The best way to do this is to loosely wrap the bird in a towel and gently place it in a secure and well-ventilated box. Place the box away from noise, pets, children or other disturbances. Do not attempt to feed the bird. Contact your local wildlife rescue organisation who will be able to provide further advice.
Do not try to force feed or give water to the bird. Take the bird outside and open the box every fifteen minutues to see if it is able to fly away. If it is still staying put after a few hours, you can try to find a local wildlife rehabilitator. Click here to locate a Wildlife Rehabilitator by county.
In some cases, it will recover on its own. If there are cats or other predators nearby, place the bird in an enclosed box or under a colander to keep it safe. Handle the bird as little as possible and do not attempt to give it food or water.
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.
Confirm It Is Truly Sick or Injured
It may have an obvious wound, breathing problems, a drooping wing, or show lameness or an inability to stand. It does not fly away when approached. Learn how to tell if a bird that doesn't fly away is a fledgling (a young bird learning how to fly)
If you find a sick or injured bird, contact a wildlife rehabilitator or local veterinarian to see if they are able to care for it. Make sure you call first as some clinics don't have the facilities to isolate sick birds, and can't take the risk of spreading a communicable disease among their other birds.
Hovering Flight. Some birds, such as kestrels, remain motionless "wind hovering" above a point on the ground by flying into the wind at a speed equal to that of the wind, and other birds hover momentarily while foraging.
When a bird is suffering from ataxia, they have the inability to coordinate their voluntary muscles. They will appear clumsy and will stand with their legs splayed apart for balance or they may use their beak as a hook on the side of their cage to stay balanced.
A stunned bird can die because it may be injured or is a prime target for predators. How long will a bird stay stunned? It can take around two to three hours for a stunned bird to fully recover and be able to fly off.
Many birds are able to fly off after window collisions, but if they are knocked out or stunned and on the ground they should be gently picked up and placed in a warm, dark, sheltered place for at least two hours.
Biting, hissing, lunging, and excessive screaming are all signs to watch out for. Fear – While not all birds are outwardly friendly, if your bird suddenly becomes timid and avoids being handled, this could be a sign that your feathered friend is stressed.
To help your bird build a healthy bond with both you and other people, keep caresses and petting limited to the head or feet only, and ask others to do the same. The reason for this is that birds' sexual organs are located directly under the wings on a bird's back.
The bird will generally take 4 to 6 hours to recover from shock if there are no other major medical issues or injuries sustained – if it doesn't – seek advice. While the bird is in shock, don't force it to eat or drink.
Let Them Recover
Most birds in shock just need some time to recover. This can take a matter of minutes or even a few hours. If the bird does not seem to recover, then take them to a wildlife center for help. However, after a little time has passed, most birds will be fine and able to move again.
Birds can be very resilient, and I've seen birds recover completely from partial or total paralysis.
Birds are often in shock after colliding with a solid surface. If step B is not possible, allow the bird time to recover inside the container (1-2 hours). Do not attempt to feed or provide water to the bird.
If a bird is just stunned then you will notice that it will look weak and unresponsive, but they may end up breathing quite slowly, or sometimes rapidly instead. The best thing to do is to check on the bird every couple of minutes for around 10 minutes total.
Place the wild bird in a cardboard box and cover it with a lid or towel. Then place the box in a cool, safe place to give the wild bird time to recover from the shock of the injury. Be careful when handling the injured bird; use gloves to protect yourself from any disease or germ.
Lethargy. Birds are normally highly active, so any sign of lethargy, depression, or fatigue should be taken as potentially serious. 1 Birds that are found lying on the bottom of the cage or who refuse to leave their nests or perches are often very sick and in need of immediate veterinary care.
Wild birds are frightened of humans and will try to escape, often flying back into glass or into the street. Gently but firmly grab the bird by putting one or two hands over its wings; put it into an unwaxed paper bag, cloth tote bag, or box.
Birds don't freeze because they generate heat during flight. In fact, they have to flap their wings even harder than usual to stay aloft at high altitudes because the thinner air provides less lift. Also, they aren't travelling as fast as a plane, so there is less wind chill.
The amount of time it takes varies depending on the different species, but as per the Cornell lab, most species typically take between two to six weeks maximum. What is this? However, some birds, such as house sparrows, may even stay in the nest for up to eight weeks before they are able to fly.
For most injured birds, place them gently in a box and keep them quiet, dark and cool. It may be that the bird is in shock and will soon recover so you can let it go. If it is more seriously injured, this will reduce stress on the bird until you can get advice on how you can help it.
Don't offer food or water without being advised by an expert to do so.