Australia has some of the most fascinating wildlife in the world, from rarely-seen and elusive marsupials, to everyday birds that frequent our backyards.
However, interacting with native animals can have devastating consequences, and Aussies are being urged to leave wildlife alone after grim photos emerged of a magpie covered in a skin condition considered a “death sentence” if left untreated.
The lone magpie was spotted walking along a road with its legs covered in scaly leg mite, a condition caused by the burrowing mite Knemidocoptes mutans. It leaves the bird with hardened, crusted legs, which can prevent them from walking and perching in severe cases.
“It’s a death sentence unless treated,” Wild Animals Australia’s Cat Coake told Yahoo News.
What is scaly leg mite?
Scaly leg mites are microscopic insects that live underneath the scales on a bird’s lower legs and feet, and is easily transmissible between birds that come into close contact with one another. Often, those who are either younger or older with lower immune defences are more susceptible to developing the condition.
In domestic birds like chickens and budgies, it’s considered a result of poor care and hygiene, but in wild populations of magpies, crows and currawongs, Coake said it often comes from the bird’s parents or transmission in unnaturally large groups.
“It can be really horrific,” she told Yahoo News. “The majority of birds that get scaly mite get it from their families and being infested by other birds,” she explained.
Sadly, humans can play a role in the spread of the condition.
“Any time you bring an unnatural amount of animals together, and they come in contact with each other, you can spread diseases,’ she explained. “That happens if you feed large groups of magpies and they become dependent on humans. Unreasonably sized groups can carry it and spread it.”
When a magpie is suffering from a broken beak, it is often the result of metabolic bone disease (MBD) from a lack of nutrition. Source: Keith Porteous/The Wildlife Rescuer
Big mistake Aussies make with native birds
Yahoo previously reported on several magpies with broken beaks, which triggered a warning to Aussies who regularly feed birds that land in their backyards. Foods like mince and bread, while not toxic, can still be incredibly deadly.
When magpies suffer from a broken beak, it is often the result of metabolic bone disease (MBD) and oral infections from a lack of nutrition. Bread and mince, which can also get stuck in the beak, do not contain the level of nutrients the birds require.
“The myriad of issues do not stop there, as feeding magpies can also cause the birds to gather in unnaturally large numbers, creating competition and spreading disease between flocks, Keith Porteous, a Sunshine Coast local otherwise known online as ‘The Wildlife Rescuer’, previously told Yahoo. Scaly leg mite is the type of illness that can spread in these unnaturally large groups.
“When feeding animals, especially the wrong foods, they can develop poor general health and become more susceptible to any skin condition,” Coake said.
“We much prefer that people don’t feed them,” she said. But for those who can’t help themselves, she suggested foods that they would naturally encounter in the wild.
“Make a worm farm and a compost heap and do it naturally,” she said.
“Everybody wants to interact with these gorgeous, incredible animals and there is nothing wrong with that but do it right, or you’ll cause their death by metabolic bone disease and poor health management.”
Coake’s advice to Aussies who spot a wild bird looking worse for wear is to “get in contact with the nearest wildlife organisation”, which can help capture and treat the bird before it’s too late.
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