Endangered secretary bird recovering at FreeMe Wildlife

FreeMe Wildlife has a new resident secretary bird recovering in its care after being brought in from Ixopo. The bird, a sub-adult male, was reportedly not moving when he was discovered on March 17. The discovering party, field rangers from UmPhafa Nature Reserve, were patrolling the fence line when they found the bird injured and unable to move.

Tammy Caine, FreeMe Wildlife’s raptor specialist, said as soon as they heard the news of the bird coming, it was “all hands on deck”. The bird, identified as a sub-adult by the yellow-orange facial skin, was found to be underweight and severely dehydrated. “This is something we see happening with these birds at this time of year,” said Caine.

She said young birds are often forced out of adult territories and must fend for themselves. “Some struggle to find food on their own, complicated by late summer rains leading to very long grass, which makes hunting far more difficult,” she said. Caine said the bird may have injuries to its pelvis or legs. “He is battling to stand and walk, but there is slight improvement every day,” she said.