Injured Bird - What to Do

Injured Bird - What to Do?
The following are some things that one can do when one encounters an injured bird.

Reduce Stress: Whether or not it shows signs of physical injury, a bird that has suffered from an impact is bound to be traumatized. It will appear stunned and scared. The first approach of a human being for injured bird treatment is to call a veterinarian or a local animal rehabilitation center. If help arrives on time, nothing like it. However, till then your priority should be make the bird's environment as stress free as possible. Keep children, pets and stray animals away from an injured bird.

Calm the Bird: Gently pick up the bird, with your hands over the wings, pressing the wings close to the bird's body. However, do not press the bird hard, just hold it firmly. You could put a towel around it and then handle it. To help it breathe comfortably, hold the bird up erect while picking it up and then place it in a cardboard box which is large enough for it to fit in comfortably. Make holes in the box for it to breathe, beforehand. Also line the insides with some soft material. Ensure that the box is well ventilated and place it in a dark corner. Keep the bird in this box for an hour or two. In the absence of any stimuli, the bird will calm down on its own. After this, take the bird out to an open space and remove the lid of the box. If the bird hasn't suffered any injury and has recovered from the trauma, it will fly off on it's own. Read more on building bird boxes.

Be Careful: One word of caution though. The injured bird that you have encountered could be of a wild variety. It is best to let them be where they are. However, ensure that the place is free of any distractions. You could also cover it with a perforated box without moving it away from the place. In many states, it is illegal to treat wild birds. Be sure of the state laws before you treat any bird. If you have to pick it up, then for your own safety wear gloves while handling the bird. Read more on bird identification.

Do Not Feed the Bird: Be it water or bread, never feed an injured bird. Different types of birds have their specific food habits and no, their menu definitely does not read like ours. Trying to feed them may just increase their trauma. Never give bread to birds as that may cause diarrhea. Besides the injury, it is improper handling that adds to the stress of an injured bird.

How to Treat Injured Bird?
It is advisable not to treat a bird on your own, unless you are left with no choice and are sure of what you are doing. Also check with the rules of the state. In many countries, only licensed individuals are allowed to care for specific species of birds. Nevertheless in case you are left with no choice as I mentioned earlier, here is what you can do:

• In case it seems that the bird has been injured by a cat, the wound needs to be cleaned as the greatest risk due to cat attack is contracting infection. Hydrogen peroxide works well for this purpose.
• If the bird suffers from a broken wing, cut the toe-end of a sock and put the bird in it. Let its head out of the cut end. This is to minimize any movement of the injured wing. Be very careful while handling such a bird. You definitely don't want to damage its wing any further, do you?
• In case the bird is bleeding, styptic powder, baking soda or cornflour is suggested by some, although, I personally don't have any experience with them. You could also place a gauze pad over the wound and press it firmly to stop the bleeding.

But are you sure that the injury has been caused due to a cat attack? Or are you confident that you can examine the bird for a broken wing without further causing it any damage? Birds are fragile creatures and need to be handled with great care. In case you are in a situation where you are wondering 'what to do for an injured bird', ensure that you get professional help at the earliest.

As for my dilemma about the little injured bird, thankfully, it was not seriously hurt. I just did what I have discussed in the initial paragraphs - I put it in a warm and well ventilated cardboard box, in a dark place. About an hour later, the bird flew away on its own. Thank God for that; my approach towards the injured bird treatment worked. That's how my story goes about injured bird - what to do. I used my judgment and it worked out fine. Hope it does for you too. All the best!