Timber was rescued from the northern suburbs of Brisbane. He was found in a storm water drain where his constant calling for his parents lead a curious member of the public to make the discovery.

Timber was examined by a vet at the Australian Wildlife Hospital which showed that he was only cold and hungry. Fortunately, Timber had no injuries, but was not able to be reunited with his parents.

Timber has been placed with a bird carer, who will be raise him for future release. He is adjusting well to his new home and eating loads of insects!

Bush Stone-curlews are listed as endangered or vulnerable in many states of Australia; their numbers are declining due to habitat loss and predation.

Curlews nest on the ground, relying on fallen timber to give their nest site protection and privacy. Their eggs and flightless chicks are vulnerable to being trampled by cattle and horses, killed by mowers and being eaten by foxes, cats and dogs. Camouflage is their best defence; they stay very still when approached and use their feather colouring to hide. Many times people walk right past them without even noticing.

A nocturnal species, their eerie calls can be heard echoing across open paddocks and grasslands.

 

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 11th, 2010 at 1:19 pm and is filed under Wildlife Warriors. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.