Bird of Prey Incident

 

While pottering around in the annex in the morning, just minding my own business, I heard the birds going crazy in the tree out the front of the site next to us.  At first when I looked, I wasn’t sure what was going on. There were 2 birds, one slightly larger, one on top of the other.  A wattle bird was dancing around in the tree. 2 magpies were taking turns swooping the 2 birds.

The smaller bird sounded really distressed, and the magpies were making a lot of noise. This went on for around 5 minutes.  I didn’t think to grab my good camera to get a good shot and I'm kicking myself for not thinking to grab it. 

In the end the magpie’s continual swoops scared off the bird of prey, causing it to try and take the smaller bird. It got caught up in the bush and the smaller bird started slipping, the magpies took that moment to swoop again and the bird of prey dropped the bird and flew off with the magpies chasing after it.

I went to check on the smaller bird that had been dropped and found it was a baby wattle bird. It looked like it was ready to die and not wanting it to suffer I called WIRES. They suggested containing it in a box, but I was worried about it dying if I moved it and we didn’t have anything to put it in. Being that it was tucked under a bush it was protected from other animals while we waited for the wildlife carer to come and collect it.  Being close to Christmas, I didn’t expect anyone would be available but within an hour of the urgent call put out to the carers I had a phone call from one, who would come out and collect it.

While I waited I watched the baby wattle bird sit up and then move further under the bush. I had spoke with some of the residents in the caravan park and told them what had happened, and they were grateful that I had called WIRES, they had watched the baby wattle bird for a while and were upset to hear it had been attacked.

Before the wildlife carer could come out to collect the baby wattle bird disappeared.  I called the wild life carer to let her know that it had gone, and promised to call if I saw it again. I didn’t see it again. I suspect that the parents to the wattle bird came and coaxed it up the tree and protected it.  it didn’t have any obvious injuries, my conclusion was it was just stunned and after the initial shock wore off it went back to its family.

I checked multiple times with no trace of the bird. I'm not sure of the type of bird of prey, but based on what birds are common in the area and what I saw my guess is it was brown falcon. 

 

This is the video I shot of the bird of prey. I will warn that it was quite distressing, and some people may be distressed watching it. I chose not to intervene, because all animals need to eat and it was just doing what comes naturally.  It can also be dangerous to go near birds of prey, so I prefer to keep my distance.

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