injured bird
or fallen from the nest
What should you do if you find a baby bird on the ground?
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Observe before acting. It is generally not advisable to intervene.
♦ If the chick is feathered, hopping, or flapping its wings, this is normal. Do not pick it up.
♦ Many fledglings leave the nest before they can fly properly. Their parents are never far away and continue to feed them.
♦ Watch out for cats or other potential predators. The chick should fly away after a few minutes or hours.
♦ The baby bird is exposed to immediate danger on the road, sidewalk, or in the open, at the mercy of imminent predation.
♦ Gently move it under a bush or onto a low branch, close to where it was originally.
♦ Its parents will find it thanks to its cries.
♦ The chick is naked, covered in down, or has very few feathers. It fell out of the nest too early.
♦ If the nest is visible and accessible: put it back inside.
♦ Otherwise, set up a small artificial nest (open cardboard box + dry grass) nearby.
♦ The parents will come and take care of it.
♦ The bird appears to be injured.
♦ The parents have been absent for several hours.
♦ The parents have been killed by a predator.
♦ The nest has been destroyed.
♦ Go to the section Who to contact if you find an injured bird? Contact your club if in doubt.
Who to contact if you find an injured bird?
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♦ First, read the protocol on the UQROP website.
♦ Contact a Quebec wildlife protection officer (mandatory reporting) at 1-877-346-6763 (press 9 for service in English) or S.O.S. braconnage at 1-800-463-2191 (after hours).
♦ If necessary, you can contact the Bird of Prey Clinic at 450-773-8521 ext. 8427 (at 450-778-8111 after hours) or the volunteer in your area responsible for transporting wounded birds of prey to the Saint-Hyacinthe Veterinary Hospital (CHUV).
♦ For Brome-Missisquoi, contact Suzanne Pellerin at 514-714-2216.
♦ You find an injured bird (except birds of prey and pigeons).
♦ First, make sure the bird needs to be rescued. Carefully read the information sheet prepared by Le Nichoir: I Found an Injured Bird.
♦ The Refuge Lobadanaki in St-Étienne de Bolton (819 674-1606) is the most accessible animal shelter in our region, but it only rehabilitates certain birds.
3. Contact Le Nichoir in Hudson (QC) at 450-458-2809, they specialize in bird rehabilitation. If Hudson is too far from your area, Le Nichoir will be able to give you good advice and tell you what to do. They will give you the procedure to follow.
Instructions for transporting an injured bird
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♦ Contact a wildlife officer or anyone else authorized to handle injured birds (see the list of contacts in the section above).
♦ A representative from the responsible organization will come to pick up the bird or tell you what to do to keep it safe until someone is available.
♦ A representative from the responsible organization will give you instructions on how to transport the bird to a location where it can be kept or treated (shelter, veterinary hospital).
♦ In some cases, it may be impossible or unnecessary to transport the bird. Follow the recommendations of the person in charge.
♦ Use a well-ventilated cardboard box (with holes) that is appropriate for the size of the bird (e.g., a shoe box for a small bird). The box must be very sturdy if it is for a bird of prey.
♦ Do not put the bird in a metal cage. It could become agitated and aggravate its injuries.
♦ Line the bottom with paper towels or a soft cloth (nothing that could get caught in its claws).
♦ Approach the bird slowly.
♦ Hold the bird gently but firmly in your hands and wait for it to calm down before moving it.
♦ If the bird becomes agitated, cover it with a towel or light blanket to restrict its movement and calm it down, especially if it is a larger bird such as a bird of prey.
♦ Keep the bird in the dark (close the box but leave holes for it to breathe). Covering the box with a dark cloth can help reducing stress.
♦ Keep the bird in a quiet place. No noise, no unnecessary handling, no inviting onlookers…
♦ Do not give it food or water unless you have the approval of a professional, as this may worsen its condition.
♦ Hold the bird gently but firmly between your palms, without compressing its chest, keeping its wings folded against its body.
♦ Ensure that the environment is at a moderate temperature. Avoid heat, cold, or direct exposure to sunlight.
♦ Handle with gloves or a cloth to avoid being bitten or scratched. In the case of a bird of prey, the talons and beak can cause serious injury, so use thick leather gardening or work gloves and keep the legs under control.
♦ Place the box in a stable location in the car. Make sure the box is securely closed, tied down, or wedged in place to prevent the bird from becoming agitated or escaping into the passenger compartment and putting your driving at risk.
♦ Avoid handling sick or dead birds.