Although we don’t always name the birds that are brought into our Raptor Hospital, sometimes a name sticks!
Stinky is a young male Buzzard who was found in a ditch beside a road. He’s named Stinky because, having been in the ditch for an unknown length of time, he had a certain aroma around him which was distinctly unpleasant.
Stinky has been receiving a special solution via a crop tube as he’s reluctant to eat.
Stinky getting fitted for the sling.
Upon arrival, our team discovered that he was missing some flight feathers from his right wing, and there appeared to be issues with his legs. Although there were no obvious signs of concussion, he had clearly suffered an impact to the right side of his body. In our hospital quiet area, it was clear that he was struggling to stand, so the team fashioned a sling to support his body while encouraging blood flow and muscle use in his legs and feet.
Stinky in his sling
UPDATE - After a couple of days, he was able to grip with his feet, but was still listing significantly to the side, so we arranged for an X-ray to rule out any damage to the bones. This came back showing that it was just soft tissue damage. Following a week of gentle physio and periodic time in the sling, the Buzzard shocked us all by perching almost normally! He is still wobbly, which does indicate likely nerve bruising or damage from an impact, however the signs are good he is going to continue to recover.
Jess had to sneak up to get this photo of the bird perching!