If you have found an injured bird and suspect they are still in shock, there are a few symptoms you can look out for. Typically, birds in shock will have irregular breathing patterns, ruffled feathers and appear weak or unresponsive.
Many stunned birds will sit quietly as they recover, perhaps with their wings slightly drooped, and if they are in a safe area, they do not need to be moved. If the bird is unconscious or thrashing about, however, it may need additional care. Check for injuries.
Check the legs and feet for stiffness. The muscles in the legs and feet of dead birds will be stiff while birds that are just stunned will still have relaxed muscles in their feet and legs. Check the eyes. If you can see no blinking or movement in the bird's eyes, then it is probably dead.
Give The Bird Recovery time
Once you've chosen a safe place, observe the box every 20 minutes to see if the bird is slowly recovering. It would usually take 2-3 hours for a bird, especially if stunned, to fully recover, so just be very patient here.
A dead bird looks like it has poor muscle tone will appear stiff and is cold to touch. A stunned bird looks like it is limp and weak from the physical trauma. Cover the bird with a cloth to keep it warm and check on the bird every 20 minutes. Recovery time may take a few minutes and some may take up to 2-3 hours.
Birds that are in shock appear weak, unresponsive, fluffed up and breathe in slowly and out quickly. Place the bird in a quiet, semi-dark, warm, humid environment. Warmth is essential in getting birds through a state of shock – temperature should be between 25 and 30 degrees.
Birds with head trauma should be kept quiet, dark and cool (T 23C) to prevent vasodilatation of the intracranial blood vessels. Steroids are no longer recommended. Avoid over perfusion of fluids. Birds having seizures may need to be wrapped gently in a towel.
Try to restrain the bird immediately. Place it inside a small container (e.g., unwaxed paper bag or cardboard box) and move the container to a dark, quiet, warm space. B. Contact your local wildlife rescue (see list below) as soon as possible and arrange for the bird to be transported to their facility.
As a Veterinary technician as well as a wildlife rehabilitator, I have worked with many birds with head and spinal injuries. Birds have an amazing ability to recover from these injuries.
These signs may include feather picking, depression, behavior changes, seizures, shallow breathing, lack of muscle control (ataxia), difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), increased thirst and urination, and green or bloody diarrhea.
The following are indications that a bird may be sick or injured: The bird is quiet, dull, the eyes may be closed, and it has fluffed feathers (the bird looks “puffed up”). It may have an obvious wound, breathing problems, a drooping wing, or show lameness or an inability to stand.
Any songbird you find on the ground who is an adult, rather than a fledgling, and who does not immediately fly away from you is in need of help. The bird is either sick or injured and must be taken right away to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
The major cause of birds getting stunned is a collision with windows. If you're chilling and hear a sudden “TUD” on your window with a bird laying around it, you know what happened. Depending on the impact's strength, the bird might be stunned or dead.
Though they are stronger than we think, their legs are small enough that they are easily fractured from trauma, falls and animal attacks. Birds typically sprain or break a leg after a fall from a tree or a perch, or when attacked by an animal such as a cat.
So birds certainly possess the capacity to mourn—they have the same brain areas, hormones, and neurotransmitters as we do, “so they too can feel what we feel,” Marzluff says—but that doesn't mean we know when it's happening.
If you have found a sick or injured bird it will need to see a vet before coming into care. If you are able to safely contain the bird, you can keep it in a quiet, dark, warm place e.g. wrapped in a towel in a ventilated box or carrier with a lid while you transport it to the nearest vet.
Description: Concussions, fractures or lacerations can all occur with head injuries. Birds can often recover quickly from seemingly serious head injuries.
Check on the bird every 30 minutes, but don't touch the bird. If the bird seems to recover, carry the container outside and open it. Then step back, remain quiet, and see if the bird flies away. If she doesn't fly away, carefully take her back inside.
Report large-scale wild bird die-offs or other unusual signs in wild birds to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) by calling 1-866-4-USDA-WS or 1-866-487-3297.
Sometimes, it is believed that a bird hitting a window can foretell the death of somebody in the house. This is especially true if the bird dies – and even more so if the bird involved is a blackbird.
Most birds with minor concussions recover within an hour or two if they're going to recover at all. If blood or black spinal fluid is coming from the mouth, the bird is most likely fatally injured.
Fractures. If one wing is droopy, it is very likely broken. Pull out the other wing and observe how it snaps into place. Then pull out the droopy one; if it does not snap back close to the body, it is probably fractured.