Wild Bird Rescue and Rehabilitation
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"I FOUND AN INJURED WILD BIRD... WHAT CAN I DO?" Through the spring, summer, and all year round, we receive phone calls asking this question and other related questions about sick or injured wild birds. While we at Wild Bird Landing are not equipped to care for injured wild birds, we are thankful to be in contact with several organizations who are. We are glad to be a connection between nature-lovers who see an injured creature and want to know best how to help, and the experts who can give the needed care. GENERAL ADVICE Here are some very basic tips for how to deal with an injured wild bird. The most common situation we hear about is nestling or fledgling birds fallen from the nest. In this case, it is important to make a distinction between nestlings that aren't ready to be out of the nest, and fledglings that might be making their first forays into independence. If the youngster does not appear to be injured, and isn't in immediate danger, it is best to watch the bird for a short time before taking action. If the bird is a fledgling on one of its first flights, it may have parents close by, watching and communicating with it. While the bird may appear to be displaced, you may see the parent birds flying nearby, and the baby may orient itself and take flight to a safer location on its own. However, if the bird is obviously not feathered enough for flight, obviously injured, or is in immediate danger of being trampled or otherwise harmed, or even if the bird appears to be uninjured but hasn't moved from its location, the best thing to do is to put the young bird back in the nest, if the nest is visible. Parent birds may reject an injured, weak, or ill offspring, but they will not reject a baby simply because it has "the smell of humans" on it. Touching the uninjured baby will not harm it, and returning the bird to the nest gives it the best possible chance for survival. If a wild bird is obviously injured, in danger, or the nest cannot be located, it is time to carefully collect the bird and call a wildlife rehabilitation organization for advice. In most cases, they will ask you to bring the bird to their facility, and they will give the bird the care that it needs, with the aim of re-releasing it into the wild upon recovery. If you do find an injured bird, the advice of Wild B.I.R.D. is to gently place it into a box or other lidded container, vented for air flow. Put an old t-shirt, or other soft cloth, into the box with the bird. Keep the bird in a warm, dark place until you can transport it to the rehabilitation facility. WILD B.I.R.D. Wild Bird Rehabilitation of Denver is a rescue and rehabilitation agency that operates primarily during the spring-to-fall breeding and nesting season. This helpful agency is our primary source of support for callers who have found injured birds. During their season, they accept birds in need of care, and they do require that the birds be bought to their facility at 1132 Verbena, near 11th and Havana, in Denver. Wild B.I.R.D. periodically offers open-house tours of their facility to inform and educate about their work. We are awaiting their web site to go online, at which point we will provide a link to their site. Meanwhile, please contact this much-appreciated organization by telephone, at 720-297-2546. GREENWOOD WILDLIFE REHABILITATION SANCTUARY Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Sanctuary rescues, rehabilitates, and re-releases birds and wildlife, and helps to educate about human/wildlife interactions. Greenwood also keeps more extensive hours during the summer season, however, they do operate year-round, and Wild B.I.R.D. refers to Greenwood during the "off-season." Greenwood's web site (also found on our links page) offers a very informative guide to appropriate action when encountering injured birds or wildlife. Their facility is not open to the public, however they can be contacted by email, by telephone, or through their emergency hotline for location and directions to transport an injured bird or animal to them for care. For non-emergency information, call 303-545-5849. For animal emergencies, please call their emergency hotline at 303-823-8455. BIRDS OF PREY FOUNDATION Because the possession and handling of raptors (birds of prey) is much more regulated than the laws regarding most other birds and wildlife, any questions or care needed for hawks, eagles, owls, or falcons should be addressed to the Colorado Birds of Prey Foundation. Similar to Wild B.I.R.D. or Greenwood, Birds of Prey Foundation is a rescue, rehabilitation, and educational group with the proper licensing to handle and care for these endangered birds. Birds of Prey Foundation is located in Boulder County, and can be contacted through their web site (also found on our links page), and by telephone at 303-460-0674. HELPING THE HELPERS All of the organizations mentioned on this page are Colorado 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations.  This means that their work is funded solely by means of grants, through admission and dues fees collected through their educational services, and by charitable contributions. Anyone wishing to support the care and rehabilitation of injured birds and wildlife by means of contributions to these organizations is welcomed to contact each agency for information about how to make financial donations or how to become a volunteer participant in the actual care of the animals. Wild Bird Landing has made one contribution already from our "Donation Box" to Wild B.I.R.D., for which we received a lovely thank-you card that can be seen on our donations page. We will continue to support these and other organizations that provide care for the birds and animals that we love and value! Their services are much-needed, and we can't say enough how much we appreciate being able to refer people and animals in need to their facilities.