Corvid Dawn Wild Bird Rescue Sanctuary

Aimee Wallis from Corvid Dawn Wild Bird Rescue Sanctuary is well known across England as a corvid specialist but she will rescue all British wild birds including song birds, pirds of prey, waterfowl and pigeons. Aimee has been running the sanctuary for 7 years and specialising in releasing birds back into the wild by reverse imprinting (see below). They receive about 1,000 enquiries from the public every year who have found injured birds in the wild or have pet birds they can’t look after any more.

April 2022 News

We are starting the busy season with fledging rescues and have exciting news about our new animal therapy. Please listen to Aimee’s interview with Penny on 4LEGS Radio here from 6 minutes.

December 2021 News

Well it’s been a hell of a couple of weeks. Three storms in and it’s battered us. Pie’s aviary was completely destroyed in Storm Arwen and I assumed the worst but this clever little magpie was hiding in her box, scared but not injured. She’s a little miracle. We remain strong and it’s not going to stop us, although sadly bird flu has stopped us taking anymore birds in, every year it seems this few months will continue to be a problem.

We are constantly working and fixing, we’ll get back there just bare with us and by spring we’ll be brand new ready for the little souls at our door.

Thanks to everyone who has donated to our appeal for materials to protect the aviaries and feed bins from rats. We’ve bought concrete more wire more wood, a new staple gun and staples and a compressor which will help us work faster. Any more funds would be greatly appreciated.

November 2021 News

It’s the best feeling knowing all of our little release jackdaws are part of this huge flock. Jack, Churro, the chimney babies and Squarky to name a few. Every evening soon, they’ll start to form shapes like starlings…. If anyone has a jackdaw that needs rehabilitation and they’re not sure what his future will look like, this is it. Get in touch.

Reverse Imprinting

Aimee specialises in reversing imprinted birds that have been tamed to rehabilitate them back into the wild. This involves a lengthy period of reducing human contact and increasing contact with the other birds in her aviary.

She also offers long term care for birds that need more time to recover or are old and need somewhere safe to live for the rest of their lives.

This female blackbird called Thelma was rescued from a cat and brought to Aimee when she was a new fledgling at a week old.

Aimee hand-fed her and gave her antibiotics until she was ready to live in the aviary with her sister Louise.

The period in the aviary is important for the birds to break the bond with humans before they are released back into the wild.

Thelma and Louise have now been successfully returned to the wild.

About Corvids

Corvids have an important role to play in our eco system as pest controllers. A crow family can eat 40,000 grubs, caterpillars, armyworms and other insects in one nesting season. That’s a lot of insects many gardeners and farmers consider pests. They clear carcasses, speeding up decomposition, preventing bacteria and disease. These good environmental citizens also transport and store seeds, thus contributing to forest renewal. Jays in particular are the main reason for diversity in most woodlands around the UK.

Corvids also tend to mirror the intelligence of humans more so than other animals, recognising faces and emotions, solving puzzles and using tools. They have an extraordinary capacity for empathy between themselves corvids and also extending to other species. It’s the reason wolves and ravens work well as a hunting team. They will show compassion for other species such as a malnourished squirrel by feeding it or showing other species there are food sources.

Most surprising of all they will do something that no other bird species will do as far as we can tell and that is raise their young despite imperfections, such as blindness, calcium issues or even a deformity. Song birds will push out an egg, or a new born as soon as signs of these issues begin. But corvids are far more emotionally invested and can not reject their young.

When you care for a corvid there’s a much deeper bond and understanding between you and the bird.

How You Can Help

Corvid Dawn desparately need to rat-proof their aviaries and barns. Labour is being donated for free so they just need to cover the cost of materials. If you can help, please donate here or by PayPal to corviddawnbirdrescue@gmail.com. Or if you have spare bricks, brieze blocks or cement please contact Aimee to arrange collection.