Bird just got hit by car, what should i do?

Question

One just got hit by a car in front of my house, it's a little common brown bird. A friend of mine was a bird rehaber, so i know how to check for broken bones. I put on gloves in case it might be sick, and it seems fine. Is it just in shock? should i put it somewhere until it gets better? It seems like its blind i wave my hand around and its non responsive... otherwise it seems fine....

Answer 1

Its sad, but if the bird got hot by a car then it is most likely dying. Remember, birds have hollow bones. If it isn't flying away within 30 minutes I would ring it. I have seen people keep them alive for days after such an accident, but to me there is no reason for the bird to suffer.

Answer 2

unfortunatly most vets won't treat wild birds. If you have a rehab center or nature sanctuary call them. You need to keep the bird warm - but not too warm. only put a heating pad under half of the box so the bird can move if he gets too hot. Actually a fish aquarium works well for a "hospital" ward for birds. Shock is often the biggest killer of birds so if you can get him past that you are doing good. make sure to offer water. I would agree the wing is probably broken and may need to be set so call around and see if any vets will do it.

Answer 3

The only person who gave you a correct answer was Margecutter.

This bird is in shock. Shock kills. This bird must be taken to a LICENSED animal rehabber. Do it today. Use the link that she provided. It lists all US and international wildlife rehabbers and centers. There should be one near you.

Any handling is will cause stress to the bird. Palpating for injury while wearing anything but latex surgical gloves is insane. Do not touch the bird. Any human contact should be extremely limited. You shouldn't even talk to it. The human voice is not comforting to wild animals - it's terrifiying. As is waving your hand in front of it.

Do not give the bird BREAD. Bread is not bird food. Never atttempt to force feed or force water. You can easily choke, or force water into the lungs. Adult birds eat on their own.

DO THE RIGHT THING: Take it to your nearest rehabber, or call them - they might pick it up - if you are unable.

for the rest of you: VETS ARE FOR PETS. Wild animals must go to rehab centers. And, unless they are specifically listed - do not bring them to humane societies, or animal shelters - these are also for pets.

Answer 4

I may not be completely accurate on this, but we have had quite a few birds fly very hard into our windows. They will often not respond to much. I usually try to put them someplace that is safe, where I can watch them. I give them 30-60 minutes to see if they get any better. Usually they will just fly away in that time. If the bird did not change then I would contact someone such as a bird rehaber to see if they had any advice (really you could contact one now and see what they suggest). Good luck! I hope it flies away quickly!

Answer 5

It's in shock; the advise is to put it in a box in a quiet area of a room in the dark and do not disturb it, this way it wil get over the stress and shock then the next day let it free somewhere near where it got hit but not near the road if that makes sense, also dont try to feed or stroke it. Also is it a young one, if it is very disoriantated it may be a baby or young bird. You could take it to your bird rehabitator friend that would be best if it still hasnt got over its shock after leaving it for a few hours in the dark quiet corner.

Answer 6

If a friend of yours was a bird rehabber, then you know that you must contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. You can find one here: http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contact.htm

Do not call a vet - vets are for pets, and most do not have the expertise to care for wild animals, nor do they want to, in most cases.

Please, under no circumstances, attempt to care for the baby bird yourself. As I am sure you are aware from your friend, there is so much more to rehabilitation than keeping the animal alive until you think it is ready to be released. You have to know not only what to feed the bird, but how (please do not attempt to give the bird any liquid by dropper - baby birds can aspirate and die), how much and how often. You also have to know how to assess the birds general health and condition. If the bird has serious injuries, it needs medical attention that you are not qualified or licensed to provide.

A baby bird kept in captivity must be taught to recognize and find the type of food it will eat in the wild. If it is being hand-fed, it may not associate the bugs and berries and seeds in nature as being food. It must also have the opportunity to exercise its wings a lot, so it will be able to fly on or shortly after release. When I volunteered at the Avian Rehabilitation Center, we kept the rehabilitating fledglings in a large walk-in cage with lots of shelves and branches leading from one shelf to the other, and down to the ground. We would place different types of food in the cage for them, as they were being weaned from the hand-feeding formula. We offered seed, meal worms and chopped up fruit. No fledgling was released until it was eating on its own, had sufficient weight gain, had all of its flight feathers in good condition, had no sign of diarreah or nasal discharge, had clear eyes, and could fly at least a few feet in a straight line.

These are the reasons to get the bird to a licensed rehabilitator - they have the training and the resources necessary to do all this, in addition to having the permits to do it all legally.

All native migratory birds in the US are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and you must have the proper permits to have them, even for a short time, even for good reasons like saving them. Many other countries also have similar laws regarding their native species

Answer 7

#1You should put it in a cage or something like that. Then put a bowl of water and bird seed in the cage with it. do not stress the bird out be urgeing it to fly just leave it alone for about a week. Then find an open area FAR away from traffic and let it go and see if it will fly.
#2 If you do not want to do all this work jest bring it to a animal rescue or to a human soicity. This is what I would do because they could give it to a person who is a specialist in reabilatating wild animals.

Answer 8

Just recently at the vets I work at someone brought in an injured wild bird. It couldnt be saved so we euthanized it. At least with that it wasnt suffering. Im not sure what you can do with it besides that. It's nice of you to try tho!

Answer 9

Kudos to you for being such a caring person. Can you call a local vet, explain the situation & ask for some advice? Many vets will treat wild birds at no charge, or at least be happy to give you some guidance.

It is almost cetainly in shock.. It needs to be somewhere dark and quiet to have a chance of recovery.

Good luck with it - and again - much admiration for your big heart.

Answer 10

wild and injured birds come near my home all the time and if they are of age they are usually non responsive because they are scared of people
if i were you i would take care of it by putting it in a cage and putting food and water in the cage. if you never see it eat or drink hold the bird and gently open its beak or put the food or water at the tip to try to feed it.