Window collisions kill from 365 million to as many as 1 billion birds in the United States every year, according to Audubon magazine. Many more survive the hit, and some of those end up on your patio, stunned and still. What you do in the next few minutes can decide whether they fly again.
Look before you touch
A stunned bird can look dead. Rita McMahon heads the rehabilitation group Wild Bird Fund in NYC, and she suggests moving its legs gently. “Birds go into rigor exceedingly quickly, like in a matter of minutes,” she says. “If the legs don’t move, the bird is dead. But if they move, the bird’s just unconscious.”
If there are no obvious wounds, the zooplus magazine advises stepping back first. Can it walk, or does it sway and topple? Healthy birds try to get away from people, so one that stays put on the ground most likely needs help. Touching and stroking a bird that is lying on its back adds stress it does not need.
Containing it
Approach slowly, perhaps from behind. Audubon recommends a paper sack, or a shoebox padded with newspaper, paper towel or a cotton pillowcase. Skip any box with openings, loops or strings that could snag its legs. A bird’s body runs around 105 degrees, so a spell on the sidewalk drains heat fast. McMahon says a large pocket can warm a bird if you are far from home. The zooplus guide, by contrast, suggests catching it with a cloth and moving it to a ventilated cardboard box.
Then leave the animal alone. Do not feed it or give it water; water poured into a bird’s mouth can lead it to aspirate, Audubon says, and it will be fine without food for the short time it is in your home. “Our voices and our handling and our petting,” says Sunny Kellner of the Sharon Audubon Center, “are not the same for these wild animals.”
Get professional help
Birds that hit glass often get concussions, and some have pelvic injuries from thrusting their legs forward at the last moment. Kellner says an ordinary person cannot spot every injury or give proper treatment, so the best move is a wildlife rehabilitator who can provide anti-inflammatory medication. Audubon points to a Humane Society list of rehabilitators sorted by state, and to the Animal Help Now site and app. Zooplus notes that a severely hurt bird has poor odds because of its fast metabolism and small blood volume.
If no rehabber is reachable, keep the bag or box in a dark, quiet room away from pets for about an hour. “Then listen,” McMahon says. “If you hear that bird tap-dancing around inside, he’s feeling better.” Release it in a yard or park. That does not guarantee recovery, since the bird had no expert care.
Baby birds
A featherless chick on the ground should go back into its nest if you can find it, and parents will not reject it for being touched because birds have a weak sense of smell. A fully feathered young bird has probably left the nest on its own. If it looks healthy, watch from a distance for at least an hour so the parents can feed it. Raising an orphaned chick is a job for experts.
Afterward, you can report a bird killed by a building strike on iNaturalist or in the dBird database run by NYC Audubon, where the records help conservationists make the case for bird-safe glass.
Sources
- You Found a Bird That Crashed Into a Window. Now What? (Audubon)
- You've found an injured bird. What to do? (zooplus Magazine)
