Native and introduced animals

Laws

Many native birds, reptiles, and other wildlife require permits issued by the Department of Sustainability and Environment. The Department of Primary Industries also determines the conditions and cage sizes required for keeping birds and reptiles according to the applicable Department of Primary Industries Code of Practice.

For additional advice contact the Avicultural Society of Australia.

Food

Fresh, clean water should be available at all times. Most parrots, cockatoos, finches, quail, doves and pigeons are mainly seed eaters. They should be fed a variety of seeds but not much sunflower seed as they are very high in fats. Fresh greens should be offered daily e.g. silver beet, seeding grasses, milk thistles, and chickweed. Shell grit and cuttlefish should always be available to provide calcium and grit to help grind seeds in the gizzard. Other items that may be included in the diet are fruit and vegetables (orange, apple, carrot etc.), insects (meal worms, grubs), sprouting seed (wheat sprouts), berries (cotoneaster, hawthorn), seeds and nuts (pine cones, gum nuts, peanuts and almonds), and lorikeet nectar mix. Note: all fruit and vegetables should be fresh and washed to remove any poisonous spray.

Housing

Birds need suitable shelter from wind and rain, and from very hot conditions. There should be ample room for your bird to fly for exercise. At least two native branches should be used as perches. Suitable nesting sites should be provided (nesting boxes, logs or branches, and grasses for nest building). A concrete floor is acceptable and easy to clean. The aviary should be rodent-proof and must offer protection from cats, hawks, owls and possums.

Selecting your bird

It is very important that only compatible birds are kept together, otherwise serious injuries can occur from fighting. Aviaries should not be overstocked.

Health problems

Intestinal roundworms, a variety of infections and leg and beak mites are common amongst birds. Health problems can be reduced if the birds are fed and housed correctly and if the aviary is kept clean. Food and water dishes should not be placed below perches, thus reducing contamination from droppings.

For advice and treatment of sick birds contact a veterinarian who is particularly interested in birds or the local Avicultural Society of Australia.

If you find a baby bird please leave it alone!

During spring and summer, we receive lots of calls from concerned people who have found what they believe to be an abandoned young bird. Although you may have the best of intentions, in almost every case the bird has not been abandoned and rescuing it will do more harm than good.

If you find a young bird out of the nest - here are some tips to help you determine the best action to take:

• Fledglings (young birds that have grown most of their feathers) may leave the nest before they can fly. Don't try to return a fledgling to its nest as you may disturb other young birds.
• If you find the bird on a road, or somewhere very exposed or dangerous and it is uninjured, put it somewhere near by where there is some cover and where the parents will find it and will continue feeding it.
• If you are worried about the young bird, leave it for two hours. When you return you will almost certainly find the natural parents have taken care of the youngster.
• If you find an unfeathered bird has fallen out of the nest (probably by accident), you could try to find the nest and put it back very carefully.
• If there is no alternative and you feel that as a last resort that the bird should be cared for, contact the RSPCA. No matter how hard you try you will not be able to give the bird the attention it would receive from its parents and it may be difficult for it to learn to fend for itself in the wild.

By growing certain varieties of flowering native shrubs and trees it is possible to attract a wonderful variety of birds, butterflies and other animals to the garden.

It is not advisable to hand feed these animals, as they may become dependent and unable to locate food for themselves. Food supplied to birds or possums may also be deficient in minerals and cause health issues such as weak bone development.

Injured animals are usually frightened and experiencing pain.  They should be handled as little as possible and kept in a warm, quiet place. A towel over the animal often makes it calmer and safer to handle. A cardboard box, sack, pillow case or wooden box are good to hold animals in for a short time. Be careful the animal does not get too hot or too cold. Injured wildlife should be handled only as much as is necessary to get them to professional help.

If you need to hold an injured animal for any length of time contact us and we can advise regarding short-term care including food and housing or we may recommend taking over its care.

Most native animals are protected and cannot be kept as pets after recovery from injury or sickness. The animal must be released or transferred to someone with a permit to keep protected wildlife. In almost all cases it is best for the animal whether injured or orphaned to be passed on to a knowledgeable wildlife carer who can properly care for and eventually release it back into its own environment.  Please contact us for more information about wildlife carers in your area.

The most commonly found orphaned animals are possums, kangaroo joeys and nestling birds. All young animals must be kept warm (25'C - 30'C temperatures), require frequent feeds (at least six times daily for possums and kangaroos, more often for nestling birds) and often require special diets and care.

It is very important to get correct advice about the care of these animals from the Department of Sustainability and Environment or a registered wildlife carer.

The information below is a guide to the types of diets that can be fed for a few days until more detailed information can be obtained.

Furred possums and kangaroos

Constant warmth is very important.

For food, powered milk, Divetelac, Digestelact, or evaporated milk can be used. The milk should be fed diluted initially, i.e., 114ml milk - 314ml water, for a few feeds, gradually increasing the concentration over 2- 3 days.  Solid foods such as fruit and vegetables (i.e., apple, orange, pear and carrot) are suitable for both animals.  Kangaroos can be given grass hay and cattle pellets and possums can be given eucalypt leaves, prunus leaves and rose petals. If you have the animal for more than three days you must check for a more complete diet.

Unfurred or finely furred possums and kangaroos

These animals are very undeveloped and need the very best of care if they are to survive. Provision of constant warmth is essential as they cannot produce their own body heat.

Unfurred or finely furred possums or kangaroos should be fed water and Glucodin (1 teaspoon Glucodin per 200mls water), or Lectade for the first few feeds. Possums may then be fed one of the milk formulas recommended also for furred possums and kangaroos.

Note: kangaroos must not be fed any of the milk formula. The Wombaroo company make specific milk substitute formulae for all native species and these may be obtained from a veterinarian and used very successfully. These young animals need their bottoms wiped gently after each feed to stimulate bladder and bowel action.

Kookaburras and magpies

In the wild these birds eat insects and small animals (vertebrates). It is important that two heaped teaspoons of calcium carbonate per kg of meat mince are added to meals to prevent bone problems. Soaked complete dry dog food, hard boiled egg and cheese can be added. Earthworms, grubs and other insects can also be fed.