Aaron Hyam started Foxton Bird Rescue about a year ago, and says he will continue until its not needed, something he thinks is unlikely in the near future.
Aaron Hyam started Foxton Bird Rescue about a year ago, and says he will continue until its not needed, something he thinks is unlikely in the near future.
When birds find themselves in Aaron Hyam’s care, their injuries are typically accidental.
Hyam runs Foxton Bird Rescue, which he started after seeing Facebook posts from people looking for help caring for nestlings — baby birds that have fallen out of their nests. People would pick them up but struggle to find an organisation willing and able to care for them.
“The wild bird hospital in Palmerston North will only take in native birds, and then you have to get them there. So, I thought it was something I could take care of and I started taking in nestlings to raise for release.
“It’s not so much that I had a particular interest in birds — I believe that if I can do something to lessen the overall suffering in the world then I am obliged to do something about it.”
While the birds he normally cares for are nestlings, or come to him with accidental injuries caused by events such as flying into a window, the back story of one of his recent patients left Hyam shocked and disgusted.
An injured duck was brought to him with external injuries on October 7.
She was crossing Foxton Beach Road with her six ducklings, according to witnesses, when a driver intentionally ran them over.
Her ducklings all died, and she suffered grazing to her wings, a gouge on her shoulder blade, heavy bleeding from her mouth, feather loss, and her tongue was grossly extended.
“At the time I expected her to have internal injuries, however, she must have been straddled. I found the source of bleeding to be a laceration under her jaw extending horizontally — about half the width of her throat.”
Hyam said the animals had no breaks or damage to her flight feathers, and he kept her for observation and tube-fed her to make sure she was getting sustenance.
The mother duck recovering after being hit by a car.
“On the second day she perked up and the next morning I spoke with a vet at Massey about her, then took her to see a vet nurse. We both agreed she was in a suitable condition.”
After iodine was applied to her wounds, the mother duck was released back into the wild just a couple of days after she was hit by the car. Hyam was thrilled she seemed to have survived the incident and was back where she belongs, in a local pond.
“She was so insanely lucky that I don’t know how to word it; though I can’t say the same for her babies. The individual who did this act of cruelty is a coward.”
SPCA scientific officer Dr Alison Vaughan said the deliberate killing of animals by vehicles was a criminal act.
“The Animal Welfare Act 1999 provides protections for wild animals and creates offences for their ill-treatment. Penalties range from one year in prison and/or $50,000 fine through to 5 years in prison and/or $100,000 fine.”
An angry magpie rescued by Aaron Hyam.
Ill-treatment is defined as any act or omission that causes an animal to suffer pain or distress that is not reasonable or necessary in the circumstances.
“SPCA believes that drivers of vehicles in road accidents which involve animals have a responsibility to ensure that any injured animal is quickly given appropriate veterinary treatment or is humanely killed. A driver who hits an animal is urged to call *555 and ask for advice. If the animal is alive and injured, SPCA can be called to provide advice and assistance.”
Vaughan said drivers were advised to safely avoid ducks and ducklings on the road.
“Take care to not endanger yourself and please usher the ducks/ducklings to the road verge and allow them to make their own way back to a nearby park or riverbed.”
She said if people see a bird that may be injured or sick, they should call the SPCA or bird rescue organisation for advice. Some areas of New Zealand have dedicated bird rescue organisations that SPCA partners with and can refer people to.
The Antarctic Fulmar was taken to Wildbase Recover in Palmerston North.
Hyam said the mother duck was one of many success stories he has enjoyed through running the Foxton Bird Rescue, which he started about a year ago. He has rescued several different birds ranging from common backyard species such as thrushes, sparrows, blackbirds, silvereye and finches to rarer species including Antarctic prion and fairy prions.
Rescuing an Antarctic fulmar was one of Hyam’s best successes.
“I collected him and took him to Wildbase Recover [in Palmerston North], where we got to see him recover in his own pool — he had a flutter board to float around on — then the coast guard took him kilometres offshore and released him.”
A pied shag that Aaron Hyam rescued.
He said his bird rescue, like many others, always needs donations of feeding goods, rags, petrol, newspapers, old cages, building materials, or just a lift down to the beach.
“I would say the best way to help a rescue is to contact them and ask what they need.”
A fairy prion that Aaron Hyam rescued.
He said another way to help was by preventing birds from getting injured in the first place. People can do that by putting stickers on their windows and bells on their cats.
“All the injuries as side effects of human life are brutal — flying into windows, collected by traffic, or mutilated by cats.”
Hyam also has a bank account set up for donations and can be contacted via the Foxton Bird Rescue Facebook page.
Hyam said he will continue running the bird rescue for as long as it is needed.
“I imagine I will be here doing this for as long as the community wants, and there are about 90 species of birds that visit Foxton Beach, so it seems like something worth doing.”
