A Partial Checklist For Responsible Releasing - [19 April 2005 12:51]

By Colleen Helps

  • Is the bird wild or distressed? - A hysterical bird may not survive.

  • Is the bird agressive/assertive enough? - A too tame bird will not survive.

  • Has the illness really been cured?

  • Has the bird been dewormed?

  • Is the bird fat enough to sustain a weight loss over the first two weeks?

  • Does the bird ever sit puffed up or look listless? - These are bad signs.

  • Are the claws and the beak strong?

  • Can the bird catch or pick it's natural food? Is there a way to adequately support-feed the bird for 2-4 weeks?

  • Does it know what rain and a storm is?

  • Is the bird waterproof and can it fly with wet feathers?

  • Are there stress lines on the feathers? - (in which case there will also be weaknesses in bones).

  • Can the bird fly as fast as it's species requires, sustain flight, height and land easily and is the angle of take-off steep enough?

  • Is the release site familiar to the bird?

  • Are there other birds of the same breed in the area? - (necessary for social birds and a threat to solitary birds).

  • Is there enough natural food, is the natural habitat correct and is the area free of natural predators and manmade hazards?

  • Is the bird familiar with the sounds and the other birds in the area? Is it acclimatized, ie. has it slept outside for some time without a problem?

REMEMBER: a wild bird that is raised in something like a budgie cage and then "set free" does not have a chance!  

 
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