Jackdaw Ranjit came to us as a very poorly nestling after a nest fall in June 2016. At the time we fought very hard to save his life, as he came to us in shock and with signs of severe malnutrition and dehydration. As it is often the case in wildlife rescue and rehabilitation, we did not exactly know what has happened to him. However, it was very likely that Ranjit was the so called ‘runt’ of the brood, as he was not just poorly but appeared also underdeveloped for his age compared to his siblings. The runt of a group of birds hatched from the same clutch of eggs is usually the smallest and weakest of them.
Once again, a big hole has been left in our hearts. One of our beloved friends and extended family members has moved on. Gismo, our beautiful carrion crow, has passed away peacefully in his sleep.
We rescued jackdaw Saber as a juvenile bird in June 2014, after we managed to free him from his entanglement in an insufficiently deployed and damaged nylon bird net. We found him hanging head down on his leg whilst his wing was twisted and entangled in the loose strands of the damaged net. Saber must have been trapped in this position for a prolonged period of time, as he was very weak, barely responsive and in shock. Saber suffered severe soft tissue injuries to his left wing, a subluxated hock joint and a paralysis of the left foot caused by nerve damage.
The most common causes in the wild for birds loosing a leg is entanglement with thread, fishing line, balloon ribbons or other litter. This can happen at all ages, even as a nestling. Other causes include predator attacks, birth deformities or injuries caused by traps and snares.
At this time of the year we are contacted on a daily basis by members of the public, who have found, rescued and raised a corvid fledgling, all with good intentions of course. If we are not being contacted at the very beginning of a rescue journey, mostly for advice about the diet of corvids, then it is usually at the point where people feel that their foster bird might be ready for release soon. Unfortunately, our advice is often a disappointment if not a shock to many of these hobby rescuers, as in most cases the desired immediate release is not an option, or at least not an option which gives the foster bird a sufficient chance of survival. We do understand that circumstances will differ greatly, and that expert help is not always at hand. Therefore it is also important that the rescuer understands, that the likelihood of survival will differ greatly as well, as corvids are not belonging to those bird families, which can be hand raised by their own and hard released immediately after they have fledged. There are of course certain ways to ensure that the rescue bird gets the best second chance he or she deserves. However, to achieve the best possible outcome, decisions should ideally be made before a bird is being hand raised without appropriate company.
