Miracle Kookaburras survive against odds with some help from WIRES
Friday, January 1, 2021
Kookaburra-chicks-in-careThey're known for their hilarious cackle, but it was no laughing matter for a Fountaindale native animal carer when she was given the job of saving two kookaburra chicks.
"The eggs were blown from their nest in high winds and luckily someone found them and called WIRES and the birds are now doing really well.
Normally kookaburra eggs falling from a nest, smashing to the ground and breaking open, is unlikely to be the start of a happy tale," said WIRES carer Ruth Hopkins, who took the tiny featherless pair into her care just before Christmas. But the two-month-old miracle kookaburras thrived in care and learned to fend for themselves, before being released back into the wild.
"They would definitely have died if someone hadn't found the broken eggs and called WIRES"
At first the plucky pair required around-the-clock care with half-hourly feeds. After some time in care the birds enjoyed a diet of raw meat and mice three times a day.
"They needed to practice how to hunt and swoop for their food and were in care until they could clearly fend for themselves," said Mrs Hopkins, who said the birds cacophony doesn't bother her.
"We are surrounded by bush and native animals here. Kookaburras are very funny looking things when they're born but I'm very fond of them - how can you not be?" she said.
Recent Posts
Answering the Call of Australia’s Wildlife
Canberra Excludes Wildlife Rescuers from Disaster Preparedness: A Call for Action
Coming Together to Save Pelicans After the Western Australia Oil Spill
$80 Million to Protect Koalas in South-West Sydney
Safeguarding Australia's Cherished Wombats: A Compassionate Collaboration
Joining Forces for Platypus Rescue: WIRES and Taronga Zoo's Collective Mission
Highlights from the Australian Wildlife Rehabilitation Conference 2023
Contact [email protected] for enquiries or call 0416 272 153.
For the latest updates on bushfire recovery projects and emergency response
Read WIRES Emergency Recovery Plan and WIRES National Emergency Response Plan