And finally onto the more *exotic* finds at Pensthorpe…
*exciting
They have a Crane breeding program…
*exciting
They have a Crane breeding program…
Not too sure about the cut wing feathers, I realise they need to be kept in one place but it doesn't quite sit right with me.
Turtle Dove
Avocets
Male Ruff strutting his stuff
A big ugly Crane…
Corn Crake
And now for the grand finale!
Bearded Tits!!!
Ok, so it was a little bit of a cheat as these are actually in an enclosure where you can see them easily along with the Avocets, Turtle Doves, Ruffs and a few other species.
Babies
And the BBC team arrived to set up for Spring Watch
11 comments:
Beautiful photographs Liz, what a wonderful collection of birds. The wing clipped feathers do end up looking tatty, but it doesn't hurt them (rather like cutting your hair or finger nails), and it is better than them flying off and getting hurt somewhere. We'll have to do the same to our turkey hens when they grow up, as they're very adept flyers, and we'd rather free-range them than keep them cooped up.
Beautiful set of photographs Liz.
Particularly love the grand finale.......
I must say I agree with you....I don't like the clipped wings. I have read the first comment though, and perhaps I am just a little too sensitive.
Lovely photos, Liz. You saw some great birds!
I'm not keen on the clipped wings either. I'm also rather confused as to what purpose is served by keeping wild birds such as Bearded Tits in an enclosure other than for the entertainment of the public but I assume/hope it is to do with some sort of conservation project.
I have never seen Bearded Tits but would love to, I feel a trip to Norfolk coming on :)
Incredible photos, Liz. The avocets are my favorite. P.
Hi CV,
Oh, I’m aware the clipping doesn’t literally hurt them as such and that isn’t the issue that doesn’t quite sit right with me. I know it’s for conservation but I can’t help but think perhaps sometimes there are alternatives.
Hi Cheryl,
To me, having a bird and clipping its wings is like getting a cat and declawing it. Obviously wing clipping is far less extreme but the point is, why get a bird if you don’t want it to fly? Get a fish instead. Obviously this situation is different, but some people do this to their parrots, budgies and so on.
A bird being unable to fly is surely starving it of its natural behaviour, it wouldn’t surprise me if they begin to show stereotypical behaviours – which isn’t good mentally – such as horses weaving their heads, tigers pacing back and forth in an enclosure, pigs chewing bars (all well known and documented behaviours due to poor environment enrichment or space availability)
I’m more than happy to be proven wrong though! There must be research out there into bird behaviours in captivity :D
Hi Jan,
I think yes, the Bearded Tits were being bred for conservation, as the enclosure had a few red list species in there. No doubt they release the youngsters into the reserve once old enough or chased off by their parents. It was a large area, not a tiny little aviary so all the birds could easily fly around – although it was probably too small for the avocets and turtle doves as I imagine they fly large distances.
But yes, for this reason I am no fan of Zoos, as nice as it may be to see animals close, I always feel their enclosures are too small or that the animals are desperately unhappy. Most Zoos tend to opt for the minimal space requirement, which for many species really is atrocious.
Hi Pam,
Thank you! :D The Avocets are pretty little elegant wading birds! Quite why they had some in the enclosure I’m unsure, because there were some out in the open lakes/ponds. I would imagine they didn’t expect to have some wild birds turn up! Typical ;)
Another gorgeous set of photos Liz - and I love those little bearded tits, they're so sweet!
Liz, your photos are absolutely beautiful! I love birds, and you've captured them so perfectly!
I have a companion bird, Lola, who is an umbrella cockatoo. I clip her flight wings as well. It doesn't hurt her, or scare her (since she's used to it). She can use them to glide down from her perch, but she doesn't catch enought height to fly. This way, she has more freedom...she's not locked in a cage or tethered to a perch.
Hello Liz and thank you for stopping by. LUV your photos and those handsome birds, the male Ruff being quite exquisite. But the little Tit steals my heart, so lovely.
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