Boo! Unusual bird find on Strand
BIRD rescuer Deborah Carter has an unusual visitor in her aviary at the moment.
His name is Bob and he’s a brown booby, a sea bird not normally seen in Townsville.
Ms Carter, who is a birds of prey rescuer with North Queensland Wildlife Carers, said she was contacted by a woman who found the bird on The Strand.
She said she was surprised when she heard about it as brown boobys were often seen further north.
“I’ve never had one come into care,” Ms Carter said.
“He might have got caught in a storm and blown off course.
“Occasionally we get the little shearwaters but usually after storms.”
Ms Carter has been feeding the young bird, who she said was not in a good condition when she took him in.
“He was just underweight,” she said.
‘ I thought maybe he’d swallowed a balloon or plastic.
“Because he’s light, he might have been blown in and took refuge on our Strand.”
Ms Carter plans to release Bob in the next few days, depending on how well he puts on weight.
“He’s got to be able to do power flapping,” she said.