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Residents in western Brisbane have been urged to keep an eye on the sky after a local wildlife sanctuary lost a native falcon during a routine free flight training session on Wednesday.
Sparrow, a 3.5-year-old nankeen kestrel, had been living at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Fig Tree Pocket for about 18 months, having been transferred from the Gold Coast’s Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.
A nankeen kestrel is a small species of falcon with natural habitat that includes south-east Queensland.
Lone Pine Assistant Wildlife Curator Andrew Bryant said Sparrow was about the size of a lorikeet.
“She would only be probably about, 20 centimetres tall standing … quite a small bird compared to other raptors,” he said.
The falcon was among 16 birds at the sanctuary, but was not being considered for eventual release.
“She was brought into a wildlife hospital at an early age with a broken right foot – I believe she had a red zip tie wrapped around it,” Bryant said.
“[Her past injury] means she can’t close that foot as much, or in the same way that a normal kestrel would be able to, which does put her at a slight disadvantage.”
He said Sparrow had two free flight training sessions each week, which involve flying to and from a handler unrestrained and in an open area.
Bryant said the session had been progressing as usual on Wednesday, when the falcon suddenly caught an updraught and rapidly ascended.
“The team watched her get really, really high, to the point where they could only just sort of pick her out, and then she moved off to the side and out of sight,” the assistant wildlife curator said.
“She had a bit of an exception that day, but because of that potential risk, which is inherent in free flight, she was wearing, telemetry equipment, which is a form of a radio tracker.”
The sanctuary’s main concern was for Sparrow’s wellbeing, given she had been in care from a young age.
On Thursday afternoon, Lone Pine put out an appeal for public assistance finding the falcon, with Bryant saying the distinguishing feature would be her falconry equipment still attached to her leg.
Bryant said this equipment would look like a leather strap, and a “small plastic unit with an aerial on it”.
“She’s a small bird, and, unless the community is geared up to noticing the specific falconry gear that she’s wearing, she might be a little bit subtle,” he said.
Lone Pine asked anyone who believed they might have seen Sparrow to take a photo of the bird, note the time and location, and contact their company line during business hours at (07) 3378 1366, or 0437 876 759 after hours.
Earlier this year, Gold Coast wildlife sanctuary Paradise Country also suffered a runaway resident, with a newly arrived Tasmanian devil jumping over a 1.4-metre fence.
The devil, named Mary, was found several weeks later, undergoing treatment before being returned to her enclosure.
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