Saw this bird at Grants Picnic Grounds in Kallista, Vic today. I had an American visitor so was taking her to some of the touristy places and also on walks to see birds and widlife.
This particular bird came to have a feed and it has a very curved long beak. It didn't have any feathers missing and seemed very healthy, definitely not malnourished, and yet it had this deformity. Was wondering if I should speak to the people at Grants to get a vet to look at it?
Of course, there were staff where the birds were, surely one of them has noticed?
OMG, don't waist your time talking to any of them. They have no idea, nor do they care about anything else but the "money" they make by feeding huge amounts to those unfortunate birds. There is one nice Parks Victoria Ranger, a woman sort of your age, she cares. Just like me and a few other concerned people, she would love to end the lease those people have. But those people have a lease that runs to 2019. A long time and a lot of suffering for those birds. I have seen many sick Cockatoos there, it just gives me the ......ts, to see this. You can do something for this and the other birds, and e-mail those photos to Parks Victoria and the Council. We will see if anyone cares? I would love to know what they say?
M-L
Kathy you could contact Help for Wildlife probably email Denise with a copy or a link to these photos at - they are usually pretty busy so you may not get through to the helpline but you could try. This bird will already find difficulty in positioning its body without the beak touching it's throat and must be having problems eating. Thanks for caring!
Edited to correct spelling
Alison
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"the earth is not only for humans, but for all animals and living things."
This bird is obviously lacking something in it's environment. Birds in the wild would keep the beak trimmed in their every day activities, chewing on branches etc. in the search for food. I knew of someone who kept a SCC as a pet, and they would provide stimulant for this to occur, and occasionally the beak would need a little "trim". Thanks for caring, and I agree you should do something! I could be wrong, but I think there is no disease process, just a lack of manicuring for this poor creature. This might need to be an ongoing process, a little at a time, it will have become accustomed to this beak, and to take too much at once, might be quite stressful. I am also unsure whether a blood supply grows with a beak like this, and how much could be trimmed in one sitting.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Well Dale and Alison, you have no idea how long a group of concerned and worried people have been trying to shut this terrible place down. Countless Tourist Busses roll up every day, to sell containers filled with seeds to feed to the Cockatoos. I have seen many birds with” beak and feather disease”. A Parks Victoria Ranger checks on the place every day. They comply with all the recommendations, have provided hand washing facilities, people are supposed to wash hands before and after feeding masses of birds that turn up. I have watched busses arrive filled with tourists, none of them complies with the regulations. Yes they clean the place before the close at night. I have tried everything possible. Those people that run the place have a lease with Parks Victoria until 2019. Nothing anyone can do!!! As I have said many times before, we are sacrificing our wildlife on the altar of the one thing that drives those people, MONEY.
M-L
Good on you for picking this up. This sort of thing needs maximum exposure so that the public can see the damage done to birds by mistreating them, whether by placing then where they can't get a beakicure or by facilitating the spread of "beak & feather disease". The granting of the lease to Grants also needs to be exposed, preferably by reputable media outlets rather than by the beatup brigade.
What does the RSPCA think of this place or are their hands tied by government collusion in the mistreatment of wildlife?
Grants could still have plenty of wildlife to attract tourists by ensuring natural bushland around their premises & by having binoculars available for tourists to observe the birds & other creatures that inhabit natural bushland. This is a suggestion I've written to Grants about but I've had no information to indicated that they've taken up the idea & discarded the artificial feeding of birds.
I'm entirely with you on this one, Araminta, & share your rage. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
I know that area well Marie Loiuse, it is not too far from my house in Emerald and I (like Woko) understand and share your feelings - I have to admit that I went there to photograph birds for an overseas forum so while I did not feed any birds I am not blameless either. There is certainly a market for this kind of place but I don't think it would be too hard to get the same effect without providing seed. Any park I have visited with an abundance of native planting does get a wide variety of birds naturally maybe not on demand but the Melbourne Zoo's flight aviary scenario containing native plants of this area would be another alternative and a possible haven for those injured birds who cannot be released into the wild but could thrive in such a place. Anyway, that is getting away from this cockatoo's issues.
Alison
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"the earth is not only for humans, but for all animals and living things."