Rook Irenaeus – An Obituary

Rook Irenaeus

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.

Rook Irenaeus

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. 

Rook Martha – An Obituary

Corvid Isle Sanctuary

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.

Rook Irenaeus

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! 

Rook Martha – An Obituary

Rook Martha

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.

Rook Martha

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. 

Rook Martha

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!