Quite an experience!

catmad

We have these huge birds here which as far as I know habitate Africa only I think - Hadeda Ibis. They are extremely common and you see them all over the place. They are about the size of a small duck with long curved red beaks which they use to eat frogs, snails etc and make perfect tools for digging in the ground for worms and crickets - I often have a good giggle at my cats who stalk them in the garden and then run away the moment they get too close as they're much bigger! Anyway, I was walking up the road home from work, and lying on its side with its big red feet in the air on a pile of rubbish bags was one of these Hadedas - at first I thought it was dead and someome had thrown it out with the trash or something, but on closer inspection, I saw that the poor thing was breathing rather rapidly and blinking it's lovely black eyes at me. I got quite a fright as I've never been this close to one before. There was no visible damage save for a little bit of blood by his beak, and I thought that perhaps he'd flown into the electric fencing on the wall just above him and was simply stunned. So, rather gingerly, (that beak is enormous and terribly sharp!) I picked the poor chap up (bloody heavy I tell you!) and carried on walking up the road, not quite knowing just what I was going to do with him, when he suddenly gave this ear piercing cry and started struggling (they are very very loud birds) Shocked

. I dropped him in fright and he proceeded to slowly walk across the road, calling out all the time, with me walking behind him and trying to stop cars from running over him, as well as my three cats who by now had seen me and the bird and wanted to investigate and were also running around in the road Rolling Eyes

. The bird slipped through the fence of the flats across the road and hid under the stairs amongst the bushes where I could hear him calling out till about 9 pm last night (he was probably confused and calling out for his mates). This morning I thought I heard a couple more cries from that direction at daybreak, then nothing! Am really hoping that he just took off and hasnt died or anything - had a look for him this morning under the stairs but couldn't see much as it was dark and bushy and couldn't really get under there through the fence........ What an experience - I've never been so close to one of those birds before - it was quite magnificent!!

annestaff

Well done for trying to rescue him even though you didn't have a clue what you were going to do with him Confused

I suspect he's found his way back to his mates, as you say they are very vocal and one of them proberbally heard his cries or he heard there's and he was reunited again Very Happy

dobie_lover

yes well done catmad was very brave of you to pick the bird up not knowing if it was going to peck you and struggle away good effort Very Happy

pollaton

maybe he was just in shock, and once he recovered he went back off to find his pals. but good work on the rescue front. Very Happy

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catmad

I'm really hoping that's the case - was actually quite distraught at one point last night thinking of this poor guy all alone under the stairs, possibly injured and scared out of his wits, missing his little pack! Sad

Just hope his wing is ok cos when he jumped out of my hands ( i.e. when I DROPPED him... Confused

) he dragged it a bit before tucking it in again and walking across the road. Will try get into the flats this afternoon and have a proper look under those stairs just to ease my mind me thinks.

annestaff

If he's still about is there noone you can call to pick him up and sort him out?

catmad

Yes - we have an organisation (CROW) that deals with wildlife rescue but unfortunately they don't come out for something as common as a Hadeda! Evil or Very Mad

If he is still there this afternoon I'll throw something over him and keep him in my bathroom overnight and see if I can get a neighbour to take him to this bird park nearby us where I know they do treat injured birds - I once took a dove there that one of my cats got hold of.

pollaton

how can they decide which animals are worthy of rescue and which aren't Evil or Very Mad

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annestaff

I agree its disgusting Mad

catmad

I know - it makes me sooooo mad!!! They'll only make a trip if its something like a monkey (they're also everywhere here like hadedas tho!!!???), jennet (type of wildcat), bushbaby (looks like kualoa bear) etc - only mammals it seems. Poor birds/geese/irises etc don't stand a chance!!! Never mind, I'll make sure he's ok even if they're not prepared to!! Am off right now actually to go check..........bye everyone, c ya all tomorrow!

annestaff

God luck in your search, hope it all turns out ok Very Happy

pollaton

i have just had a look at what they look like, and have heard their call. i can comprehend it a bit more now.

bye catmad. Smile

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annestaff

Found a picture and realise now how brave you were to pick it up, Look at the size of that beak Shocked

Beautiful looking bird.

catmad · Last edited by catmad on Fri Jul 22, 2005 11:16 am; edited 1 time in total

Yes - they are lovely aren't they? They really are very common and are all over the place here and I guess we take their beauty for granted - their calls are something I'm gonna miss hearing when I wake up in the mornings when we leave here! Anyway, I managed to get someone to let me into the flats grounds yesterday afternoon, and after crawling around as best I could in my work suit and highheels under the stairs with a couple of curious residents looking on ( Embarassed

), I was happy to conclude that he definitely was not there. I was so worried that he would still be there hiding out, or worse still, dead. So, I am presuming that he left first thing yesterday morning after overcoming his shock - no cat would have dared attack him and there are no dogs in the immediate area. I'm really glad! Very Happy

Who needs our silly old CROW wildlife organisation when they obviously can't be bothered eh??!! They actually listed all the animals for me over the phone that they considered to be common and did not come out for - hadedas, doves, indian mynahs (a type of starling), and a certain type of monkey amongst them!!! So in other words these animals must just lie there and die while we look on helplessly??? DISGUSTING!!! Evil or Very Mad

pollaton

well congratulations on your rescue work, and obviously he is back with his pals. Very Happy

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