Sparrowhawk in hospital bay

This month has seen fifteen injured or sick wild birds of prey coming through our front doors. Most of them had sustained very severe injuries. This may have been due to the cold, windy and wet weather that the south of England has been experiencing.

The Buzzard that I wrote about last month, which was not showing signs of improvement, went back to our vet for further x-rays and was euthanased; its injury was not expected to improve.

Because of the severity of the injuries the fifteen birds had sustained, fourteen of them either died while in our care or had to be euthanased. We have seen :

• One Little Owl with a serious head injury and a closed eye.
• Three Barn Owls, one with a fractured right leg and pelvis, one with a fractured right wing and the third with an injured left wing and a lump, which may have been from a previous injury.
• Two Kestrels, one of which had probably been involved in a strike with a vehicle as it had damage to its head and eye, and one with a fractured left wing.
• Two Tawny Owls, one had hit a car and had a very badly fractured left wing, the other glanced off the side of a lorry along the A338 and came in with a bad head injury.
• Three Buzzards came to us, two with injuries to wings and spine preventing them from standing, and the other from Somerset with frounce (a mouth and throat infection which is very contagious amongst birds).
• One Peregrine Falcon with head injuries.
• One Short Eared Owl with a broken wing, which had to be euthanased by our vet as it could not be repaired.
• Two Sparrow Hawks; one died while with us from concussion and damage to its right wing and foot. The other one had some damage to its left wing and was unable to get off of the ground. Having visited our vet and spending time with us, it is healing well and now able to fly up onto a high perch. It will be released back near Hook in Hampshire when it is fully fit.

Madeleine the Secretary Bird

During the month we continued to look after Gucci, a Brown Wood Owl, and Avon and Mulberry who are Barn Owls. They are staying in the hospital overnight but spend their days out in their aviaries on the park.

We are treating Madeleine, our Secretary Bird whom many of you will know from our flying displays. She can become unwell if the weather is very cold and windy and has been into the hospital at some time during the last few winters for a short stay and some TLC. She is doing very well and will return to her aviary when the weather is considered suitable and she is ready to leave the warmth and attention of the hospital.