Bird Won't Fly - Need Advice

11 years ago

We believe a small bird flew in to our bow window yesterday and hurt itself to the point of not being able to fly. We found it just sitting in the mulch out in front of our house beneath the window. We had also heard a bang a few hours earlier that we didn't recognize, which now we believe was the bird. I'm not sure what type of bird it is, it has a greenish gray back with a light colored chest area and a small white strip on each side of it's head.

We brought it in to the house last night to keep it safe and all it seems to do is sleep. My husband threw it up in the air and it flew around our living room awkwardly and landed on a cabinet and then fell off. A similar thing happened earlier today when my husband put it out on our deck and when he went back to check on it a half hour later, it was gone. He found it next to our house beside the deck on our driveway.

I have tried to find a Wildlife Rehab in our area but there's nothing. I've also tried emailing one that quite a way away from where we live but haven't received an answer. I'm at a loss of what to do for this bird, I do not want to see it die and I don't know what to do to help it survive.

Any help or advice is greatly appreciated.

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Comments (9)

catherinet
11 years ago
Hmmm.....sounds like a red-eyed vireo. Sometimes, they've injured their brains (concussion) and they just need to be kept safe and quiet.
Does it appear to have any wing problem? Leg problem?

My guess is that it's had a concussion. If you can't keep it in a cage inside (with water and food), I would try to put a little fence around it in a very protected area outside. Do you have anything like chicken wire? And be sure to include water in there. And maybe consider putting a decal on some of your windows, so birds don't fly into them.
LindaMA
Original Author
11 years ago
I uploaded a couple of photos of the bird for identification. It does not appear to have anything wrong with it, i.e., broken wing, broken leg, etc., but I'm no expert. I have water in it's crate but it looks like it hasn't drank any for 2 days, but not 100% sure.
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catherinet
11 years ago
I'm still thinking a red-eyed vireo, but maybe a young one. I'm concerned he/she might have some brain swelling. Can you try to give it some water with an eye dropper.....or maybe just putting some on your finger and rubbing it against it's beak?

Can you gently check out it's wings.....pull them out and see if there is anything crooked or causes it to flinch.
LindaMA
Original Author
11 years ago
Brain swelling is what I've been thinking. When I attempt to pull out it's wing, he tries flapping them and I still can't see anything. I have tried giving it water but will try again. Do you have any idea what I can give it to eat?

I don't know what to do for him but if he's dying, I'd rather him die in the house where it is warm and safe, rather than dying outside in the elements. He doesn't seem to be in any type of distress, but who knows, I know nothings about injured birds.

Thank you for trying to give me some guidance, he's so helpless and fragile, it just breaks my heart.
catherinet
11 years ago
I wish some others would chime in and offer advice.
You could try chewing up some worms and feeding them to it. :)
Can you hold its head and sort of force it's beak open a little, for the water?

Does it show any other signs of a brain problem? Does it seem like a real young bird?

I'm glad it has you to take care of it!
surya55_gw
11 years ago
Please don't try to force it to fly until it's ready! I don't think you should throw it up in the air to "see" if it could fly. In the meantime, keep it in a large, open box and call your local pet shop and explain the bird's situation; they may have something that you can feed it or google "what to feed injured bird" and see if there are any ideas you can use. I hope an expert stops by soon here. Thx for caring for it and I hope the poor thing gets better soon. Good luck
catherinet
11 years ago
Lindama.........how's the bird doing?
Sureshpulihora
11 years ago
I think bird's normally couldn't fly because if there is any problem with wings.
dreamgarden
11 years ago
It seems as if the OP is doing the right thing in keeping the bird warm and protected from predators until it recovers.

"Temporary Care of Injured Adult Birds"

A link that might be useful:
http://www.crowsystems.com/rehab/babybird.html

Bird Won't Fly - Need Advice

Comments (9)

catherinet

LindaMA
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Bird Won't Fly - Need Advice

Comments (9)

catherinet

LindaMAOriginal Author

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