Whether it is a wild native duck or a domestic budgie, caring for birds comes with its own rewards, according to wildlife carer Connie Clune of Jimboomba.
Last season (September to April), Ms Clune cared for about 50 native ducks and this season has about 60 under her care. Most are orphaned birds and Ms Clune will nurse the Pacific Black ducks for about 10 weeks and the wood ducks for about eight weeks before they are released.
“When they come to me, they are tiny fluff balls. I chose to look after ducks because they self feed from when they hatch and they are easy to care for,” Ms Clune said.
Ms Clune said she initially released the ducks in her own dam and was happy to see them leave this habitat, find their partners and create a family and ultimately find their own way.
“They often return for a while but once they are established, they stop coming back,” she said.
Ms Clune is also a volunteer wildlife rescuer and has been called on to rescue joeys, koalas, echidnas and even a platypus.
“I rescue them knowing the animal has a second chance. Or if they are in pain and are euthanased, we know we are helping them by stopping the suffering,” she said.
The RSPCA has called for more volunteers to care for birds, particularly domestic birds which come in as strays and have either been released or got out of their cages.
“Often their diets have not been good while they were in captivity and finding themselves in the wild with no life skills has just added to their veterinary issues. We need foster carers for these birds so that they can regain their health before being re-homed,” RSPCA spokesperson Michael Beatty said.
Ms Clune said the vital clue to being a bird carer was to find the bird that best suited your lifestyle.
“You can often take the smaller ones to work. But if you are at home and have plenty of time, there are different requirements. Whatever you do, it is very rewarding,” she said.
“To become a carer, you do need to join a wildlife group and complete the relevant courses. The courses are very straight forward and only take a few hours out of a Saturday or Sunday. You also get all the support you need from your coordinator and you can call them anytime of the day if you've got any problems.”
Last year, 114 domestic birds were brought to the RSPCA at Wacol by ambulance: 11 by bequest, three from the Brisbane City Council, 50 were surrendered, there were 130 strays and 10 transferred from Currumbin Wildlife sanctuary. Of the surrendered birds, most were due to ill health or moving house,
Anyone able to volunteer with caring for domestic birds should phone 3426 9997.
