17 Jul 2011

SPCA innundated with injured birds

2:25 pm on 17 July 2011

Auckland SPCA is inundated with hungry and injured birds unable to fly or feed because of strong winds.

The SPCA says the birds are mainly prions. Strong winds and rough seas knock them out of the air onto beaches where they are unable to take off again because they have very short legs.

Prions are smaller than a blackbird. They feed at sea during the night and roost in burrows on seaside cliffs during the day.

The SPCA says anyone who finds a prion and can't get it to a vet, should force feed it chopped fish and launch it from a cliff on a calm day.