Lyrebird first

By Tania Martin
IN A Victorian first, an injured lyrebird has been rehabilitated and returned to the wilds of Kallista.
Healesville Sanctuary said the birds usually die in captivity within a few days and that this was the first lyrebird in the state to survive long enough to recover from its injuries and to be released.
The bird was released back into its habitat in the middle of the Sherbrooke State Forest last Wednesday.
Sherbrooke Lyrebird Survey Group secretary Jan Incoll found the injured animal just over two months ago, 10 months after the group found it had been orphaned.
Ms Incoll said the bird could usually be found in the forest at 7am every morning.
But on this particularly morning in October, the hills icon was found at the back of the kiosk at Grants Picnic Ground.
“It was limping and had quite obviously been hit by a car,” Ms Incoll said.
In another first, staff at the sanctuary were able to pin the bird’s badly broken leg.
Senior veterinarian Dr Rupert Baker said his team had treated 17 injured lyrebirds in the past two years. But he said the survival rate was very small because of the difficulties associated with caring for injured lyrebirds.
Dr Baker said this was the first time a lyrebird had been able to be rehabilitated and released back into the wild.
Ms Incoll said: “They (Healesville Sanctuary) have done a wonderful job.
“Lyrebirds don’t usually feed or survive in captivity,” she said.
“Usually we take them over to the sanctuary and they are okay for a couple of days and then die.”