ADULT SONGBIRD(S)
Do not underestimate an injured adult.
1. OBSERVE
What is normal behavior?
If an adult songbird shows signs such as head tilt, bleeding, one wing hangs differently than the other (might be broken) or immobile, contact a wildlife rehabilitator. Remember too, that fledgelings can look a lot like adult birds, so if the bird looks normal but has a short tail; it’s probably just a healthy fledgeling learning to fly.
Window-strike or nesting?
If the bird you see is motionless on a window sill, observe closely, because species like pigeons and mourning doves, could be on a nest! If so, leave the bird alone. If a bird has hit a window, allow the bird a few hours to recover and get out of shock if there are no obvious signs of injury. Keep people and animals away. If there are cats or dogs in the immediate vicinity, put an upside down laundry basket over the bird to protect him/her. After two hours, give the bird a chance to fly off. If s/he does not fly off, contact a wildlife rehabilitator.
3. CALL
Something is wrong.
Notify a wildlife rehabilitator if a songbird was hit by car,
flew into a window and doesn’t fly off after an hour or two or
has been in a cat’s mouth (especially nestlings and fledgelings). The bacteria in cat saliva can quickly lead to a septic and fatal infection in the bitten animal. Please keep cats indoors until the birds have vacated the nesting area and consider using a bell collar on your cat for later outside use.
Safety for all.
For the health of your cat and the native ecosystem, please consider making any outdoor cats into indoor ones. Domestic cats require veterinary care, warmth and safety. They are also responsible for mangling and killing a great number of healthy young wild animals, particularly of ground-nesting native species.