“Wildlife safety always comes first.”
The other day, Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary team members were walking near a construction site on the property when they noticed four speckled eggs nestled in the grass. The animal experts quickly jumped into action and called off the maintenance crew.
“We’re carrying out some driveway works to maintain and improve the sanctuary access roads,” operations manager Petra Harris told The Dodo. “Like many workplaces, sometimes this involves using machinery, but wildlife safety always comes first for us.”
For the construction crew, the origin of those random eggs may well have been a mystery. But sanctuary staff knew they hadn’t ended up there by accident.
The eggs belonged to a pair of masked lapwings — large birds native to Australia, New Zealand and New Guinea who build their nests on the ground.
Luckily, the construction hadn’t scared the feathered couple away.
“The parent birds were close by, keeping a watchful eye,” Harris said. “As soon as we paused work and left the area, the parents quickly returned to the nest to continue caring for the eggs.”
Though pausing the construction presented a mild inconvenience, rescuers knew the delay was worth it when lives were at risk.
“Ground-nesting birds like lapwings are especially vulnerable,” Harris said. “If disturbed, the parents may temporarily leave the nest, which can expose eggs or chicks to predators and the cold. Keeping nests safe gives these birds the best chance of raising their young successfully.”
Staff members kept a watchful eye on the nest. Eventually, they spotted the fluffy chicks they’d been looking for.
These chicks will stay with their parents for the next 5 to 7 months while they learn important survival skills. According to Harris, many masked lapwing families stay together after the young learn to fly and, in some cases, have been known to stay as a family group for up to two years.
Thanks to the vigilance of sanctuary staff members, these amazing birds can grow up in peace