Report an injured or sick bird of prey
Report an injured or sick raptor
When you find an injured or sick bird of prey, time is of the essence so we urgently ask you to send us a WhatsApp message, stating the location in Kenya and to send pictures of the bird so we can make an initial assessment of urgency and treatment.
Shiv Kapila: +254 724 332 792
Simon Thomsett: + 254 734 145 843
If you can't reach Shiv or Simon, please contact Joni Overbosch so she can coordinate the response: +31 6 34 65 75 52.
Capture and first aid
About 50% of raptors brought in for rehabilitation suffer damage while in transit or in captivity. Please follow the instructions below to prevent further injury. You can find an elaborate manual for raptor rescue and first aid here (PDF).
DO
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Quickly approach and restrain the bird by throwing a towel or shirt over it.
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When its head is covered, quickly grab both feet, one in each hand. Place one finger between the tarsi and gently, but firmly get both feet under control. It's advisable to capture the raptor bare handed as gloves make the task more difficult and you might hurt the bird.
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Keep the bird warm in an airing cardboard box (never in an open wire cage!). It is essential the bird is kept in a dry, quiet and warm place (a constant 27 to 31 degrees Celsius).
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Contact Kenya Bird of Prey Trust on WhatsApp (message or call) at one of the above numbers to discuss the next step.
DON'T
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Never hold the bird up by its head, neck or wings.
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Never grip both legs together so that the legs cross as this can cause immense strain and injure the legs, especially if it flaps.
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Never put the raptor in a parrot cage, chicken transport cage, open sided dog or cat boxes or cramped chicken coups. The bird will relentlessly smash its face and flight feathers against the wire.
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Never cut or pull out flight feathers to prevent the raptor form escaping. It it very very difficult and time-consuming to get them moulted in a new set of flight feathers.
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Noise and visual disturbance should be avoided.
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Never leave it with a domestic vet without looping us in as very very few vets know how to handle birds of prey.
Report a dead bird of prey
In the interests of monitoring and understanding the causes of death of birds of prey the Kenya Bird of Prey Trust, in cooperation with The Peregrine Fund, ask you to report every dead bird of prey.
If possible please bring the bird to the National Museums of Kenya so they can investigate the cause of death. Use an inverted plastic bag to grab the bird and put it in another bag. If you suspect the bird is poisoned, handle the carcass with caution. If you can't deliver it to the Museum, please burn the carcass in a very hot fire and make sure the carcass is burnt to ashes so there is nothing left to eat, or burry it at least 1 meter deep so it won't be eaten by scavengers.