Felled by ‘manja’ thread, they get remedial transplants

Their soaring voyages were cut short by glass-coated ‘manja’ thread used to fly kites. The thread sheared their feathers, ending flight. But with help from veterinary doctors and wildlife lovers, they are taking wing again.

Birds of prey injured by ‘manja’ in Bengaluru are getting feather transplants through ‘imping,’ which allows them to quickly return to the wild.

A raptor like the black kite has to be in captivity for several months till the feathers grow again. But if its wings can be restored by transplanting feathers, a process known as implantation or ‘imping’, the bird could fly out in just three days.

People for Animals (PFA) and Avian and Reptile Rehabilitation Centre (ARRC) are arranging for implantation for raptors, with a success rate of ‘more than 90%’. The procedure is not carried out on smaller birds as it is difficult to align their feathers, activists said.

Since December 2016, veterinarians with PFA have restored feathers of 10 black kites, two Brahminy kites and a Mottled Wood Owl. The kites were fit to fly in two days, while the owl is under observation.

At ARRC, 10 birds got implants, mostly kites and a few barn owls.

“The process is like fitting a straw over another,” said Michelle Simoes, a PFA veterinarian. The feathers are matched by species, age of the bird and their function. Feathers of dead birds are also used. A new feather is cut and attached to a broken one using adhesive.

Adjusting to flight

Without imping, birds are kept captive till the feathers moult, an annual or bi-annual process. Kites moult annually, and must get used to new feathers, said Jayanthi Kallam, co-founder of ARRC.

The rehabilitation process ends only when a healthy bird is released back into the wild, said Ms. Kallam.