Two blackbirds have been returned to the wild after being rescued in Cardigan.
RSPCA officers were alerted after the duo were found as fledglings in their nest in a recycling skip without parent birds. It was unclear where the nest had originally been built.
A member of the public had taken the blackbirds to Tinker’s Hill Bird of Prey & Swan Rescue Centre, before they came into the care of the RSPCA.
Fortunately, there were no welfare concerns with the birds – though one was considerably stronger than the other.
The blackbirds were transferred to the specialist Gower Bird Hospital – who hand-reared the pair and supported their growth and development.
Following more than four weeks in the care of Gower Bird Hospital, the blackbirds were independent and strong enough to be returned to the wild – and were released by the RSPCA back into the wild at St Clears.
Video footage captures the blackbird’s heart-warming return to the wild.
RSPCA animal collection officer Ellie West said: “These poor fledglings came to our attention after their nest was found in a recycling skip.
“It was so lucky they were found – as without a parent bird, they were in a hopeless situation.
“When I collected these blackbirds, one of the fledglings was far stronger than the other. They weren’t too keen on sharing the same temporary nest I put together so I had to build separate ones – a bit of social distancing for these birds!
“The RSPCA is so grateful to our friends at Gower Bird Hospital, who did an incredible job supporting these birds.
“While they were older fledglings, they were still initially very dependent and needed to be hand-reared – before they could be looked after in an outside aviary and monitored on CCTV.
“After more than four weeks, they were ready to be returned to the wild – which was a fantastic moment for me.
“Returning rehabilitated wildlife to where it belongs is such an important part of what we do. This pair of lucky blackbirds are just two of the countless wild animals we’ve been able to help amid this period of coronavirus restrictions; with our officers on the frontline throughout responding to emergencies.”
Should you wish to support the RSPCA’s work at this unprecedented time, you can donate online.
