Unfortunately yesterday Eli’s parents rejected him again 😞
This video explains: 🔽
This video explains: 🔽
To clarify something before I share yesterday’s events. I don’t actually know Eli’s gender.
I refer to Eli as ‘he’ and this is purely because I don’t see animals where we don’t know their genders as ‘it’- so I'll take a 50/50 chance and refer to Eli as ‘he’. The only way to know his gender at this stage of his development is with a DNA test. Baby Magpies all have female colouring (speckled grey feathers on their backs).
When Eli has a full molt and his baby feathers are replaced by adult ones we will know his gender. If his back feathers retain their speckled grey then he’s a girl, if they are replaced by all white, then Eli is a boy.
I refer to Eli as ‘he’ and this is purely because I don’t see animals where we don’t know their genders as ‘it’- so I'll take a 50/50 chance and refer to Eli as ‘he’. The only way to know his gender at this stage of his development is with a DNA test. Baby Magpies all have female colouring (speckled grey feathers on their backs).
When Eli has a full molt and his baby feathers are replaced by adult ones we will know his gender. If his back feathers retain their speckled grey then he’s a girl, if they are replaced by all white, then Eli is a boy.
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Eli Before his Wing was Strapped  |
I’ve recorded a video this morning about what happened yesterday, it’s a summary covering many details and I’ll share as soon as it’s ready.
Most importantly, Eli’s condition is unchanged, however it’s clear his parents see his injury as too serious to recover from . So after a positive reintroduction, they stopped feeding him and distanced themselves from him again. Without their proper care he won’t survive.
I reached out to a wonderful lady (whom I’d made contact with before taking Eli to the vet) with extensive wildlife rehab experience (possums and native Australian birds are her expertise, but she works with any Aussie animal). She was able to visit my home and spent a few hours with me, teaching me the essentials to hand rear Eli.
She also strapped his wing (taped the injured wing to the healthy wing so that it can heal correctly) and showed me how to set up his cage correctly for warmth, security and comfort.
I am so grateful for her help and I am hopeful that I learned what I needed to rehabilitate Eli. I feel so much more confident in what to do and what to look out for. I’m keeping records of his food intake and daily weight so that we can see his progress.
The hope is that he’ll completely recover, learn to fly, retain a social connection with his family and when he is strong and healthy enough, return to the wild.
Alternatively, if he is rejected by his family-sadly this outcome is the most likely scenario that they’ll no longer recognize Eli and he’ll be harassed or bullied by his family who ‘own’ our yard. Magpies are very territorial birds and in nature, Eli will ultimately need to leave the nest and find his own flock to continue the next phase of his life. If this happens I have a couple of options:
1) I’ll reach out to wildlife sanctuaries where he can live a happy and healthy fulfilling (semi wild) life with his own kind in a large enclosure.
Or,
2) I’ll introduce him to a group of hand reared magpies via the Fauna Rescue Group, where he can join them then when the time is right, be released as a member of their ‘orphan’ flock.
Thanks again for your support and well wishes, he’s going to need all the love and care he can get.
Yollie
