Three birds, an Indian Cuckoo, a Black Bittern and a Black Kite, were released back to the wild on 15th October 2015 after being successfully rehabilitated at the Wild Animal Rescue Centre (Rescue Centre).

Indian Cuckoo (Cuculus micropterus)

The Indian Cuckoo was found in Sai Kung with minor injury by a member of the public on 6th October 2015. It was suspected that the bird hit a window and could not fly after the collision. A week later, the bird was fully recovered and was ready to go.

The Indian Cuckoo is a summer visitor. It flies to Hong Kong to breed in spring and departs in autumn. This species is a brood parasite. Adult females remove eggs from the nests of drongos or crows and lay their eggs in the nest. Without realising, the host will raise the cuckoo chick.


Black Bittern (Ixobrychus flavicollis)

This Black Bittern strayed into a house in Tsing Yi on 2 October 2015. The owner reported the case to the SPCA who's inspectors rescued the bird. It was delivered to KFBG for further observation and care. As the bird was diagnosed as healthy, we decided to release it right away following a short period of observation at the Rescue Centre. The bird was released at Mai Po Nature Reserve on 15 October.   
The Black Bittern is a medium-sized heron and mainly feeds on insects, fish and amphibian. It is a spring and autumn migrant to Hong Kong.

Black Kite (Milvus migrans)
 

On 11th August 2015, the SPCA rescued a Black Kite from Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, and passed it to the Rescue Centre. After a general examination, we found that the kite was an old bird suffering from age related problems. It required a specialist examination of its eyes. An ophthalmology consultation was conducted and the results showed that its vision was fine, and would not affect its ability to survive in the wild. A decision was made to release the bird back to wild.