Yesterday, we closed our release aviary doors, bringing this years’ carrion crow and rook release saison to an end. At the end of September we opened the aviary doors for 17 crows and rooks to be soft released. Â Out of these 17 release candidates, 15 birds, consisting of 11 carrion crows and four rooks, have been successfully soft released. Two birds decided to stay and will get another release chance offered next year. These two birds will join a group of birds in our communal aviary already being earmarked for release in autumn 2018. Â Out of these 15 released birds, we released three birds, who stayed with us since 2015, three birds, who came to us in 2016, and nine birds, who have been admitted in 2017.
Soft release is a release technique, which involves continuing care for animals at the release site, particularly back-up feeding, and requires a greater commitment of time and effort than a hard release does. Soft release is particularly important for hand reared animals, especially of species which need to learn about their surroundings and need to learn survival skills such as foraging and hunting. Â It is also appropriate for older immature or adult birds, who have been maintained in captivity for prolonged periods, or are being released at a site distant from their original location, as the original location might not be suitable.
Some of the released birds have joined straightaway our local mixed rook and jackdaw as well as non-territory holding carrion crow flock, which they already got to know very well during their stay with us. Both flocks are frequent visitors to our premises, a fortunate situation, which allows direct interaction and communication between wild birds, patients and residents. Over the past weeks some of the released birds decided to come back into the safety of the release aviary to roost, whilst others came back only to get some extra snacks. Many of them stayed in the near vicinity for longer periods of time. After becoming more and more confident, which is a learning process lasting anything between several days and many weeks, we could observe these birds, when they followed the local flocks flying further and further away from the release site, to participate in daytime activities and to eventually join the night roost.
Rook Atreo
Rook Bella
Carrion crow Castor
Carrion crow Corbyn
Carrion crow Harper
Rook Hugo
Carrion crow Joey
Carrion crow Justus
Carrion crow Magnus
Carrion crow Penthesilea
Carrion crow Stella
Rook Tadeas
Carrion crow Philander
Carrion crow Merilyn
Carrion crow Bertram
Although the aviary doors are closed now, backup feeding and shelter will still be provided throughout autumn and winter. Most of the released birds are now staying away completely, or at least for longer periods of time. Some of them  are still coming back to visit their old comrades or to enjoy some food, which we will continue to provide.
When checking out the picture gallery, you will find a short summary underneath every picture telling you a little bit about the individual stories of these fascinating birds.
If you like the work we do, then please consider supporting Corvid Isle, as we are completely self founded. Please check out our support page and donate. Thank you very much in advance!
It is with great sadness that we have to announce the loss of our rook Irenaeus. He came to us in June 2017 following a phone call of a kind and concerned person, who spotted Irenaeus during a heavy downpour, when he was trying to find shelter next to a pub. We went to assess the situation and eventually decided to catch Irenaeus, who we found grounded, soaking wet and cold.
Apart from being slightly underweight and an increased internal parasite load, Irenaeus did not show any other obvious sign of disease or injury. He has been treated accordingly and settled in very quickly into our residential rook community. Over the following weeks it became clear that Irenaeus wouldn’t fly again, at least not for longer distances, despite the lack of any physical or medical reason.
Nevertheless, Irenaeus became quickly a well regarded community member amongst our rooks. Interestingly, we also noticed that in particular young birds enjoyed Irenaeus’ proximity, possibly being attracted by his very calm and relaxed attitude towards other, but in particular young birds. Over the last days of his life Irenaeus became a little quieter than usual, but still enjoyed his food and company very much.
Sadly, last night Ireneaus passed away peacefully in his sleep. We don’t know how old Ireaneus was, but we think that he must have been quite old already. We are relieved that he was able to spend the last months of his life in peace and comfort enjoying in particular the close friendship to our residential rook Anthea. Irenaeus, you will be greatly missed. Rest in peace!
Pigeons are one of the most intelligent and adaptable birds on our planet. Feral pigeons are derived from domestic pigeons that have returned to the wild. It is thought that the domestic pigeon was originally bred from the wild rock dove, which naturally inhabits sea cliffs and mountains. Although this is a commonly held view, it is probably far more likely that the rock pigeon domesticated itself in order to exploit the wasteful humane society. However, thousands of racing pigeons and doves are intentionally released each year, many of them joining feral pigeon flocks and breeding with their cousins. Feral pigeons find the ledges of buildings to be a suitable substitute for sea cliffs and have become well adapted to urban life. Pigeons usually breed when the food supply is abundant, which in cities can be any time of the year. Laying of eggs can take place up to six times per year. Surprisingly, despite the high reproduction rate, feral pigeons often only have small populations within cities. Feral pigeons usually reach their highest densities in the central parts of cities and because of that they are frequently encountered by people creating a scenario, which often leads to conflict.
The Myth About Feral Pigeons Being Health Hazards
Feral pigeons are often considered a pest or vermin, owing to concerns that they spread disease including bird flu, despite scientific evidence that pigeons do not carry the deadly H5N1 strain. It is rather rare that a pigeon will transmit a disease to humans, but so do other animals including pets. Having said that, pigeons can pose a health hazard, in particular if birds die as a result of having been trapped and decomposing carcasses become maggot-infested, particularly during summer months. This often happens as the result of non-professionally installed or damaged netting, which is supposed to keep birds out, and not in. In that context, there are also legal implications in respect of netting and inadvertently trapping live birds, where property owners can be prosecuted for causing unnecessary suffering.
Feral Pigeons And The Pest Control Industry
The real enemies of pigeons, and the health of humans and other wildlife, are the profit orientated pest control industry, and to a certain extent the well meaning lay pigeon feeder, because without lethal controls and the deliberate persistent feeding of pigeon flocks, the pigeon would only exist in small numbers and nothing would be like the problem it is currently perceived to be. Lethal control methods are without exception inhumane, unethical and morally wrong as they inflict suffering to sentient beings, who are actually suffering already because of us. In fact, the pest control industry is largely responsible for the massive global rise in pigeon numbers due to excessive and commercially motivated use of lethal control methods. Killing adult pigeons in a feeding flock favours the younger birds, which would otherwise have a smaller chance of survival. The size of a pigeon flock is dictated by the amount of available food. Â The physical removal of birds from a flock will increase the food supply for the remainder of the flock and will also create a void, into which surviving members of the flock breed.
Inhumane Methods Of Feral Pigeon ManagementÂ
A common method being used by pest controllers is poisoning. When pigeons are fed poisoned bait, surviving birds do not leave the area. On the contrary, they are left with more food per bird than before. This also attracts pigeons from outside areas as well as encourages breeding, and populations are increasing. An additional problem with poisoning is that it also kills natural pigeon predators, like peregrine falcons. Other inhumane and money wasting lethal methods being used are shooting, cage trapping and the abuse of birds of prey. Most pest controllers use harris hawks as the favoured control option. This bird of prey is not a natural predator of our feral pigeon and is much slower in flight and therefore this bird poses no threat to a healthy and experienced pigeon. The use of a bird of prey is neither ‘green’ nor ‘natural’. Using one species of bird to kill another, particularly when the hawk concerned is not the natural predator of the target species, is clearly not ‘natural’. In fact, this kind of pest control  is nothing else than another bloodsport, where birds of prey are abused to kill other species of birds and animals for the pleasure of the human handler.
The first simple and effective step to humanely control pigeon populations is to reduce uncontrolled feeding, which is aimed to reduce the reproduction rate and not intended to starve birds to death. Cities around the world have discovered that not feeding their local birds results in a steady population decrease in only a few years. Pigeons, however, will still pick at garbage bags containing discarded food or at leftovers carelessly dropped .
The next step is to directly influence the reproduction cycle. The use of dovecotes and designated feeding areas in public places combined with the use of pigeon lofts located on buildings has helped to concentrate and control pigeon numbers in a humane but effective manner. Eggs are replaced with dummy eggs in artificial pigeon houses to reduce the number of offspring. This also allows to keep an eye on the health of the local pigeon population. Another promising method is the use of nicarbazin, which is a compound for avian contraception. Originally developed for use in resident Canada geese, nicarbazin has been introduced as a contraceptive for feral pigeons. This contraceptive is both, non-hormonal and fully reversible. Declared safe and humane, the new technology is environmentally benign and does not represent a toxicity hazard to raptors or scavengers.
All in all, an ethical holistic approach is needed and already readily available to influence pigeon numbers humanely, which has a positive effect onto the health of our feral population and is also reducing cruelty and suffering of one of the most lovable bird species on our planet.
Anton, an immature magpie, came to us as in June 2016. He has been found hiding in a greenhouse after being injured and unable to fly. At admission we found a subacute fracture of radius and ulna of his left wing. The fracture has been treated conservatively and splinted accordingly. Anton made a full and uneventful recovery, and four weeks later he has been successfully soft released. Anton stayed in the area and has been seen daily returning for some snacks.
Update – 20/08/2016
The last three weeks, after we opened the release aviary, magpie Anton stayed in the closer vicinity and came back almost every day for food and to visit some old friends, in particular magpie Ebony. However, today we have been shocked to find Anton near his release aviary lying on his back and being unable to walk or stand. Although we don’t know what has exactly happened, the admission assessment revealed very quickly that our unlucky magpie fellow Anton suffered a severe impact trauma, which has resulted in a spinal contusion with subsequent partial paralysis of both wing and legs.
Rehabilitation Of Brain And Spinal Trauma Patients
The treatment of corvids in general, but in particular the treatment of spinal injuries in birds can be a controversial topic and is handled inconsistently. Apart from the disappointing species related fact that corvids are often not treated and rehabilitated at all, a spinal trauma or spinal injury with partial or complete paralysis of wings, legs or both, is commonly seen as an acceptable reason for an immediate euthanasia. And even if a rehabilitation attempt is undertaken, often enough these birds are hastily euthanised after only a couple of days without significant improvement. Our own experiences, rehabilitation approach and results are different, focussing on birds without a fracture or on birds with non-displaced spinal fractures only. It has to be noted that displaced spinal fractures usually result in irreversible damage to the spinal cord and a recovery is very unlikely. In these cases euthanasia is probably the kindest option. However, these kind of decisions have to be made on a case by case basis. In all other cases outlined above, a treatment attempt should be considered. If there is no noticeable improvement within a fortnight, chances of recovery are remote. However, as soon as there is a noticeable improvement observed, chances of a full recovery will increase markedly over time. Under these circumstance the rehabilitation process and timeline will be extended and adapted accordingly. The video clip below shows some of the milestones of Anton’s rehabilitation process and recovery including his second successful soft release.
Considerations For The Early Rehabilitation Phase
Magpie Anton is a typical example, which proves that birds with spinal injuries should be given a second chance and that these birds can make a full recovery. At admission Anton was unable to stand or walk at all. He was able to fly short distances, but in a very uncoordinated way, which did suggest a mild coexisting concussion. As in any other rehabilitation situation, the rehabilitation process needs to be frequently adapted according to the degree of neurological deficit and should also take the personality of the individual concerned in account. The treatment usually starts off with a secure and padded hospital box in a quite and dimmed light setting, with the primary goal to keep the bird calm and the blood pressure low, without using any restraints (e.g. bird harness or sling). This is in particular important during the first week, as the risk of a sudden neurological deterioration is highest during the first 24 hours after the trauma. Any bleed or haematoma within spine or brain will lead to a compression of the surrounding structures, also resulting in an additional perifocal swelling or oedema, which usually peaks at 72 hours and persists for about 5 days. These findings might explain a second mortality peak commonly seen at the third day post accident and they also justify the necessity to give any bird with a brain or spine injury enough time and a chance to recover. Based on these facts and our own experiences, it becomes evident that the 14 day rule seems to be a good compromise.
Longterm Rehabilitation Of Brain And Spinal Trauma Patients
For the next phase of the rehabilitation process, a padded play pen or baby cot works very well, which allows the bird to exercise in a safe environment, as the bird is usually not in full control of his or her movements and may be prone to injuries. Not unsurprisingly cleanliness is paramount, primarily to avoid additional damage to and contamination of the plumage, which is at risk to excessive wear and tear in particular in birds, which are unsteady and prone to falls. The added interior of the padded pen has to be chosen carefully, to take again all these facts in account. This also obviously includes water dishes to avoid accidental drowning in unsteady patients. When the bird has regained his or her abilities to control its movements, a transfer into a small safe aviary can be attempted to allow more freedom, entertainment and exercise. However, the progress has to be monitored closely, as frequent adaptations of the aviary setup may be necessary to adapt and optimise the rehabilitation process and to minimise any remaining risks of falls or injury. The final step of the birds recovery will be the transfer into a larger free flight soft release aviary. It goes without saying that these kind of bird patients are not suitable for a hard release at all. Soft release is the only viable option for any young or long-term patient allowing a gradual reintroduction back into the wild.
Magpie Anton made a full recovery and has been successfully soft released for the second time. Anton teamed up with previous inmate Ebony, who has been also soft released together with Anton. Both birds stayed close by and are frequently visiting our garden, even a year after their final release. Stay safe Anton and Ebony!
It is with great sadness that we have to announce that we have lost today our rook Martha, one of our resident birds, foster parents and friend. After a very short illness Martha passed away peacefully in our arms.
Martha, an adult female rook, came into our care in October 2014. She has been found grounded in a garden after having suffered a carpometacarpal fracture of her right wing. The finder took Martha to safety and cared for her over the course of the next three weeks. We have been asked to take over Martha’s care, when it became apparent that she would not be releasable. Although the fracture showed a satisfactory fracture union and alignment, the wing remained slightly drooped rendering Martha unable to fly properly. Additionally, she also developed a joint infection, which needed longterm treatment including physiotherapy. Martha made a good recovery and regained partial use of her wing allowing her to fly short distances.
Martha settled in well into our communal rook aviary, where she helped many young birds to get prepared for their second chance in live, for their release into freedom. We don’t know how old Martha was. We can only assume, based on observed social interactions with wild rooks and within the rook aviary, that she wasn’t the youngest bird anymore, when she came to us three years ago. It was a privilege to get to know her. Martha made a big difference to many birds during the three years she spent with us. Rest in peace Martha!
