Boobook Wildlife Shelter

20/06/2026

A dark day indeed for our wildlife.

Today brings difficult news for everyone who cares about Australia's birds.

The Federal Government has now confirmed that the Brown Skua found in southwest Western Australia, which was previously suspected of having H5 bird flu, has tested positive for the virus. This marks the first confirmed detection of this devastating strain on mainland Australia.

Around the world, H5 bird flu has caused catastrophic losses, killing millions of wild birds and pushing already vulnerable species closer to extinction.

For Australia's birds, the stakes could not be higher.

One in six Australian bird species is already threatened with extinction, with many populations already under pressure from habitat loss, climate change and other human impacts. The arrival of H5 bird flu presents a serious new challenge.

BirdLife Australia is closely monitoring this developing situation and will continue advocating for strong monitoring, preparedness and coordinated action to help protect our birds.

We need your help more than ever so that we can continue to do our work to protect Australia's birds. Your donation means more now than ever.

Donate today: https://brnw.ch/21x3uZc

For more information visit our bird flu hub: https://brnw.ch/21x3uZd

17/06/2026

Winter.
Winter has put on 20g. She is much more active and demanding now. Her pin feathers are showing more colour.
The pin feathers resemble pins or quills poking through the skin. You can see a blue or pinkish-red base which is the live blood supply covered by a white/clear keratin casing. As the feather grows, the blood recedes to the base, and the keratin casing dries and flakes off, allowing the feather to unfurl. While developing, the pin feather is very sensitive. Breaking an active pin feather will cause it to bleed heavily.

16/06/2026

Huge thanks to John who noticed an injured Tawny Frogmouth on the road last night. He quickly contained the bird and popped her safely into a cardboard box. He managed to find my phone number and rang me late last night. He was more than happy to drive the bird over for an assessment.
Sadly she was too damaged to save. A mouth full of blood, a snapped humerus bone at the joint and no movement in the legs meant pelvic injuries as well. John was then obliging enough to make the trip to the 24 vet for a humane euthanasia.
Fly free beautiful bird.
Please if you hit a bird or any animal on the road call an emergency wildlife number for assistance.

15/06/2026

Sometimes you really do question your own health assessment of birds, but this week I was vindicated.
A Laughing Kookaburra comes into care. He had already been given the all clear from a vet clinic. But, he was hit by a car. I mean, that has to hurt and do some damage.
Kookaburras have incredibly strong beaks. I know, I have been bitten in the past! Their beak is a powerful, all-purpose hunting tool. Built with a solid bone core surrounded by durable keratin, it is designed to endure forceful, repetitive impacts without breaking. They use their beaks and thick neck muscles to bludgeon captured prey against hard surfaces. This breaks the prey’s bones and softens it up for easy swallowing. When they spot movement from a perch, they swoop down and clamp onto prey with vice-like grip.

So, how was it that I could open this birds beak with very little effort. He wouldn't eat, I had to assist feed him.
I decided he needed an x-ray on his jaw. The x-ray proved there were no fractures or dislocations but some differences did indicate trauma.
He was too sore to pick up food or eat by himself. People seem to forget that birds feel pain just like we do. A course of pain relief and anti-inflammatories for our bird.
A week later and he has just started to feed himself. His beak strength is returning. If he had been released from the vet clinic he would most likely have just starved to death.
Keep eating kooka you have some healing to go...and I am very pleased I questioned.

12/06/2026

Welcome to little Winter.
Winter is a Rainbow Lorikeet nesting of around 3 weeks of age. She was found on the ground in a local park. Rainbow lorikeets are prolific breeders and will breed all year round if conditions are favourable. However, being born going into the depths of winter will be a struggle for parent birds. Lorikeets typically breed from August through to January .

08/06/2026

An extremely sad ending to our rescue today.
We attended a call out out for an injured Australian Boobook who was seen sitting on a low branch of a tree in downtown Eltham. We had anticipated a fairly easy rescue but when we arrived she had managed to fly across the street into a tree about 5 metres high.
We made an emergency call to the fire service who arrived very promptly and provided the very long ladder that was needed to get her down safely.
Unfortunately she was found to have an old eye injury and was blind in that eye. This had most likely led to her being struck by a car, also badly injuring a wing.
Thanks to the local fire brigade and the TVS for their vet appraisal. She was humanely euthanised.
Fly free little owl.

03/06/2026

Huge thanks to Graeme for driving all the way into Melbourne to release our little Bell Miner at
Trin Warren Tam-boore (Bellbird Waterhole). This little urban wetland is located at the northwest corner of Royal Park and is part of the Moonee Ponds Creek.
This sweet little bird was found on the ground struggling with a nasty wound to the chest. Thanks to Sam for looking after him when he first arrived at the vet clinic.
With Bell Miners the adult males and females look the same, the red triangle behind the eye is olive in juveniles.

02/06/2026

Watching birds in flight is one of the most captivating spectacles in nature, showcasing millions of years of evolutionary perfection. A stunning blend of aerodynamics and artistry, turning the open sky into a living canvas.
The beauty of avian flight lies in its incredible variety. Every species has adapted to rule the air in its own way.
Rainbow Lorikeets and other parrots are a daily joy, darting across the sky in pairs or small noisy flocks, their bright feathers catching the sunlight.
Australian Magpies are highly intelligent, playful and acrobatic. Watching magpie antics in your local park offers an intimate look at their sophisticated aerial skills.
So why would anyone want to mutilate these beautiful birds and take away what makes our birds so very beautiful and extremely special.
There is no excuse for human cruelty! I wish everyone could experience the distress of a grounded bird. These two birds will be in care for months until the feathers moult out and are replaced naturally.

01/06/2026

It's not often that we get the chance to assess an echidna.
One of our local vets were desperate to move the animal out of their clinic as they were closing for the weekend. Wildlife Victoria called to ask if I could help out. The lovely Rosie put her hand up to transport the echidna to Boobook on Friday evening.
It was obvious straight away that she had a very serious leg injury. An old break that had healed/fused badly. The TVS were called to attend first thing Sat morning. The injury was as bad as I thought and she had to be euthanised.
What a terribly sad end for a beautiful adult animal. At 4.4kg she was a big mature girl.

Did you know the sharp, protective spines of the echidna are actually thick, specialized hairs made of keratin.They lack teeth but feature an incredibly long, sticky tongue (up to 15 cm).

28/05/2026

No surprises there!
Will we ever get a government who cares about our wildlife... one day it will be too late and there will be nothing left!