An injured Longtail was taken to safety thanks to a sharp eyed 7-year-old boy who spotted the bird at Horseshoe Bay on Sunday.

Northlands Primary student Oliver Verster noticed the Longtail in difficulty, and brought it to the attention of the lifeguards.

Lifeguard Kainoa Simmons retrieved the bird, and placed it in a large bucket with plans to contact the Conservation Department to seek care for the bird.

The bird was safely delivered to the Bermuda Aquarium Museum & Zoo [BAMZ] and a spokesperson said, “The longtail that came in is underweight and it’s wing cord is too short – this means he is unable to fly at this time.

“We have increased the birds caloric intake considerably and are watching his growth rate carefully. It is hoped he will make a full recovery and be able to be released to the wild. He is currently being cared for in BAMZ’s wildlife hospital by our Animal Care and Quarantine Officer, Roma Hayward.”

Ollie and lifeguard Kainoa Simmons with the rescued bird

Department of Conservation Services said they have become “increasingly concerned about the impact that crows are having on Bermuda’s iconic Longtail.”

They said that the concern was that this group of crows was specifically targeting Longtails, pinpointing the nesting sites by watching to see which holes they were flying to in the cliffs and then mobbing the adults to chase them out of the nests and snatch the eggs or young chicks.

The Department said that Fortunately there is evidence that artificial nests are [if correctly installed] more difficult for the crows to steal eggs from because they usually have smaller entrances.

Over 100 of these artificial nests have already been installed on Nonsuch and some of the other Castle Harbour Islands, with plans for more to be installed in the near future.