Smoke, heat and fires are killing and injuring birds and animals

WIRES Central West branch co-ordinator Marea Julian said they had received reports of birds drowning in troughs as they desperately sought water, possums and gliders being found dead with no apparent injuries and raptors with blackened throats and malnutrition.

Mrs Julian said the situation was worse than she had seen in about 20 years of working with the animal rescue group.

She said many raptors were being found dehydrated with soot in their mouths.

"They have to be 100 per cent to hunt live food. It's tough for them anyway," she said.

"The smoke is probably the last straw for the ones that are marginal, pushing them down to the ground."

She said a lot of them were covered in bird lice.

Mrs Julian said a lot of the animals were not directly injured in the fires but were suffering from the smoke and intense heat.

"They're very dehydrated, they're very sick," she said.

Mrs Julian said ringtail possums and sugar gliders being found near the doors of homes in Orange and Stuart Town as they desperately sought food away from their natural habitats.

"Ringtails, they are normally very stressy, so they stay away from people," she said.

Mrs Julian said there had been reports of a falcon and parrots drowning in water troughs when they were unable to get out.

She has asked residents to place a large stick in troughs and old baths being used for water to give the birds something to grip and escape.

Mrs Julian has also asked people to put a shallow dish of water under trees to give birds a drink. "Refresh them daily," she said.

She said more injured kangaroos and joeys were being found by roadsides.

Mrs Julian said the situation was also affecting the WIRES volunteers. "It is distressing for us," she said.

"It's awful. You get to the point where you are ringing around to see who's got space to put things in."

She said she was caring for several animals and birds including two kookaburras suffering smoke inhalation.

WIRES has asked people to keep dogs and cats indoors so wildlife can flee safely, keep a cardboard box and towel in their car in case they come across injured wildlife, not to try to feed injured wildlife but put them in a dark, quiet place for a rescuer or to take to a vet and not to approach large injured animals or snakes.

Call WIRES on 1300 094 737.