How to Take Care of a Hurt Wild Bird

Sometimes birds can get hurt and end up in your own backyard. Birds can have a broken wing or get separated from their mother when they’re too young to fend for themselves. Most of us would like to help while keeping our own safety in mind and the safety of the bird. What do you do first? It’s easy to do the right thing just by knowing who to contact and what to do in the meantime.

Things You'll Need

  • Shoebox
  • Warm rag or paper towels
  • Gloves
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Instructions

    • 1

      Make sure that you cannot put a baby bird back into the nest. If you only see the baby and no nest or mother, only then attempt to rescue it. If you do see the mother nearby or its nest, don’t touch the baby bird. Just keep an eye on it and keep any animals away from it such as your pet dogs. If you do see a nest, attempt to gently place the baby bird back in it. Birds have a poor sense of smell and the mother will not abandon it if you touch the baby bird.

    • 2

      If a bird has a broken wing, can’t fly or has no nest that you can find, gently pick the bird up using a soft voice while wearing gloves. Place the bird into a shoebox or other dark box making sure there are holes to breathe through. Add a warm, dry washcloth or paper towels into the box and place in a dark area until you can locate a wildlife rescue group.

    • 3

      If a bird has crashed into your window or sliding glass door it may be stunned temporarily. If this happens, place the bird into a shoebox in a quiet place and check on it in a few minutes. If the bird has fully recovered, release itoutside.

    • 4

      Never attempt to keep a wild bird in your home as a pet. This is illegal and can harm the bird since it can imprint itself on you and not want to fend for itself in the wild upon release.

    • 5

      Locate a wildlife rehabilitation service by calling the Fish and Wildlife service in your state. You can find the links to your home state at the Hunts.net site. There you can call the wildlife and game commission in your area and find out where to take the bird. Some areas have regular volunteers that are commissioned to take care of wildlife. Usually these are regular families and homes who are volunteering time to help. These volunteers are trained to take care of wildlife and will know what to do to rehabilitate and feed your rescued bird.