Kites cuts short birds’ flight

Talekar says the most common complaint is that of the wings getting cut by manja, which is coated with glass pieces. ‘‘The main bone of the wing gets cut by the sharp manja, which causes a lot of damage. In more than 95 per cent cases, the damage is permanent and the bird never flies again,’’ he adds.

The worst suffers are pigeons, as they don’t fly high and get injured by kites flying at the same height.

A veterinary surgeon with the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), H.R. Patel, says: ‘‘Other birds like parrots, black ibis and sparrows also get hurt. Unfortunately, no amount of treatment can cure them completely.’’

More than 30 birds of different species, including kites, vultures and pigeons, have been brought to the SPCA hospital in the past two days. The birds are kept in huge cages till their treatment is over. After this, they are set free. On Monday, the hospital treated five seriously injured birds.

‘‘In most cases, the wings get cut. But many a times, a bird actually gets tangled in the manja hanging from a tree or an electric wire. In such cases, the damage done is worse and there are few chances of the birds’ survival,’’ says Patel.

While animal welfare groups are doing their bit for protecting birds, students of Mahatma Gandhi International School at Ellisbridge did their share by participating in a rally, dressed like birds. Students — from Kindergarten to Class VIII — wore beaks and paper feathers to send out a message of protecting birds during Uttarayan. There were others who went out to help an injured bird or two. Says Shivani Desai, a resident of Jivraj Park: ‘‘We noticed a pigeon on a pavement. We carefully picked up the bird and took it home. There, we cleaned the wound with warm water and applied an ointment. Luckily, the wound wasn’t deep. But the pigeon is hardly moving yet.’’