Found a weakened or injured bird and just don't know what to do? Then you've come to the right place! It is not uncommon for birds to injure themselves because of the many enemies and dangers. The confrontation with a cat, the territorial fight with a rival, the flight against a window pane, the fall from the nest or the entanglement in plastic garbage can be quite hard on the birds and ultimately endanger their lives.
In this article I would like to briefly explain how you can recognize birds in need of help. You will also learn what to do if you observe a bird that is acting strangely or has a visible injury. Let's go!
How can I recognize a bird that needs help?
You have found an apparently injured bird? Then the first thing to do is, Keep calm and observe the animal. Because every now and then it just looks like the animals are in serious trouble - and then you should just not remove them from their environment and certainly not just touch them. The latter even puts the animal under additional stress.
Here are some Featuresby which you can identify a bird that is actually in need of help:
- Flight incapacity
- Absence of escape reflex
- Closed, inflamed eyes
- Parasites in plumage
- Confused behavior
- Supine position
- Heavy bleeding
- Bite injuries and wounds
- Lame leg
- Plastic around the beak
- Burns
- Bone fractures
- Hanging wing
- …
If a young bird has fallen from a Next, it is often also flightless. Depending on the condition, danger situation and distance to the nest, it is then usually more sensible to leave it on site and continue to observe it, as the mother bird will most likely take care of it. Otherwise, if one of the above points applies, the wild bird before your eyes most likely needs your support or even medical help.
Tip: By the way, I also wrote you a post about it, what to do if you have a deer accident had. Feel free to find out about that too!
Capture and provide first aid
Injured wild birds such as swallows, blackbirds, swifts, sparrows or blue tits have poor chances of survival due to their high metabolism, the small amount of blood in their bodies and the many predators. You found a bird definitely in need of help, which does not visibly recover even after a certain observation time? Then you should do not hesitate further and bring him to safety.
It is best to take it very carefully with a towel/a sweater/blanket on and places it in a sufficiently large Cardboard box with air holes, some hay and kitchen paper. So he has it pleasantly soft and warm, can come to rest and if necessary also be transported. With a spoon you can then give him some water and also feed him with small grains. Observe his further behavior afterwards.
Important: When capturing, be sure not to squeeze the bird too tightly to avoid additional stress and breathing problems.
Injured bird found - what to do?
For example, if a bird only has a mild concussion from hitting a window, it usually collects and recovers quickly. So, if the animal has no obvious wounds, fractures, or other clearly visible injuries, you should let it first still observe something and then feed them up.
Your first aid is not enough or there are directly obvious injuries? Then you should consult a veterinarian or a wild bird station. You can also make use of the telephone service of corresponding organizations in order to behave correctly.
- Veterinarian/Veterinarian: Veterinary care in your area is always a quick and useful place to go if you find a sick or injured bird.
- Wild Bird Station: Fortunately, there are also countless (often volunteer) species and animal conservationists who run care and rescue centers for birds. Overviews of the locations can be found for example at the NABU and at the Wild Bird Aid.
- Telephone support: If you're not quite sure, you can also call a bird conservation organization first and ask for advice.
Tip: There are also Facebook groups for "wild bird help emergencies"! Also there you can share your specific case and get quick advice to benefit from the experience of the members.
Don't look away when you find an injured bird
Whether large or small - stork, hawk, owl, chaffinch, robin or sparrow - don't look away when you find an injured bird. Observing, securing, and helping or getting help are basically the right steps to take to save a wild bird's life.
I really hope that I could help you with this article. Do you have any questions, suggestions or further tips to help sick and injured birds? Then I look forward to your comments!
Be always kind to animals,
PS.: Is your own property bird-friendly yet? At Create garden for birdsHere you can find out how you can support birdlife in your home and enjoy even more birdsong. Good luck with the implementation!
