Drivers Beware. Cockies on the road!DRIVERS in Wollondilly shire have been urged to keep an eye out for birds as an animal hospital reports an increased number of casualties.
A short-billed corella brought in from Ellis Lane last weekend was the latest bird to arrive at the University of Sydney’s Avian, Reptile and Exotic Pet Hospital at Werombi after being hit by a car. Vet David Phalen said the bird needed surgery for a broken bone next to its wing after being treated with painkillers.
Dr Phalen said the bird was the third of its species brought to the hospital in the past month.
It had joined magpies, kookaburras and sulphur-crested cockatoos.
“The juveniles of many species are flying the nest at the moment,” Dr Phalen said.
Dr Phalen with a Long-billed Corella“Drivers should be aware that if they see these younger birds on the road they should slow down because the young ones will not get out of the way.”
Dr Phalen said the short-billed corella was a common sight in pasture land around Wollondilly shire, where they fed mainly on grubs and grasses at ground level.
He said the birds could live up to 40 years in captivity.
They formed pair bonds with one another for years.