While watching my birds this AM I noticed a female asy fall from her gourd. When I picked her up to see what the problem was i could not visually see anything physically wrong with her.After checking her very closely with my fingers I found a rubber band had pinned one of her wings to her body.
I think while nest building she got the band around her neck and then around her wing. I freed her as quickly as possible and she happly rejoined her mate high in the sky.
Saving this bird made me very happy as i had just watched a hawk take a asy female.This was the first bird I had lost to a hawk this year.
rubber band wing entrapment
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jim h
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Thu Jan 29, 2009 12:03 pm
- Location: Fl. Plant City
- Martin Colony History: We have been landlords since 2010.
In 2015 we hosted 50 + pair.
2009 - one sub-adult pair hung out
2010 - 8 pair, 41 eggs, 39 hatched and 39 fledged
2011-22 pair,119 eggs,111 hatched and fledged
2012-30 pair,180 eggs,168 fledged
2013- 42 pair,220 eggs,195 fledged
2014 - 57 pair,277 eggs, 227 fledged
2010 - 8 pair, 41 eggs, 39 hatched and 39 fledged
2011-22 pair,119 eggs,111 hatched and fledged
2012-30 pair,180 eggs,168 fledged
2013- 42 pair,220 eggs,195 fledged
2014 - 57 pair,277 eggs, 227 fledged
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Anthony Neira
- Posts: 1319
- Joined: Wed Jan 15, 2014 1:12 pm
- Location: San Antonio /Texas
- Martin Colony History: Started in 1992 From neighbors old 1950-60's colonies. Have 8 Trio 6 Room Houses, 4 MPP Poles, 1 Heath Deluxe Gourd with Troyer Porch, 8 NatureLine Gourds with Troyer Porches, 5 Troyer Horizontals ,& 2 S&K 11" WITH Troyer Porches ready for 2019 Season !
Wow! Great Save,Jim h, I've seen rubber bands used in the start of a sparrow's nest, but never in a PM's. If only it had happened to a sparrow/ starling. Good luck!
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Carrera Mike
- Posts: 150
- Joined: Sat Jan 11, 2014 10:23 am
- Location: Eastern TN, Claiborne County
- Martin Colony History: Pls see signature
Good Job!
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Louise Chambers
- Site Admin
- Posts: 6208
- Joined: Tue Nov 04, 2003 1:07 pm
- Location: Corpus Christi, TX
That's one lucky martin - if you had not seen her fall, something would have gotten her while she was grounded.
Anytime I see something that might entangle or harm any wildlife, I stuff it in my pocket - string, bits of plastic, fishing line, etc.
One year our flycatchers took a long piece of cotton gauze bandage into their nest, and we did not notice it until day we saw two nestlings tied together at their ankles. Luckily both were okay after it was snipped and removed. I guess it looked like snakeskin to the flycatchers - they often use shed snakeskins in their nests.
Anytime I see something that might entangle or harm any wildlife, I stuff it in my pocket - string, bits of plastic, fishing line, etc.
One year our flycatchers took a long piece of cotton gauze bandage into their nest, and we did not notice it until day we saw two nestlings tied together at their ankles. Luckily both were okay after it was snipped and removed. I guess it looked like snakeskin to the flycatchers - they often use shed snakeskins in their nests.
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KathyF
- Posts: 3522
- Joined: Thu May 24, 2007 1:57 pm
- Location: Missouri/Licking
- Martin Colony History: Colony started - 2007 with one pair
As of 2018 - 84 cavities offered, max # of pairs hosted - 82.
Nice save, Jim! It's amazing how much trash people throw out and never realize the impact it will eventually have on some unsuspecting bird / animal later on.
"Sometimes", said Pooh, "the smallest things take up the most room in your heart."
2023 - 82 pair
2022 - 80 pair
2021 - 75 pair
2020 - 78 pair
2019 - 80 pair
http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com
2023 - 82 pair
2022 - 80 pair
2021 - 75 pair
2020 - 78 pair
2019 - 80 pair
http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com
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Dave Duit
- Posts: 2145
- Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2003 2:02 pm
- Location: Iowa / Nevada
- Martin Colony History: In 2024, 82 pair with 350 fledged youngsters. 110 total cavities available, 82 Troyer Horizontal gourds and a homemade PVC / metal 28 compartment unit, 1 fallout shelter. Hawk and owl guards included. Martin educator and speaker. President and founder of the Iowa Purple Martin Organization. Please visit Iowa Purple Martin Organization on Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1627283871068161 Emails send to [email protected]. Subject line include Iowa Purple Martin.
Nice work on getting the rubber band off and also noticing it in the first place. Three years ago trash made life hard for a warbler that I had found dangling upside down from a tree over hanging the lake I live on. It had fishing line that someone didn't bother to cut out after snagging it low in the tree limb and tangled in the birds leg. I went under the low branch, reached up, rough cut the line and delicately cut out the line using a small knife. I released the warbler and it immediately fly up into the sky. Oh yeah, I cut out every little piece of that line from that tree.