Found an injured bird

[colavs]

Hello! I am new here and not certain where to place this message. Yesterday in the road was a bird that was just laying still. I have an idea a car rode over him, not hurting him, but the air from under the car could have just knocked the wind out of him. The bird is not a baby bird. We picked him up as we live on a highway and people go 55+ MPH here. We put him on the graound to see if he could fly and he couldn't, so we placed him in one of our unused bird cages and have been feeding him, fruit and parakeet seed. We have two parakeets, but have him in a different room in the house than them as I don't know if this bird may have any kind of disease. He seems better today. Yesterday, he was just laying still, not moving much at all. Today, I went outside and got a couple branches and slid them through the bars on the cage, since he was used to being outside, thought it might help. I placed them on the lowest level. He seems to be hopping from one branch to the other, but when we let him out of the cage, to see if he can fly, he just sort of walks/wobbles. I don't see any blood on him, and he loves to sit in the water. What should I do? I unfortunately don't have any extra money for a vet visit. He is hopping from branch to branch better tonight than this morning. I still have the branches on the lowest level. I thought that maybe we should see if he can fly indoors before we take him back outside. Or might he not be able to fly indoors? Should we give it a couple days and raise the cage branches or just take a chance and let him go outside? I have no idea what kind of bird he is. I tried looking up images of birds, but there are SO many of them I have not been able to figure it out. I live in New England.

Thanks in advance!

[Katy Penland]

Hi, Colavs, and welcome to BirdForum from all of us on staff.

Even if you don't have money for a vet, you need to call one to (1) find out whether you would in fact be charged; many vets provide free care/exam for wild birds; (2) find out whether there is a bird rehabilitator near you. You need to get this bird into a professional's hands.

If you'll PM (private message) me as to where you live in New England, I may be able to help you find a local bird rehabber.

[bluetit]

Hello colavs and welcome to BirdForum,
Hope all goes well with you and the bird. Keep us updated as to the outcome, please.
Bluetit

[Mabel]

Lo Colavs.
Keep us posted!

[colavs]

I e-mailed the AUDUBON Society and they are going to take him tomorrow. It's about a one hour drive away. How is the best way to travel with him? He looks like a cardinal by the top of his head, but he is brown and about the size of a full grown parakeet. The other thing that I am worried about, is that when he is better, how will he find his family again? It just makes me sad. Sorry, if that sounds stupid. I am VERY emotional when it comes to animals. Should he travel in the bird cage I have him in, or a box with a breathable cover on it?

Thank You,

[affe22]

I don't really have any information for you except that, by your description it sounds like a she and not a he Cardinal.

[Katy Penland]

I e-mailed the AUDUBON Society and they are going to take him tomorrow. It's about a one hour drive away. How is the best way to travel with him? He looks like a cardinal by the top of his head, but he is brown and about the size of a full grown parakeet. The other thing that I am worried about, is that when he is better, how will he find his family again? It just makes me sad. Sorry, if that sounds stupid. I am VERY emotional when it comes to animals. Should he travel in the bird cage I have him in, or a box with a breathable cover on it?

Thank You,First of all, you don't sound stupid at all, it's stuff like this we all worry about or we wouldn't be part of BirdForum to begin with.

Good job being able to find someone relatively close! :clap: What they'll do is rehab the bird and then release it where they are. If the bird isn't releasable for some reason, the usual practice is to keep it in an aviary, zoo, or other similar facility so it'll live the rest of its life in relative safety. Ask them what they usually do, they'll tell you.

The best way to transport any bird is in an enclosed box, lined with a towel (for foot traction) and, as you've already noted, plenty of airholes. Whether those are on the side or top doesn't matter. Since your little guy is able to perch, perhaps putting in one of your branches in the box would be a good idea as s/he'll have even better balance being able to curl feet around a branch than flat-footed on a towel. Darkness is better than light to help keep them calm as birds are very sensitive to stress.

Best of luck tomorrow, and please keep us posted on how s/he does, will you? :t: