How to Care for a Sick Bird

It is impossible for a bird lover to turn her back on a sick or injured bird. One common mistake people make is thinking that a bird is sick and needs to be rescued, when the bird is in fact a youngster that is just learning how to fly. If you see a bird on the ground that looks winded and disoriented take a look around. You will probably see two or three other birds flying around frantically. In this situation, walk away without touching the bird. However, if you find a sick bird, you can take the bird home to nurse it back to health.

Things You'll Need

  • Hospital cage Heat source Pedialyte
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Instructions

    • 1

      Contact your local veterinarian. Some veterinary clinics have programs in place where they will take a sick or injured bird that one of their customers have found, free of charge. This is the ideal situation for ill birds.

    • 2

      Set up a hospital cage. A hospital cage doesn't have to be anything fancy, it can be an extra cage that you aren't using, a glass aquarium that you can cover with a screen, a pet carrier, or even a shoe box that has holes punched in it. Place the hospital cage somewhere far away from your own birds. Place the hospital cage somewhere that the ill bird won't be disturbed by pets or small children.

    • 3

      Keep the bird warm. Sick birds should be kept in an environment that is at least 80 to 90 degrees F. The best way to keep the bird warm is with heat lamps, hot water bottles or heating pads. If you are using a heat light or heating pad, make sure that it is set up in such a way that the bird can't peck at the electrical cord.

    • 4

      Allow the bird access to water. The biggest danger to sick birds is dehydration. If the bird won't drink, use an eye dropper and drip some fluids down its throat every few hours. Mix some Pedialyte in the birds water. Using Pedialyte is an excellent way to stave off dehydration.

    • 5

      Keep food in the hospital cage. The type of food you keep in the cage depends on if the sick bird is a berry and seed eater, like a sparrow, or if it is a carnivorous species, like a Robin. If you are unsure what your sick bird eats, find out by thumbing through a basic bird identification book. To provide food for a seed eating bird, fill a dish full of bird food. Add some bits of cut-up cherries or some raisins to the mix. Carnivorous birds are a little more difficult. The good news is that, although they prefer bugs, these birds do supplement their diets with some seeds. The ideal situation for carnivorous birds is to set up a little dish of birdseed, with some suet mixed in.