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South Dublin Branch Hands On |
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Do not handle a young bird more than is necessary and
don't disturb the vegetation, etc, around the nest. Birds are not rejected by
their parents if a person handles them but disturbance around a nest can
betray it to a predator.
If the young bird on the ground has feathers, it is probably a
fledgling and is learning to fly. Unless it is
injured, leave it! The mother will feed it on the ground for several days while
it learns to fly. Keep people and animals away from the area if possible.
A young bird may need to eat every
20 minutes during daylight hours. The parents can take care of it
much better than you can, no matter how hard you try.
Most injured birds will not respond to amateur care no matter how well
intentioned. Keep them in calm conditions, in a dark container. Contact
the nearest wildlife ranger or bring them to a veterinary surgeon as
soon as possible. Remember, there are huge naturally occurring loses annually
and you will not change the balance single handedly!
Wildlife Rangers can be contacted via the National Parks & Wildlife Service (Dúchas),
Ely Place, Dublin 2, Ph. 01-647-3000.
In the south Dublin area the ranger is Terry Doherty 01-6687051
email terry_dohertyATenvironDOTie
If you find a bird that has hit a window, leave it to recover for an hour or so if the area
is safe, or put it in a ventilated, cardboard box in a dark, quiet place (not a
wire cage!). This is one of the few injuries that respond well: they are usually
just stunned by the collision. Birds sometimes see their reflection in a
window and attack it, thinking that an intruder is in their territory. To prevent this from
happening, hang things in front of the window or stick a dark cut-out of a
hawk on the window.
Treatment of oiled sea birds is not for the amateur and should not be
undertaken lightly. Professional
treatment involves cleaning in detergent to remove the oil from the plumage
and feeding with charcoal and food additives to absorb oil in the alimentary
canal. They must then be kept in captivity for a period
to allow for the recovery of the natural oiling process in the feathers.
Many die during the treatment and there is some evidence that most do not
survive long when released.
Your first responce should be to contact the Coast Guard immediately; simply dial
Contact the Irish Seal Sanctaury,
who have continued to work on building up their knowledge of the care of oiled birds and are more than willing to advise
people on their care. Their phone number is (01) 835-4370, it will be an answer machine, but someone will get back to you.
See also
Oiled Bird Rescue Seminar
Beached Herring and other gulls are a common enough sight around
Dublin, particularly in the summer. Most are suffering from botulism
toxin contracted on the public dumps. The dumping of waste food in plastic bags
provides an ideal
environment for botulism to develop. The nerves of the body are damaged
and paralysis sets in very quickly. This is usually noticeable in an
inability to stand and paralysis of the neck. Death occurs when the
respiratory nerves are involved and the bird is no longer able to
breathe. The corpse of a botulism victim is highly contageous to scavengers
and all bird species can contract it.
Under favourable conditions -
access to clean water, shade and no predation- birds can recover from
low doses of the toxin. By giving large doses of electrolyte solution to
birds, the toxin can be flushed out of the system. Birds that do recover
from avian botulism do not show any increased tolerance for the
poison.
It is believed that control of the environment is a better solution than
attempting to treat sufferers, except in the case of endangered
species.
Type C avian botulism toxin is not the same as the botulism associated with
human food poisoning.
Small birds, ducks and waders can be picked up gently with bare hands.
Keep them away from your
face and hold them firmly with the wings held against the body. Use a towel
to
cushion their bodies. Do not grab the tail feathers since they are a defense
mechanism and drop out easily.
Hawks, owls and large sea birds are more dangerous to handle. Always
approach and
pick them up from the rear. Use heavy gloves especially when dealing
with birds of prey. Cover their head with a towel or cloth to calm them in
the best falconry practice and wrap their bodies with a towel or cloth to
subdue them. Remember to keep their claws pointing away from you and
work quickly to hold their wings against their body. These birds will strike at
your eyes, so keep them away from your face and wear goggles, when
possible.
Use a dog carrier or a cardboard box. You should also have
gloves, towels, goggles and paper towels handy.
Ensure the box or carrier has sufficient ventilation. Pad the container with
towels to keep the bird comfortable and prevent it from sliding about in the
container.
The less room the bird has to move around, the less likely it is to cause more
injury to itself. The bird's wings and feathers are very vulnerable to damage
if the bird panics and begins to thrash about in a confined area. Don't
use a wire cage.
Provide the bird with a calm, quiet environment, but do not keep the bird any
longer than is necessary to get it to a veterinary professional.
Darkness has a calming
effect on birds and quiet is particularly important because of the bird's
sensitive hearing.
Keep car windows closed when driving and minimize the noise.
With the Grey Seal pupping season well under way (September 9th, 2004) Volunteers and concerned
members of the public are asked to be on alert if visiting beaches and
keep a look out for seal pups. If you come across a pup, keep your
distance, as the mother may be nearby and any disturbance will drive her
to abandon the pup. If you feel the pup has been seperated from its mother
due to storms or disruption, or is injured or in distress, then contact
the Irish Seal Sanctuary at 01 8354370 leave a clear message and contact
number and a volunteer will get back to you asap.
Do watch from a distance and check back after the turn of the tide, if
the mother hasn't returned call the Irish Seal Sanctaury.
However
Further Information regarding seals or the Irish Seal Sanctuary may be
found on the Irish Seal Sanctuary website: www.irishsealsanctuary.ie
Irish Seal Sanctaury Phone 835-4370 www.irishsealsanctuary.ie
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