Corella in a cage. Should I let it go free? (1 Viewer)

I have the opportunity to take control of a corella and then would have the option to release it. It talks so it has probably lived all its life in there, and every day its owner gives it water and seed.

Here is the thing. Every day wild corellas fly past and they call to each other. Sometimes the wild birds fly down and look at it, then fly away.

I value the corella, but I don't agree with caging it. Someone told me it was only about 5 years old, so it might spend the next 45 years in a cage.

So, should I accept the offer fo take it, then let it go?

If it's a corella that is native to Victoria, and the same species as the wild birds that visit, then I would release it. Maybe put food out to attract wild ones and take the cage out into your garden, leaving the door open so it can choose to fly off, or not.

I've always understood that it's a bad idea to release caged birds, unless it had been raised specifically with that purpose in mind. Perhaps it would be a good idea to contact a Wildlife Helpline for advice.

chris_rex said:

I have the opportunity to take control of a corella and then would have the option to release it. It talks so it has probably lived all its life in there, and every day its owner gives it water and seed.

Here is the thing. Every day wild corellas fly past and they call to each other. Sometimes the wild birds fly down and look at it, then fly away.

I value the corella, but I don't agree with caging it. Someone told me it was only about 5 years old, so it might spend the next 45 years in a cage.

So, should I accept the offer to take it, then let it go?

Click to expand...

As I understand it, there's less than perfect agreement between Australian Federal and State laws on this subject. What I'm saying here is based on two fairly comprehensive discussions with NT outback teams that work to counter illegal trade in species, mostly birds. Private releases may well be illegal, as they are in many countries.

When they confiscate birds, they could be hundreds of kilometres away from base which has holding facilities. because they have a good local knowledge of people who are authorised to keep caged birds, they often will leave thiose birds there while they complete their circuit (which could be several thousand km), so that they don't have to return to base on their first seizure. These licensed cagebird premises are then visited on the return journey and only some of the seizures are taken back to base immediately: species that will survive well and are compatible to those already captive are often eft temporarily.

Every seized bird has to be checked against known data (eg light isoptope ratio analysis) as to its origin, but this is a slow and expensive process. Only then can the bird be released into an area corresponding to the known data. That means it has to be later transported there: again an expense.

Unfortunately, the known dataset is patchy in quality geographically. That means that some birds are not releasable legally. Illegal trade in wild birds is still widespread in Oz.

Best seek out the release policies of your State. Corellas are intelligent and gregarious, and so probably more able to cope than more solitary species.
MJB

I had an idea that it might be more complex than just opening the door and letting it go. Its not like its a canary or a budgie, there are thousands of corellas living in this area now. However, I would need to ensure that it is the same species first of all. I will contact a wildlife refuge and ask them. For the sake of completeness I will post their advice.

Thanks for your detailed reply MJB.

chris_rex said:

I have the opportunity to take control of a corella and then would have the option to release it. It talks so it has probably lived all its life in there, and every day its owner gives it water and seed.

Here is the thing. Every day wild corellas fly past and they call to each other. Sometimes the wild birds fly down and look at it, then fly away.

I value the corella, but I don't agree with caging it. Someone told me it was only about 5 years old, so it might spend the next 45 years in a cage.

So, should I accept the offer fo take it, then let it go?

Click to expand...

I would think it really depends on how long it's been in the cage...

I would preferably contact the local wildlife rescue and ask if they can release the corella (rather than e.g. euthanise it).

The point is that we don't know how the bird got to the cage in the first place. If it was as a chick, it may not know how to survive in the wild, escape predators etc. otherwise you can release it just as well, and take the risk on you.

I know it sounds rather obvious - but can it fly properly? Many caged birds lose their flight muscle bulk over time - making them a prime target for predators if released. An aviary might be a good “half way house” to start conditioning it.