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Immediate Help Needed!!!!! (1 Viewer)

Tammie

Well-known member
Hi Forum,

I'm in the middle of rescuing a male pine grosbeak that crashed into the window of my husband's truck in the driveway.
He has perked up quite a bit but still cannot fly. It is now getting dark outside, the rest of the birds are gone and we've placed this one in a box in the house for the night, with some seed (he did pick up one but dropped it again) and water. I'm hoping he'll be okay to release in the morning, that we just ran out of daylight today.
Does anyone have any other suggestions for us? Anything else we can do tonight?
 
Tammie, I think you have to just keep it warm, then let it go whatever its condition in the morning / I think it will just have to take its chances, maybe it has a better chance of recovery if its not in a strange place?
 
Steve said:
Tammie, I think you have to just keep it warm, then let it go whatever its condition in the morning / I think it will just have to take its chances, maybe it has a better chance of recovery if its not in a strange place?

That's what the plan is, Steve, to let him go at first light. The only reason we brought him is that it was getting dark, the other pines had already eaten and left for the night and I just couldn't chance leaving him out there. We get a fox here every night that we also feed and I don't intend to purposely feed him a bird! :(
We're just keeping our fingers crossed that he'll be okay tonight and fly away in the morning. Guess we'll see.
 
Good luck Tammie,
I hope the little critter makes it through, birds can be suprisingly tough can't they.
Let us know how you get on....Fingers crossed here.
 
Hi Gerry, and thanks.
Well, this little one survived the night but I'm not sure how he'll do outside. He hopped out of the box by himself when I put him out on the step after daylight and when the other pines were around. He hopped away down the driveway and under a truck. We tried to catch him again so I could put him where I could watch him but he suddenly flew about 2.5 feet off the ground and up into a spruce tree. Can't get to him now... too much snow! :( Last I checked a half hour ago, he was still just sitting on the branch not really moving. I really don't know how he's going to make out with the gray jays and ravens around. The jays were after him mercilessly last night... that's half the reason why we brought him in. I'm still waiting to see what he's going to do.
Here's hoping.....
Here's a shot of him...
 

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yellow_belly said:
I am dying to know what happened Tammie - hope it is good news ?

Terry

Sorry!!
He survived the night nicely, like I said, so I took the box outside after daylight and just sat with him on the step, watching the other grosbeaks come in for breakfast. That got his attention! He took three tries before he was able to jump up onto the rim of the box. He sat there looking at me for a minute, then he hopped down, hopped all the way across the driveway and tried to hide under a truck... where I couldn't protect him! We got him out of there but just when I reached down to grab him again, he flew about 2.5 feet off the ground and plopped into a spruce tree. Couldn't reach him there as there is too much snow. I kept an eye on him for a while. After about an hour of checking on him regularly, he was gone! I don't know what happened to him... if he flew away or if something grabbed him out of the tree. There is no sign that he hit the ground at all, no feathers anywhere and no sign of a predator so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he finally just realized he could fly again and took off with the others.
I did all I could for him anyway so I remain hopeful. Thanks for asking! :)
 
Well done Tammie, You did all you could.:t:
He looked quite healthy in the photo, let's hopr there's a happy ending, but we'll probably never know.:stuck:
 
Update!!!

Tero said:
A shot of whiskey! And one for the bird too. ;)

With this blasted head cold, I could probably use it!!! ;)
My injured bird showed up under the feeders this morning!!! He still can't seem to fly properly... he hops around more than anything. It took him a half dozen tries to get from the ground under the feeder up onto the snowbank under said feeder. He kept trying to get up onto the feeder itself (another 3 feet up) but just couldn't make it. I threw some extra seed on the ground for him and he seemed happy with that. An hour later, he's still here so he may just stay here for the day eating, if he feels safe enough. We're watching him closely.
I'm not sure what his injury is. He can hop normally and flap his wings normally (I think) but he can't fly any distance. I don't know where he's been spending the past 2 nights either but he's feisty enough to chase some of the other birds away from 'his' seed!
 
Good luck.

Tammie said:
With this blasted head cold, I could probably use it!!! ;)
My injured bird showed up under the feeders this morning!!! He still can't seem to fly properly... he hops around more than anything. It took him a half dozen tries to get from the ground under the feeder up onto the snowbank under said feeder. He kept trying to get up onto the feeder itself (another 3 feet up) but just couldn't make it. I threw some extra seed on the ground for him and he seemed happy with that. An hour later, he's still here so he may just stay here for the day eating, if he feels safe enough. We're watching him closely.
I'm not sure what his injury is. He can hop normally and flap his wings normally (I think) but he can't fly any distance. I don't know where he's been spending the past 2 nights either but he's feisty enough to chase some of the other birds away from 'his' seed!
:clap: Hi Tammie its looking good if he survived 2 nights on his own in you weather!! I am keeping fingers and toes crossed the little fellow makes it.
bert.
 
Update Again!

Hi Forum!

Well, I will mark this rescue as being very successful. I was standing outside a half hour ago talking with a friend when this injured pine grosbeak shows up on a feeder beside us. I am happy to report that he is now eating normally and best of all, he is flying normally!! :) The only way to recognize him now is by the patch of feathers missing at his throat... that's pretty noticeable. It makes his whole neck look skinny.
All in all, he's doing just fine and I am very proud of our efforts... well worth it!! :)
 
Tammie said:
Hi Forum!

Well, I will mark this rescue as being very successful. I was standing outside a half hour ago talking with a friend when this injured pine grosbeak shows up on a feeder beside us. I am happy to report that he is now eating normally and best of all, he is flying normally!! :) The only way to recognize him now is by the patch of feathers missing at his throat... that's pretty noticeable. It makes his whole neck look skinny.
All in all, he's doing just fine and I am very proud of our efforts... well worth it!! :)

Well done Tammie - but I think you ought to knit him a little scarf, to keep his neck warm!
 
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