catch perfectviewing of all the animals. All across thepark animals emerge from their daytime

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www.bonorong.com.au/night_tours.html


We have some more training sessions scheduled so please read the info below!

If you haven’t done so already please book in for one of the sessions so you can startactively getting involved in the program.

The training sessions are run so that our FOC members learn everything to do withwildlife rescue and transportation and how to make a rescue kit. You MUST attend onetraining session before you can help out with animal rescues. This is for your own safetyand the safety of the animals that you are rescuing. We need as many of you trained aspossible to get the program working even more effectively so please try hard to find asession that suits you and book in.

Every month we have training sessions. (Please note – training sessions are all the sameso you are only required to attend one.)

Contact bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary for next training sessions - phone: 03 6268 1184.

The training sessions run for approximately 2 hours 15 minutes and there is no costinvolved. Please bring along a note pad, pen and warm clothes! (This is if you arecoming to an evening session, it can be chilly at Bonorong!)

All sessions are run at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary in the ‘Bush Tucker Shed’, oroccasionally we run a session at UTAS usually in the Life Sciences Lecture Theatre inSandy Bay. If the course you book in for is at Bonorong then when you arrive atBonorong please park your car in the top car park (not the first one you get to) as far upas possible. The building at the top end of this car park is the bush tucker shed andthere is an access door at the back of the building that people will be able to use whenthey arrive. If you choose a UTAS course then you will be given directions about oneweek before the date once we have confirmed what room we will be using.

Please RSVP for a training session via return email or by phoning Bonorong on 62681184. Children are welcome and you may bring along interested family members orfriends as long as you include them in your RSVP.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask.

We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Visit us at 593 Briggs Road, Brighton, Tasmania 7030

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Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary

Wildlife RescueTraining Sessions

[email protected]

Fauna First AidThe Program

Fauna First Aid is a wildlife lectureprogram that Linda established in

2004. The lectures are aimed at wildlifecarers, veterinary nurse students,schools and community groups.

Fourth Crossing Wildlife is incrediblyproud to announce that the AustralianGeographic Society supports Fauna

First Aid.

Linda could not be more honoured toreceive this support and thanks the

Australian Geographic Society from thebottom of her heart. The support,

donations and sponsorship from theAustralian Geographic Society will help

Linda teach the public – adults andchildren alike – how to correctly handlenative animals that have been injured or

are in distress which will help preventthe animal and the handler from being

injured during contact.

If you are interested in learning moreabout the Fauna First Aid lectures,or would like to book a session then

please email Linda [email protected].

What to do with a Wiggling WombatLinda Dennis is proud to present the two hour course, What to do with a

Wiggling Wombat, a Fauna First Aid lecture.

There are two sessions of "Wiggling Wombat", one for pre-schoolers and onedirected at children in infants and primary school.

Although titled "Wiggling Wombat" the course covers all native animalsincluding birds, kangaroos, reptiles, koalas and of course wombats!

The course includes the following topics:• What do you do if you come across a wiggling wombat in distress?

• How does your mum or dad pick up a wiggling wombat?• What do you feed a wiggling wombat?

In the fun filled program Linda shares stories of some of the native animals that have been in her care over the 10 years

she's been a wildlife carer.

There was also a "take a wild guess" competition using photographs and thewonderful native animal soft toys that were donated to the program by theAustralian Geographic Society and Mink Plush (a Division of TomFoolery

Holdings Pty Ltd).

Bookmarks featuring native animals, and chocolate Freddo Frogs, CaramelloKoalas and Fruity Frogs are given as prizes.

During the competition Linda also displayes how to properly handle a nativeanimal so that the handler and the animal are not injured. She also adviseswhat the "nasty bits" are in each animal species, such as claws and teeth

(and in the male Platypus’ case – the poisonous spurs!).

The two hour long presentation has the kids transfixed and keen to learnmore. An eight page booklet titled "What to do with a Wiggling Wombat" is

also eagerly received.

This mini-manual, which details correct handling technique, is distributed toall students for them to take home and share with their families.

The Fauna First Aid program is not only fun for participants but alsoeducational and in the long run our precious native animals will benefit from

Linda's knowledge sharing.

The more the community knows about rescuing and providing short termcare for native animals the better. And in the end, from a combined

community effort, there will be more animals that are received into care andrehabilitated by experienced wildlife carers, resulting in more animals being

returned to the bush… which is exactly where they belong.

If you would like to book a Fauna First Aid session for your school orcommunity group please contact Linda at

[email protected].

The inaugural "Wiggling Wombat" at Trinity Preschool in Orange, NSW

Class photo at Trinity Preschool

Class K12 group photo, Gum Flat Public School

Fourth Crossing Wildlife is supported and sponsored by the Wildlife Preservation Society of Australia - they do a lot to support my work

We invite you to support us with your wildlife stories –send them to me at

[email protected]

Advertise with us today – your ad islinked directly to your website –people can access you directly.Reach thousands of people.

Please emailme for advertising rates:

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From all of us here at Wildlife RescueMagazine we say goodbye and thankyou for reading the sixth issue of ourexciting new wildlife magazine!

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Issue 6A Wildlife Rescue Magazine