STEP 2: Rescuing a sick baby bird

WARNING: Don’t be fooled! Baby birds often open their mouth as if to beg for food or water. Never give a baby bird food or water even though it seems they are begging for some.. This opening of the beak for food termed ‘gaping’ is an instinctive behavior that baby birds exhibit and does not mean that you are providing what the baby needs. Each species of bird has a diet that is formulated for their very sensitive and developing digestive system. Because a baby bird cannot digest food properly until it is warm and well hydrated- the first crucial step that you can take at home to save a babies life is to provide a heat source for it and begin the warming process.

Steps for rescuing the sick or injured bird:

1. Prepare a container- Obtain a cardboard box and line it with a piece of paper towel or a soft t-shirt. Make sure that the box is the appropriate size so that the bird cannot injure itself further during transport. Generally, the smaller the bird the smaller the enclosure should be and vice versa.
2. Punch holes in the side and on the top of the cardboard box so that there will be airflow.
3. Protect yourself-Wear gloves. Some birds will stab at you with their beaks or slice with their talons and slap with their wings to protect themselves. Birds commonly have parasites and diseases that can affect the health of humans.
4. Cover the bird with a light sheet or towel.
5. Gently pick up the bird and the towel and put the bird in the prepared container.
6. After getting the bird into the box close the box immediately so that the bird feels safe and secure. Place the box in a dark, quiet place away from pets and human traffic until transport can be arranged.
7. Place a heating pad set on the lowest temperature underneath HALF of the box. This allows the bird some room to move away from the heat if it gets too warm. Do not use a heating pad if it is a hot day.
8. Do not offer the bird food or water, and do not leave food or water in the box with the animal. Because the bird has not been medically examined, it is impossible to know the exact extent of its injuries. Feeding it or forcing it to drink water at this point could cause death. As with humans, hospitalized animals need to be very gradually re-hydrated and fed using special formulas and techniques. Greenwood begins this process as soon as the bird enters our Intensive Care Unit.
9. Do not attempt to treat the bird's injuries. Additional handling causes stress, and improper treatment can cause further injury.

Continue to step 3: Transporting a sick or injured baby bird

Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4

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