Injured Birds or Birds Out of the Nest

Injured Birds

To capture an injured bird, it is best to use a towel, blanket or coat - using a material weight that won't overwhelm the bird. Simply drop the towel over the WHOLE bird and gather up the bundle. Some birds are VERY strong - and raptors and owls have strong talons and beaks - so do not attempt to merely grab a bird with your bare hands. Many birds will attempt to bite you or strike at your eyes, thus the need to cover their head with the towel.

If a bird has hit  your window and appears injured/stunned, place it in a box or container with a lid, be sure there are air holes. You may line the box with intact towels or cloth, but never with stringy rags or shredded paper. Birds may become entangled in loose ends and damage their feathers or strangle.

Place the box/container in a dark, quiet, and warm area and monitor for a few hours. In many cases, if the bird is stunned, it will be ready to fly away in an hour or two. If a bird has been attacked by a cat or dog, take it to a treatment center as soon as possible.

Please use common sense if you need to contain the bird. Raptors and owls are large, strong birds and it's first priority is to protect itself. This is a natural reaction, they don't know your trying to help them. Don't consider the bird to be vicious, it's very very scared.

Transporting Birds

If you're going to transported the bird for rehabilitation, take the following steps:

• Prepare a container-put a soft cloth in a cardboard box or cat/dog carrier. If in a box make sure there are air holes.
• Protect yourself- wear heavy leather gloves if possible. Some birds may bite or scratch to protect themselves, even if sick or injured. Remember they are terrified of you.
• Cover the container-with a light sheet or towel. You want to keep the bird warm and calm. Keeping the container dark will help keep the animal calm.
• Gently pick up the bird and put it in the prepared container. For larger birds, it's important to pick them up from the back and secure their wings in one motion. A towel will help in this process.
• Please do not give the animal food or water, keep it away from children and pets.

• This is worth repeating - Keep the bird warm and calm.
• Note exactly where you found it. The rehabilitator will want to know this information.
  

Baby Birds

General Information

1. Do not overhandle the baby.  Their bodies are like small water bags and they can be internally injured by too much handling. Also, extreme fright can kill. Do not move your hands around while holding the baby, or turn it upside down, as rapid changes in posture can also kill.
2. Identifying the age of the baby: HATCHLINGS are tiny baby birds with no feathers, unable to stand, eyes closed; age newly hatched to one week.  NESTLINGS have feathers, eyes open and can hop, but are not standing up; age 2-3 weeks.  FLEDGLINGS are feathered, standing, hopping, and flying, but NOT self-feeding; age 25 to 28 days.
3. If the baby is still being fed by its parents it will “gape” when you move your finger over its head, or if you gently tap the container or the side of the mouth.  If the baby does not gape, but still appears very young, the beak may need to be gently pried open to feed it.  Baby birds that are fully feathered, and trying to fly, and do not gape may be fed adult food for that species, along with a small shallow container of water.  (Too much water may result in drowning.) At this age, it is essential to know the species of the bird in order to provide the correct food. (Seed eaters vs insect eaters, such as Robins and Starlings, vs omnivores, such as crows)

Out of the Nest: 

If you find a baby bird out of the nest, every attempt must be made to return an uninjured baby to the nest. Or to create a “nest” for the bird off the ground and safe from cats. A small woven basket lined with soft cloth rigged near the old nest will do. Robins have been know to even accept a margarine tub duct taped to the tree!

Birds have no sense of smell and parents will continue to feed their young, even though they have been handled by a human. Many bird species are very sensitive to intrusion, so please observe from a distance that the parents are feeding their young.

Unfeathered infant birds should be placed in a small basket or ring of cloth. Do not try to build a nest with grass or shredded paper! Nests are nature's way of keeping the infant's legs and feet in the proper position - preventing dislocated hips and "sprawl" when the legs are still too weak to hold up the bird. Most birds will back up to the edge of the nest and defecate over the side to keep the nest clean. When housekeeping for infant birds, do not lift them by their backs or wings. Get your hand under their feet and body to lift them.

If you cannot assure the young bird's safety, if the baby is injured, or if the parent is clearly dead, then the baby should be taken to a wildlife rehabilitation center. 

It is NOT LEGAL to keep a wild bird, and you should consider these suggestions as TEMPORARY only, until you can get the bird to a wildlife rehab center. 

Feeding Baby Birds:

If you are willing and able to handle overnight care, here are some tips:

1. The most important thing is to keep the baby warm and in a quiet place.  Babies without feathers cannot thermoregulate (control their body heat).  Even when they have feathers, they rely on their parents and siblings to stay warm.  The simplest thing is to place a heating pad under the box or critter carrier on “low” and put layers of cloth or other interim barrier between the heating pad and the box.  Do not put the bird directly on the heating pad.  You don't want to cook the bird! The quickest way to warm up a baby is to place it next to your own skin, under your shirt. Check frequently to see that the bird is not panting or too warm. 101 is the average bird's body temperature.
   
2. Do not feed immediately. All wild creatures are traumatized and stressed by being handled and transported. Wait at least a half hour until the bird is stable and shows signs of being hungry. Feeding before this may cause death, due to the shunting of blood away from the brain and other vital organs to the gastrointestinal tract.
3. Feeding a baby bird water can be risky, and result in the death of the bird if the water goes down the airway. Instead, fluids may be provided as small bits of watermelon or berries or grape halves.  Water in this form also provides a little sugar.
1. Foods may be provided in the form of the following combination:
   
• One cooked egg yolk - Hard boil an egg for AT LEAST 15 minutes (to remove any bacteria that may be in the yolk).
  
• One-half a large jar of baby food green beans;
• One-quarter a large jar of baby food veal;
• Cream the yolk, beans and veal until it resembles a soft pudding.
  
• For most birds - except the very young - add a tablespoon of Tyrell's Red Label Dog Food and mix well. Do not use other brands of dog foods as they contain poultry products.
• Do not feed infant birds: milk, bread, or seeds. Infant birds need a high-protein diet to help them grow quickly.
  
• Make this recipe fresh as often as possible. DO NOT feed cold food to infant birds, but serve lukewarm.
• Use a flat toothpick, coffee stirrer or any other non-sharp object to feed the bird.
• Their faces, nostrils and bodies should be kept clean of formula by using a soft bit of cloth. Pull the cloth towards the tip of the beak and away from the eyes.
  
• If the bird feels cool or cold to the touch, warm them gently before feeding.
• Most birds can accept chopped up earthworms, dipped in water, as long as they come from soil which hasn't been treated with herbicides or pesticides.
  
• Feed hatchlings every 30-45 minutes from dawn to dusk (14-16 hours per day). Feed nestlings every hour and fledglings every 2 hours during the same time period.
• Only a few drops of water should be fed to infant birds. Parent birds do not carry water to their infants; moisture is received through their food.
  

Local Wildlife  Rehabilitation Centers and Other Resources:

There are several large and small wildlife rehabilitation services throughout Western Washington. These centers depend on the generosity of others who share their appreciation for our natural world. Please consider giving a cash donation when you call a rehabilitator, or taken in an injured bird or animal.