Rook rescue

E39MSport

So, I was on the road a short time ago and noticed a young corvid on the ground not doing much. I stopped and approached it but it didn't try to get away.

It was directly under a rookerie so I put it out of harms way on a high pillar. But I noticed that its breathing was very laboured and it was coughing.

It's now in a box in the house. Won't eat or drink and keeps it's eyes closed quite a lot.

I don't expect good news in the morning

Any tips? Here's hoping.

The rookery is around the corner so I can put him back if he improves.

Scotty #

When I was a nipper I used to hang around with the local farmer and every year he would destroy any hooded crow nests he came across. But he would also keep one or two chicks each year and hand rear them.

AFAICR, he'd feed them brown bread and dog/cat food mixed with a well with a bit of water and force feed them with a big plastic syringe. After a few days they'd be begging for it.

maybe keep the box in the hotpress with the immersion on too.

E39MSport

Dead

Very contorted too poor thing.

Symptoms remind me of some of the sick finches from about the house over the years. They would also die in some sort of fit.

The rook also had great difficulty breathing like the finches.

Hopefully its not Trichomonosis. Interestingly, Rooks have been rooting around under the feeders over the past few weeks....

Scotty #

That's a pity.


On Mooney they were saying yesterday that only 20% of chicks survive to adult hood which I thought was very low. Only 10% for migratory species.

They also had reports of a Mallard in cork with 21 ducklings :eek::eek::eek:!!!

Half-cocked

The young rook may have had internal injuries from its fall from the nest.