How to Take Care of a Woodpecker With a Broken Wing

Quick and minimal treatment can save a woodpecker with a broken wing. It is illegal to keep a wild bird in captivity without permission of federal and state wildlife agencies Animal Control Office and State Fish and Game Office. Woodpeckers are protected by law because they are wild birds. These wildlife protection laws do not discourage the public from saving an injured woodpecker. Take care of a woodpecker with a broken wing to prevent further injury until you can relocate it to a wildlife agency.

Things You'll Need

  • Towel
  • Fish tank
  • Heating pad
  • Rubber gloves
  • Chlorhexidine or betadine
  • Gauze pad
  • Antibiotic ointment
  • Cotton ball
  • Medical tape
  • 3 tbsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 qt. water
  • Small bowl
  • Eyedropper
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Instructions

    • 1

      Lay a towel at the bottom of a large, empty fish tank. Put a heating pad on the lowest setting underneath the fish tank.

    • 2
      An injured woodpecker will be docile.

      Put on rubber gloves, and place the injured woodpecker inside the fish tank. Examine the broken wing for wounds.

    • 3

      Clean wounds using chlorhexidine or betadine with a gauze pad, and rinse with water. Rub antibiotic ointment on the wounds with a cotton ball.

    • 4
      The medical tape will support the broken wing.

      Cut 10 inches of medical tape. Hold the wing against the woodpecker's body in its natural position. Wrap the medical tape around the body and the outside of the broken wing, so the entire midsection is wrapped except the uninjured wing.

    • 5

      Examine the woodpecker for signs of dehydration such as weakness and listlessness. Mix 3 tbsp. sugar, 1 tsp. salt and 1 qt. warm water in a small bowl. Give the woodpecker one or two drops of the warm mixture from a sterile eyedropper.

    • 6
      The local wildlife agency will care for the woodpecker until it can be released into the wild.

      Contact the local Animal Control Office or State Fish and Game Office to find a suitable rehabilitation center for the woodpecker. Keep the woodpecker in the fish tank, and provide water every 30 minutes until you can place it into professional care.