Kookaburras are predators
We have Kookaburras living in our back yard. I've been feeding two Kookaburra chicks that fell 6 metres from their nest in our backyard at our home in Woodridge (QLD). Possums disturbed the nest about 4 Nov 2011 (3 weeks ago at the time of writing) and three newly hatched chicks fell to the ground. One died, one had a broken leg, and the other seems ok. However, although I knew the possums had disturbed them, it took me 3 days to notice what it was that the Kookaburra family were making a fuss about in the corner of the yard in the ferns. When I looked & found the chicks on the ground the surviving two were nearly dead from being untended during the night (they need to be kept at 30 deg C when newly hatched). I built a nest box on the side of the same tree they fell from (but only two metres up), and put them in. The family still did not brood with them at night, but they tend to them during the day. I've been supplementing their diet with various carnivore / insectivore items, including lizards, grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, & one week old (frozen) quails I bought from the pet shop. Of course the quails need to be warmed up first. They need the whole quail chicks for roughage to prevent bowel problems & for the development of their bones and feathers. The Kookaburra family bring lizards, snakes, and insects during the day, and sit nearby on a regular basis, but often fly away at night. One day when I tried not feeding as much, the stronger chick kicked the weaker chick out of the box, and it fell to the ground (again). Luckily I was at home & I heard them fighting. I immediately replaced the chick in the box and fed them. This is normal behaviour for young Kookaburras while they are still in the nest. I'm concerned about what will happen to the weaker chick; it will have a crooked leg for life. I kept it with the other chick because I found out that the vet would put it down if I took it there, & because they keep each other warm at night. I'm hoping that it has adapted to having a crooked leg, particularly since it seems to be now fending for itself reasonably well against its healthier sibling (but I notice that it has stopped defecating at the nest box entrance, I think as a defence against being kicked out again). I have photos of their progress.
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dhardwick
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