Black Kite

[den]

I'm not set up to handle birds so the poor little kite had to sit on a pile of Chux Superwipes in a box, instead of pearching.


Feeding the youngster some meat, using tongs. No way was I going to get my fingers near all those sharp bits.


The meat is lean steak about 1.5" square, and was entirely the wrong food to give him but I didn't have any dead mice. It was just to get something into his stomach.

Comments

[jim-lane.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'll bet "birdie" would have LOVED a few bat-bits to worry with his beak...

Since you actually got it to eat the meat, it just shows it was hungry enough not to be picky about the meat being recently alive--- (most raptors don't mind scavenging something "fairly fresh", from my personal observations)

[dewhitton.livejournal.com]

He was very, very hungry. The meat was only at room temperature and he still ate it. Black Kites are hunters, not scavengers, and yet he still ate the meat. He's happy now what with dead, microwave-warmed mice not more than a call away.

[kythrain.livejournal.com]

Excellent! He's just a little guy (or girl... do you know?)... a semi-heavy glove would work as well as the tongs for feeding to protect against the sharp bits. I'm sure he'll be much happier with mice though.

[thebirdgirl.livejournal.com]

Awwww... Seems to be enjoying the meal. I'm sure he was properly grateful.

Funny, he doesn't look black...

[dewhitton.livejournal.com]

His adult feathers are a very dark brown so they look black from the ground. Black kites are also the only Australian raptor with a forked tail, so they're really easy to identify at a distance.