Maharashtra: Nursed back to health, Shikara takes flight again

A Shikra bird, which was found with broken wings a few months back, has taken flight again.

In October 2022, an adult Shikra bird was found injured inside the storage room of a residence in Junnar town of Maharashtra. The bird was rescued by the Maharashtra Forest Department and was rushed for urgent medical intervention to the Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre which is run by Wildlife SOS.

The bird was under the NGO’s care for four months and made a remarkable recovery -- and has been released back into the wild.

After it was rescued, detailed X-ray reports by the Wildlife SOS veterinary doctors revealed that the bird’s right wing was broken. Determined to give the Shikra a second chance at life, the team mustered all efforts to help with its treatment and care.

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Months of extensive treatment eventually paid off and the Shikra made a complete recovery. As the bird’s health progressed, it was transferred to an aviary so that it could practise taking flight.

The next step was to ensure that the Shikra returns safely to the wild, where it can thrive. The Wildlife SOS team and the forest department recently found a suitable habitat for the release and watched as the bird spread its wings and took flight once again.

Dr Chandan Sawane, Veterinary Officer, Wildlife SOS said, “Upon X-ray examination, we found that the right radius and ulna bones of the bird’s wings were completely fractured. We continuously monitored the bird and observed its gradual recovery. We stabilised the fractured wing using bandages and provided pain medication along with vitamin and mineral supplements to aid the healing process. The Shikra was released after assessing the ideal habitat so that it does not face any immediate threat from other animals.”

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Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder and CEO, Wildlife SOS said, “Our dedicated veterinary team provided the best medical care to ensure that Shikra’s injuries healed properly. We are elated to see that the bird now has a second chance to live out its life in the wild, as it was meant to be.”

The Shikra (Accipiter badius) is a bird of prey that belongs to a family known as Accipitridae. The Shikra plays a pivotal role in an ecosystem as they feed on lizards, small mammals, frogs, small birds, and insects. It is quite an adaptive bird that inhabits deciduous forests, grasslands, farmlands, and even urban areas.