CHENNAI: Ever seen a baby bird being fed Cerelac with a teaspoon? It’s one of the sights to look forward to at a new aviary and rehab centre for the city’s winged population at Thiruvanmiyur. Spread across 700 square feet of a residential terrace, the one-month old facility is run by mother and son duo, Manjula and Shravan Krishan.
So far, they’ve had visitors that range across woodpeckers, bats and mynas — rescued and brought here from as far as Kilpauk and Thirumullaivoyal. And while most of these feathered friends are either too young or injured to take flight, what we spotted on this particular trip was the ‘height’ of cuteness.
It’s half past noon, and a koel hatchling is caw-cawing away, clearly ringing the bell for lunch. This turns out to be a Cerelac-rice-moong dal-raagi-millet formula, which (you have to see this to be believe it) is spoon-fed to the bird! The crazy part? This greedy little one looks up in anticipation after every mouthful, beak wide open, as if to say: ‘Couldn’t you bring a bigger spoon?’
“Someone rescued her and brought her to us after she fell from a nest nearby. It’s one of the most common incidents we get,” says 25-year-old Shravan, who most will recognise as the activist that found Bhadra, the dog that was thrown off a terrace by medicos in the city. Other cases have included everything from a pigeon with an injured wing after flying smack into a glass window to a dehydrated short-nosed fruit bat. Built to be avian friendly, the enclosures have been designed to be rat resistant and each one has multiple ‘perch’ points from bamboo logs suspended from the ceiling to large rimmed cement pots. “We also keep straw on the floor to keep the space cool, not to mention it gives the birds better grip,” adds Manjula, as she concludes her feeding session. Bulbs in each enclosure are turned on at night to keep the birds warm.
Shravan who also works with the Wildlife Department on snake rescues explains that the challenge is the long wait from the point of a rescue to medical care that’s often the biggest ‘stressor’ for the bird. “Birds can die from stress. So minimum handling actually increases their chances of survival,” he explains. “And that’s where intermediate rehabilitation centres like ours can make a huge difference. This way, a bird injured nearby, like the ECR, can rest for a few days here, before making its journey all the way to the Madras Veterinary University in Vepery or the Vandalur Zoo.”
The birds that have found medical assistance do not include birds of prey like shikras and vultures. “But I have requested the Wildlife Warden to grant me permission for Schedule Birds (those that come under the protection of the Wildlife Act) so that they have a higher chance of survival,” Shravan says.
If you find an injured bird or want to volunteer at the aviary, call 9585212749