The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Old xylophones are helping hurt crows get back to nature
The crows in the care of the Blue Highlands bird rescue centre can’t really carry a tune, but you can tell the act of “playing” a xylophone really makes a difference for our feathered friends.
Every bird taken under the wings of the Brora facility gets special customised care.
But perhaps none more so than those of the corvid family, which includes crows, ravens and jackdaws.
These species, much like children, need an everchanging supply of different toys to play with to sate their natural curiosity while they’re recovering from all sorts of ordeals.
Broken wings, beaks and worse can mean weeks on end stuck in the centre while they get strong enough to be released.
The rescue centre’s founding director, Lady Hadassah BroscovaRighetti, is appealing for more toys and ways people can help.
“We have a whole little box labelled corvid toys,” says Hadassah.
“Corvid toys tend to be made out of plastic or rubber, something we can sanitise, because corvids are just mucky by nature and they tend to make bigger messes.”
She encourages supporters to send them anything “shiny that can’t be broken” for the avian guests at the centre to play with.
By keeping their bird brains engaged with playthings, from xylophones to skateboards, they can keep their minds
sharp and ready for their return to nature where they belong.
“We need to rotate them, just like you do with children, otherwise they get bored,” says Hadassah.
As they tire of their toys so easily, the centre is always in need of new donations.
The most suitable are ones are designed for toddlers or dogs.
She says: “The best ones are puzzles – their brains are so advanced, and they just love to figure out how to get a treat out of any given toy.”
Toys are not just for the
birds’ brains, but they can help assess recovery from injury.
Birds in the care of Blue Highlands sometimes need procedures to make sure they’ll be able to survive in the wild which can include reconstruction or repair of broken beaks.
By making sure the birds have toys to test out their new and improved beaks with, like the xylophone for pecking out tunes, Hadassah can ensure they are working as intended and their owners will have the best chances back in nature where they belong.