BIRD WOUNDS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 18, 22 January 1927, Page 16

BIRD WOUNDS

\ HEALED BY THEIE OWN

TEESTMENT,

f 'Whetn a big shoot takes place there . are always numbers of wounded birds ■Healed -by their own treatment left .'ani the woods and fields. Many of "these are collected by gamekeepers, but Jthere are some that escape, writes ■jOliver G. Pike, F.Z.S., in the "Daily Mail," These cripples show, a.remarkable spirit, and it is really surprising^ how they carry on. When-one foot' or leg is shot away the bird soon manages to hop about on the remaining leg. If %l wing is broken it is a more serious, matter, for there is little chance of it .escaping from its many enemies; but-'I lave known instances; of :':bifds : with broken wings': managing to's survive un-^ til they were';.:.-able to "fly again. One. Wiis a kestrel, and for a month this jplucky bird'rested on the ground, picking up''trifles there, until eventually I saw it flying as well as ever. ;^'lfa bird breaks-its, leg it will sometimes help' Nature. In fact, it becomes its,own doctor, and mud and hair are plistered round the broken leg.; Snipe hatye been known to. recover ia this , way. A golden eagle was recently seen ■■-laying on. a: Scottish moor with; a large iron trap attached to'one leg. Even ■:\ with* this encumbrance it managed to • :■■-. ■■'. ,'•' '/■■' ■' ,■ ' . : u ■ ,y When birds are trapped they strugj'gle madly for some tittle, but the more -A intelligent ones, finding' that this does jaot help them to escape, examine their .surroundings. I once saw a falcon cap- ,;; tured by a strong.noose. When, it found' ,! that struggling did not free it, the bird ii! stood still, carefully examined the^ ,:i string frpm every angle,-then cabnly ■'{proceeded .to untie.-the knot with its 5; beak. ' It-was so successful that .a few s I minutes later, I saw it walk away from '•'; | its trap and escape. '

■.:■'•" I have known'a wounded partridge ';:\ to ,escape ..the gun's during the -whole ;' laeason. This bird could not- fly, but ..: iitr.lived on with the covey, alwaysjoin- ■ jlng it again when it settled down after i-ja flight. 'The covey itself was thinned ■down from fifteen' birds to four, and 'j when the close time came at; the-end ; i of the winter thia bird was pneof them. |,Whenever the covey was flushed the ''Wounded partridge squatted low on tfie gro'nnd, and it was sheer luck that in ji.eY6ry instance the. sportsmen and dogs ■passed it by. : ■.■■■.-'-..