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Injured Blue-winged Pitta

on 4th May 2014

“The extended neighbourhood are aware that we are avid bird watchers, so when a bird is in trouble we get contacted. In the late evening, a neighbour asked for help for a ‘beautiful bird’ that hit their tinted glass window. After 3 hours the bird still would not fly.

“We reluctantly took over; reluctantly as we have had some bad experiences caring for hurt birds, losing some, and it is heart breaking.

“It was a brilliant Blue-winged Pitta (Pitta moluccensis) that was still suffering from a cerebral concussion. We were more interested in the bird than images, so only a few were taken (some close-ups of the head, no flash used).

“We have had poor outcomes with birds kept indoors or in the closed up back yard. But the neighbourhood has many stray cats, so keeping it outdoor posed its own danger. We designed an elevate basket set up – a deep basket, open top, with leaf litter, earthworms, and hanging from a pillar. We were delighted when the bird recovered and ‘escaped’ from our care at dawn the next morning.

We made the mistake of not lining the basket with plain paper, so not great images. But the bird was too traumatised to handle for too long.”

Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS & Datin Dr Swee-Im Lim
Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
24th April 2014

Location: Canning Garden Home, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
Habitat: Urban residential area

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

Other posts by YC Wee

3 Responses

  1. Hi

    We had a Pita crash into our window this morning, he lay still on his back in our balcony for over an hour. I came to him after this and he cried out and stood up, tried to fly. He is clearly still stunned . Thanks had to go and to see my wife at the hospital, but if he is still there when I come back can I contact you for advice?

  2. I have raised Pittas in aviaries and find that the food item that they usually do not reject is earthworms. Fortunately, many fish shops, pet shops and gardening centers now sell earthworms. But I warn you that they are not cheap and Pittas eat a lot.

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