Back in early March a Tawny frogmouth was rescued after being attacked by a dog at Doubtful Creek. He had lost most of his tail feathers and was unable to fly.
When he was first rescued he was traumatised and in shock. He would need to be in care till his tail feathers had grown back.
WIRES avian carer Michelle said: “His first few weeks in care were not easy, he was cranky and did not want to cooperate”.
Sometime later a Tawny Frogmouth unable to fly was found on the ground at Casino. As to why she could not fly was a mystery, she had no visible injuries.
Sometimes when birds have a collision they can sustain air sac damage or they may be bruised with soft tissue damage. Ms Casino needed time to rest and recover.
Birds do much better in care if they have a buddy, one of their own species. Would Ms Casino be the perfect buddy for Mr Doubtful Creek ?
Michelle collected Ms Casino and once together, both birds settled almost straight away.
This week, 2 months after Mr Doubtful Creek, slightly less for Ms Casino, had come into care, they were released back where each had been rescued.
Tawny Frogmouths mate for life, they are also territorial and stay in the same area throughout their life. The reason why they were released where rescued.
Being nocturnal both were released after dark.
WIRES member Judy’s account of Mr Doubtful Creek: “It was a successful release, he flew straight up into a tree.”
WIRES member Mel’s account of Ms Casino’s release: “she sprung out of the carrier and I had a few seconds of watching her silhouette against the stars before she swung around and disappeared against the dark gums.”
Sadly Tawny frogmouths are often killed or injured at night when hunting for insects, they are simply not fast enough to get out of the road of an oncoming car.
As they have had to adapt to living in close proximity to human populations they are at high risk of exposure to pesticides as well as at times preyed upon by cats and dogs.
With a lifespan of approximately 14 years in the wild, we hope Ms Casino and Mr Doubtful Creek, with their respective families, stay safe.
Picture by Michelle Dal;y