The Eastern Spinebill Rescue

On the weekend we received a call from a young man who had found a bird on Swanston street, Carlton. He had correctly identified this bird as a male Eastern Spinebill.

On the weekend we received a call from a young man who had found a bird on Swanston street, Carlton. He had correctly identified this bird as a male Eastern Spinebill.

Our phone operator asked for the bird to be put in a box to keep it safe, the man informed our phone operator he had already done so and created the safe little temporary enclosure for the bird shown below!

We had a rescuer en route shortly after, who took the spinebill to CARE veterinary hospital, where he was given the all clear. As it was now to late to release the Spinebill the wonderful staff at CARE agreed to hold him over night.

The next afternoon the Spinebill was picked up by two wonderful carers to be released.

These tiny nectar and insect eating birds prefer to live in woodland with low shrubbery that protects them from larger birds and provides them with an abundance of food. Thankfully Royal Park was just up the road and where we believed he had come from.

After a quick moment of thanks to his releasers he was off, they stayed to watch him for sometime to ensure he adjusted well along with all the other small birds that call this city oasis home.

A huge team effort for this tiny bird to be safely released back to his home