Wildlife rescuer Keith Porteous, known online as The Wildlife Rescuer, recently answered a distress call about a tiny bird in big trouble — a chick trapped inside a drainpipe.
When he arrived, he discovered the stranded baby was a masked lapwing, also called a plover. These birds usually nest on wide, open fields where parents can easily spot threats in all directions. But as urban development eats away at natural spaces, plovers have started setting up nests in riskier places — roadside verges, roundabouts, gardens, and even the flat rooftops of buildings.
That rooftop nesting habit is what landed this chick in danger. While exploring, the young bird stumbled across an uncovered drain and slipped straight down.
Porteous carefully opened the pipe and lifted the frightened fluff ball out. Luckily, the little one was unharmed.
“It’s always a feeling of relief and joy after a successful rescue, especially with vulnerable young,” Porteous said.
He released the chick in a safer spot and waited nearby until the parent plovers reappeared. Before long, the chick was reunited with its family — thanks to quick action and a watchful rescuer.