Does This Bird Need Help? How to Tell and What to Do

If you think a bird needs help, assess the situation carefully before you act. Many wildlife species leave their young while they forage for food and won’t return if people are nearby. An animal should only be removed from its habitat when it’s absolutely necessary.

If the bird is bleeding, has a weirdly angled limb, has suffered an animal attack or window strike, it needs professional care. In the Eugene/Springfield area, contact the Cascades Raptor Center (CRC), 541.485.1320 ext. 2 for help or advice. If you’re closer to Corvallis, call Chintimini Wildlife Center’s hotline, 541.745.5324.

Bring the bird to the rehabilitation center as soon as possible. Minimize contact. The bird may appear calm, but more likely it is in shock, crippling pain, or paralyzed with fear. No speaking or peeking! Keep the container in a dark and quiet place, away from household noises. Most importantly, do NOT offer food or water. Different species have very specific dietary needs, and feeding a bird the wrong diet can cause fatal digestive issues. It is very easy to drown a bird by giving it liquid by mouth. Also, fasting an animal before bringing it in allows anesthesia to be administered without delay.

For more complete instructions on how to deal with nestlings and fledglings, set up a temporary transport carrier, and restrictions on which birds wildlife rehabbers can help, check out our website: ccbirdalliance.org under Resources.

Thanks to everyone who cares for wild birds, and special thanks to Jesse Pline at CRC for his invaluable help on ensuring the accuracy of this article. Feel free to call the Coast to Cascades Bird Alliance “bird phone,” 541.485.BIRD, for help in figuring out the next step if you see a wild bird in trouble.