"Bird dad" Gerhard Wendl has saved countless birdies.
Now the Gröbenzeller is dealing with a little goosander - not an easy guest.
Olching - "Where do I get fish from so quickly?" Thought Wendl to himself when the chick had been handed over to him.
Because the goosander is one of the few waterfowl, along with the kingfisher and cormorant, that feeds on mini-fish.
The bird got its name because of its sharp beak, which it needs to catch fish.
Since there was no fish in a hurry, Gerhard Wendl resorted to crickets, small house barbecues, which the chick devoured immediately.
The little water bird will now live in the sanctuary in Olching until it is released into the wild in five to six weeks.
A red light lamp and a so-called artificial luck warm the little feathered animal.
"When I catch fish, I regularly put the goosander in a bathtub," explains Wendl.
However, the little one no longer has to learn to swim.
"Waterfowl can do that from birth."
This year, Wendl, who has been involved in bird rescue for 40 years, has not yet given away any foster children.
“But the season is only just starting now,” says the 76-year-old.
Many bird parents, around 70 percent, have lost their first brood in the past few weeks.
The cold temperatures are to blame.
“A lot of chicks froze to death in the nest,” explains the expert.
For nature, however, this is not tragic: "It will soon
catch up
again."
Lif
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