My Fauna (Magpie) refuge, Rehab unit!!!

[bantymum]

Hi all,
I am now licensed to rehabilitate rescued Birds who have been found injured or orphaned.
I specialise in MAGPIES.
They are the sweetest birds and very smart.
I have 4 at present and spent 2 months rearing a baby who was set free yesterday and he returned to my yard and is happy to chat to the others through the wire.
Here are some pics.
Mikey is enjoying helping me at feeding time:

LaLa who is a little character, he is the boss:

This is a section of the flight aviary which I built, it is so large, 12 feet high and about 10 metres wide
I have trees inside with lower branches leading to higher branches so they can learn to fly, i couldnt fit it in my photo frame so heres a section.:

I give them a shovel full of compost enriched with an assortment of bugs and worms and place this under some leaves and sit there and watch them learn to forage on the ground.
This is such an interesting and worthwile task and I enjoy learning about their habits etc.

 

[roosters97]

i love them there were tons in canada when we went visit.thanks for sharing

 

[SassyCatHill]

Good on ya!
Isn't they what they say in your neck of the woods?

I just started volunteering at the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center here in Virginia where they do the same thing. We currently are rehabbing many birds of prey and quite a few mammals as well.
It's just about the most rewarding thing I've ever done.

 

[bantymum]

Quote:
It is rewarding isnt it!! to be able to set them free and rescue them from harm is a wonderful feeling.
I may end up doing raptors too, Owls etc however i dont think my poor chookies would appreciate that.
I am visiting an owl in rehab with mice that i snap trap.
At this stage i just wish to rehab birds, no mammals.
Maybe just 1 kangaroo, who knows.

 

[bantymum]

I must apologise for picture quality or lack thereof!!!
Im using my mobile phone camera!!! for the time being.

 

[Hotwings]

I used to rescue birds that would fall down my chimney. I am afraid they weren't as exotic as your magpies they were European Starlings(which are considered bigtime pests here). They fledge out and fall down and I would raise them till they were to go on their own. I raised a batch every year for four years till I got tired and capped my chimney. Starlings are non native birds so I could do it. The DNR says all native breeds have to go to a licensed rehaber. Well at the first time I called my nature center who at the time took in birds but starlings are a trash bird and they wouldn't take them. They told me to get dry kitten chow and soak it till it was like a mash and feed them with an eyedropper. The first starling I raised was really tame, he fly around the house and he would come to me when I raised out my hand. With each batch I gained more experience and I bought a parakeet cage to keep them in. Believe me weaning baby birds off the eyedropper was a pain, they would holler and holler and refused to eat on their own. I soon found out what a parent bird goes thru lol! Well when they got to where they could fly I would leave them outside for awhile to get used to noises and such. The last step was to get some crickets from the pet store, as starlings eat insects. I put the crickets in there and the baby birds ate them. It was time to go. I always made sure the weather was ok before I let them go. I learned alot about starlings, they aren't to bright and they make all kinds of weird noises. Some made it I guess, one baby I raised was killed by a crow. One time I raised 4 of them together!

 

[bayouchica]

Hey Bantymum, that's so cool. Those Magpies are beautiful.

You did a great job on the avairy.
I met a rehabber here, I'm very interested in doing that one day in the future. I bet it is very rewarding to do.

 

[bantymum]

Hotwings, yes i know what youre talking about, it helps to be a mum, ive been there with Mikey my son!! feeding every 3 hours.
I start with 3 hour feeds then teach them to feed on their own gradually, then they self feed from a bowl and forage.
Its very rewarding.
Mikey has his own one to feed and he really enjoys it.

 

[justusnak]

Bantymum....how did I miss this thread?? Wow, thats great!! I LOVE Magpies! We dont have them here in INdiana.....but when we lived in Alaska I fell in love with them. They are so pretty, and intelligent. There was one, who would come to my daughters window every morning, and tap untill she got up, and opened her curtain and said good morning to it. It would just sit there, and watch her. I am so glad there are people like you, who want to help these wonderfull creatures!!

 

[bantymum]

Hi Bayouchica, sorry i didnt reply to you earlier.
Yes If you can find a way to get involved its easy, Just have a safe aviary or pen handy and make some phone calls, the rest rolls on from there. I started with one, now I have 5.
I cant explain the joy of watching them get better from something that ive done to help them.

Justasnak, Yes maggies as we call them are so smart.
A senior carer has maggies come to her house, they walk inside and pull tissues from the box on her kitchen bench, then they play with the things on the kitchen table, they crush her cigarettes in the packet by taking them out one by one and destroying them, then they go outside and fly away then come back the next day to visit her.

I love them too. really sweet birds and im getting to learn more about them everyday as I sit outside and watch them in my aviary.
I wish that I had studied at University and made a career out of studying their habits. My dad was a wildlife documentary maker after he left the army, we could have done some great thinhs together. Oh well.
I have been asked to provide a speech on them already to a huge luncheon in April so I have to start practising!!!