Nancy

By Chris R.

On the 18^th of September we received a call via the Wildcare Helpline. A person had found a tiny, precious bird, eyes unopened and no nest or family could be located. They kindly dropped her to our local vet, who gave this pint-sized, but vocal, baby a check-up before our collection.

On her second day in the Valley, the young bird, now named ‘Nancy’, opened her eyes. She appeared to be a honeyeater, although at this early stage we were uncertain of her species. Nancy may have been tiny, but her appetite surpassed any bird we have ever reared and she was keen for her ‘nectar’ every half hour. Wombaroo fortunately make a nectar formula for honeyeaters, which is nutritionally complete and evidently very tasty.

Nancy is now three weeks old, flying well and still handfeeding.  Her feathers have grown quickly, revealing that she is a New Holland Honeyeater.  Her left foot is a little different to the right, but if it works well she will be able to be released back to the wild when older.

 

Be sure to look out for young birds fallen from nests, particularly after strong winds and storms.  Where possible, always return them to their nest or place in a tree nearby if newly fledged and if you can locate the bird’s parents. 

Call Wildcare on (08)9474 9055 if you need assistance with a baby bird and for further information visit: 
https://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/about-us/contact-us/wildcare-helpline?showall=&start=5