Wildlife Archives - Corvid Isle

11/10/202411/10/2024

Carrion Crows Amor and Rhea

Introducing Corvid Isle Sanctuary Residents

Amor has been brought to us in May 2017 as a 3 or 4 day old carrion crow hatchling, being completely dependent on his parents for care, warmth and nourishment. He had barely any feathers and his eyes were still closed. Hatchlings like Amor are very vulnerable and require constant warmth and protection. Amor has been brought indoors by a freely roaming unsupervised cat. It is unclear whether the cat did raid the nest itself, or a bird of prey did, and the cat was just an opportunistic bystander.

Carrion crow Amor Day 3 — Carrion crow hatchling Amor

21/09/202421/09/2024

Magpie Chiara

Introducing Corvid Isle Sanctuary Residents

Magpie Chiara came to us in May 2017 as a juvenile bird after being injured by an unsupervised domestic cat. Chiara managed to escape and was found the next day hiding in a greenhouse. She suffered an extensive fracture of her right wing and a severe injury to her right eye.

24/08/202424/08/2024

Pigeon Bianca

Introducing Corvid Isle Sanctuary Residents

Bianca is a white pigeon, most likely one of the many released at weddings or funerals. She is very likely one of those dove-like selectively bred white homing pigeons. Customers are usually reassured that reputable companies train white homing pigeons to fly immediately home after being released and that they ensure the birds’ safety throughout the event and beyond. What is advertised and sold as being a homage to a person passed, or as a magical moment and talking point during a wedding, is just another example of animal abuse and the cruelty caused by human self-centredness and ignorance. Bianca is one of the many released birds who did not find their way back to their loft.

19/08/202419/08/2024

Carrion Crow Colin

Introducing Corvid Isle Sanctuary Residents

Colin came to us in March 2017, after we have been contacted for help and advice by his kind-hearted rescuer. It turned out that Colin was an imprinted unreleasable carrion crow born in spring 2016. He was found as an injured orphaned nestling on the ground after a severe storm, and has been subsequently raised by his own without the company of his own kind.

What is Imprinting?

Imprinting in wild birds is a critical and essential learning process that occurs during a sensitive period shortly after hatching. During this time, a young bird forms a strong attachment to the first moving object it sees, which is usually his or her parent. Interestingly, this attachment helps the bird learn essential survival behaviours, such as recognising its species, following the parent and learning specific feeding techniques.

03/08/202403/08/2024

Feral Pigeons Amber and Ambros

Introducing Corvid Isle Sanctuary Residents

At our Corvid Isle Sanctuary, we do also care for other bird species such as feral pigeons. We also provide a safe forever home for ex-racing pigeons, which have been neglected and abandoned by so called pigeon fanciers. Feral pigeons Amber and Ambros came to us in 2017 and 2015 respectively.

Feral Pigeon Ambros

Ambros arrived at the sanctuary in December 2015 as an orphaned fledgling. We raised him until he was fully independent and attempted to release him back into his flock. This did not work out as expected, as Ambros strictly refused to leave. We eventually accepted his decision and took him back home, where he joined our own small free flying mixed feral and ex-racing pigeon flock.