Back
S
1345 days ago

Tips for anyone trying to help or rescue young birds

Susan Neighbourly Lead from St Heliers

A lot of young birds are leaving their nests now - here are some tips for what to do if you find a young bird. Please keep in mind that sometimes a bird will be fine and doesn't actually need help! But sometimes you may find a bird that needs urgent help.

1. CHECK IF THE BIRD NEEDS HELP: If it's got feathers, don't try to rescue it - it's a fledgling and its parents will probably be nearby. Watch from a distance to make sure a parent is close and there are no predators in the area. If there are predators, put the bird high up in a tree or tall shrub and shoo the predator away if you can.

2. A YOUNG BIRD NEEDS HELP IF:
-- It has no feathers - put it back in its nest if possible. If you can't put it back in its nest, it needs help ASAP as it will die from exposure otherwise.
-- It has feathers but there's no sign of parents nearby after you've watched it for some time. It will be too young to find its own food yet so it needs help.

IF YOU RESCUE A BIRD
The #1 advice for rescued birds is to keep them warm. Birds feel the cold a lot more than people do - a mild day for humans can be freezing for birds.

--- Put the bird in a shoe box or similar, with an old t-shirt/soft cloth that's loosely bunched up so it can burrow inside and 'nest' (avoid towels or anything its claws may get tangled with).

--- Fill a hot water bottle or a soft drink bottle with hot water from the hot water tap - NOT boiling, but as hot as possible from the tap. Put it outside the box and rest it against one edge of the box. This acts like a little heater and the bird inside the box can get as close as it wants to the warmth.

Get it to a rescue centre as soon as possible - this site has good information and lists bird rescue centres: www.birdrescue.org.nz...

This chart is a helpful guide for people finding young birds: birdrescue.org.nz...

Image
More messages from your neighbours
12 hours ago

What's the best way to keep grocery shopping bills down?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

We are still feeling the pinch and the weekly shop is no different. So we are after your cost-saving tips please, neighbours!

What’s the best way you've found to cut down on your grocery bill? Share below (and hear tips from others!)

Image
20 minutes ago

Re: Proposed roading upgrades Tamaki

Min from Point England

The proposed sounds good. But actually, it is neither environmentally friend nor good for our society.

First, each time before the bump cars have to reduce speed to less than 20 km/hr to make the movement smooth. Very slow speeds are especially necessary with age or unwell people inside the car. After the bump cars have to re-accelerate to keep going. This adds extra car emissions to our environment. A better solution would be to install traffic lights, an easier, safer and more efficient solution.

Secondly, slow snail movements associated with speed bumps upset people. Anxiety, Depression, anger is building up day-by-day. It will explode out at one point.

Therefore, I hope council can reconsider the impact of traffic flow restrictions on daily life, and don’t over increase the number of speed bumps.

Image
20 hours ago

Here's a riddle to round out your week.

Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

Grandpa went for a walk, and it started raining.
He forgot to bring an umbrella and didn’t have a hat.
When he got home, his clothes were soaking wet, but not a hair on his head was wet.
How was this possible?

Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.

Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed? No worries! Simply head here and click once on the Following button.

Image