I found a Bird
and I want to help it! What do I do?
Is it an Injured Baby Bird?
1.
2.
3.
Make sure rescuing is required. Is it sick, injured or orphaned ?
Have you considered your own personal safety first?
Can you secure the animal efficiently, without injury to yourself of further injury to the animal?
Is it an Uninjured Juvenile or Baby Bird?
Is it an Injured Adult Bird?
Is it safe for you to catch and handle the
bird? Use any cloth (t-shirt, hat) to catch
and hold the baby. Take note of location
and parents’ presence for return asap.
Townsville vets don’t charge for native
consultations.
Beware of raptors (birds of prey) with sharp beaks and
claws. Many fishing birds have spring loaded necks
with sharp beaks at the end and may strike at shiny
objects – protect your eyes. Parrots can inflict a painful
bite (lorikeets are notorious). Preparation is the key,
have the holding dark and well ventilated box or container ready. Approach the injured bird from behind if
possible, with a towel held open in both hands. Try to
throw the towel over the bird, especially the head. Many
birds will calm down once the head is covered. Gather
the bird up within the towel and place in the box. A
wedged stick/perch will help the bird feel secure. Local
vets don’t charge for native wildlife consultations.
TAKE TO A VET AS SOON
AS POSSIBLE.
Many birds don’t drink water and receive
all their fluid requirements via food. Putting a bowl of water in the box with the
bird will not ensure that it will drink and
may be a further source of mess for you
to clean up. There is also risk of chilling
the bird’s body.
Young Fledglings learning to fly are often casualties of well meaning
people who bring them into care when it appears they have been
“abandoned”. Often the parents are simply avoiding the people and are
not far away. These young birds progress very quickly, becoming expert
flyers within a surprisingly short time. Parental input during this period,
teaching them to socialize and find appropriate food and other resources, is vital. The most prudent course of action is to restrain domestic animals, place the fledgling bird or substitute nest with chicks as high
in a nearby tree as possible and monitor for the parents’ return.
If the baby is quiet or “flat” take it inside and drip honey
water on its beak, or dip its beak in the fluid. If it becomes
vocal, return it outside, ( Nocturnal birds are opposite).
Can it be reunited with the parent birds? Benefits to Baby birds
from being parent raised far outweigh foster care, no matter how
expert the carer. Parent birds do not smell that the young have
been handled and most will not abandon the nestlings. Parents
will hang around the nest site for a couple of days. If the original
nest is not accessible, a substitute nest can be made and placed
near the original site, parent birds will often recommence rearing
their young. If a fledgling chick, it can be placed on a safe branch.
The substitute nest can be made from a margarine or ice-cream container,
and needs drainage holes in case of rain. Any soft nesting material can be
used, i.e. leaves, cloth, tissues. If a fledgling, its branch needs to be inac-
Should there be no sign of parents by the time it’s dark, or the baby is becoming
“flat” and listless it/they should be taken into care. Contact an Experienced Carer
CONTACT AN EXPERIENCED
CARER
If you are unable to reach or talk to an Experience Carer the following advice will help for 24hrs
Emergency housing - Baby birds need warmth and food. During our NQ summer, only unfeathered chicks need extra warmth and should be kept at
temperatures between 26° and 30°C. Our summer temperatures are often warmer than this, but chicks will feel secure with alight covering of tissue
or a light material. Avoid a large container in which the chicks get “lost” or use lots of energy moving around. Soft tissue paper is good nest lining,
chicks are very messy and the lining will probably need to be changed frequently. Ensure that the young birds can move away from any heat source
you give them such as a bulb and place a container of water close by to maintain humidity. Ensure chick is warm before giving food or water.
Emergency feeding - If the nestling/s are obviously exhausted and unable to even raise their heads, the only thing that should be attempted is to force feed small
amounts of fluid (water with electrolytes added if possible, or warm water with sugar or honey - never milk) into the chicks. A bird’s mouth is such that the opening closest
to the tip of the beak is the windpipe, through which the bird breathes. At all cost avoid getting any fluid into this opening. Consequences include “drowning” the bird and
pneumonia is common and usually fatal. It is almost impossible to help chicks which have been neglected for long periods of time, however if helped promptly, the chicks
will respond soon and may begin gaping for food. Until the chick/bird can be passed on to an Experienced Carer, mashed egg (boiled for about 10 minutes and left to
cool to body temperature) & boiled water can be fed. All birds come from eggs, and regardless of their species, are able to digest egg for a day or two.