How would you react if you saw a wounded bird on the road? Would you stop to help or would you just walk away? If you answered yes, then you are more likely to be helpful than those who would not stop for any reason. A helpless wounded bird may not fly or even move, but it is still alive and needs your help. But you have no knowledge about how to help them. In this article, we will discuss how to help an injured wild bird.
Some symptoms of an injured bird
If you see the below symptoms of a bird you can consider it is injured:
- The bird has been hit by a car or another vehicle.
- Its wings are damaged.
- Its body is limp.
- Its feathers are ruffled.
- Its eyes are closed.
- Its head is drooping.
- Its breathing is laboured.
- It’s making sounds like moaning or crying.
- Blood comes from the wounded area.
How to help an injured wild bird
1. Identify
First of all, you need to know what kind of birds they are. You can find out by looking at their feathers. Birds with white feathers are usually swans and ducks. They are very beautiful and graceful animals. However, there are also other kinds of birds that live in our country such as pigeons, sparrows, owls, etc.
2. Check the condition
Once you identify the type of bird, you should check its condition first. It could be dead, dying, or injured. If it’s a living bird, you need to make sure whether it has been hurt by humans or by predators. If it was hurt by humans, it might die soon because it cannot get medical care. So, you should take it to a veterinarian immediately. If it was hurt accidentally by predators, you can try to rescue it.
3. Make a decision
After you have identified the situation, you should decide which way to go. Do you want to carry it back home or do you want to take it to a vet? If you choose to take it to a veterinarian, you should prepare some things before doing so. For example, you should bring along a towel, a blanket, a cage, food, water, etc. Also, you should wear gloves and shoes that are suitable for handling animals.
4. Keep it in a cage
When you arrive at the place where the bird is, you should carefully observe the situation. You should see if it is moving or not. If it is moving, you should gently pick it up. Then, you should put it into a box or a cage that is big enough for it. Make sure that the box or cage is clean and dry.
5. Provide some food
You should provide some food for the injured bird. It is important to feed it every day. Proper feeding can help to recover it easily. You should give it those food who is easy to digest.
6. Clean wounds
If the bird has been hurt by predators, you should clean the wound. You can use a cotton ball soaked in antiseptic. After cleaning the wound, you should bandage it. Bandaging helps prevent infection.
7. Provide warmth
Now, you need to keep the bird warm until it recovers from its injuries. Keep it inside a box or a cage. Use a heating pad or hot water bottle to heat the box or cage. You can use a heater too. Be careful when using a heater though. Never let the temperature exceed 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).
8. Medication
If the bird is still alive after 24 hours, you should give it medication. Medication helps the bird recover faster. You can consult with the vet and ask him/her about the best medicine for the bird.
9. Release
When the bird recovers completely, you should release it to the wild. This means that you should leave the bird alone. Don’t feed it anymore. The bird will eat insects, worms, seeds, etc. while recovering.
Precaution during helping an injured wild bird
1. Wear appropriate clothes
Before helping an injured bird, you should wear comfortable clothes. You should wear long pants and closed-toe shoes. You should avoid wearing perfume or cologne. These products may irritate the skin of the bird.
2. Avoid touching the bird
Birds feel uncomfortable when they are touched. They may even bite you. When you touch them, you may also get bitten. To avoid this, you should stand far away from the bird.
3. Wash hands thoroughly
Washing your hands thoroughly is very important. Birds may be infected by germs on your hands. Germs can spread through your hand to other parts of your body. Your hands may become contaminated when you handle the bird. So, you should wash your hands thoroughly before helping the bird. You should also wash your hands after helping the bird.
4. Prepare a safe environment
It is very dangerous to help an injured bird without preparing a safe environment first. Before taking care of the bird, you should make sure that there is no danger around it. For example, you should check whether there is any predator near the bird. Also, you should make sure there is nothing poisonous nearby.
5. Do not disturb the bird
The bird needs time to recover from its injury. So, you should not disturb it. You should just watch over it. If the bird is sleeping, you should not wake it up.
Can an injured bird survive?
Yes! In fact, most birds can survive even if they were badly hurt. There are different factors that affect how well a bird survives. Some of them include the size of the bird, its age, and its weight.
How long does it take for a bird to heal?
A healthy bird usually takes one week to fully recover. However, it depends on how serious the injury is. If the injury is more serious it may take one week more to fully recover.
What happens if I don’t help an injured bird?
In case you fail to help an injured bird, you should know that it may die within a few days. A bird that dies without receiving proper treatment may also cause other problems such as disease.
Is there anything else I can do to help an injured bird?
Yes! You can make your own aviary. Aviaries are cages that contain plants, trees, and other living creatures. These cages are used to protect birds from predators.
Final thought
Bird is a very cute and natural creature. It is not a very hard task to help an injured bird to save its life. Just need some patience until it recovers. In this article, we have discussed everything you need to know about helping an injured bird. We hope this article will help you to care for an injured bird.
