Dublin, California
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What to do with an injured/orphaned bird? "I have an orphaned baby bird in my yard!" Often fledglings (with most of their feathers grown out) can fly out of the nest but not quite to a safe perch. Often, the parent bird keeps close by and occasionally offers a delicious bug while encouraging the kid to try flying again. Usually, it is not necessary to rescue such a bird. It would be good, however to protect it from the neighbors' cats or other predators. Often it is ok to move it to a tree limb, if it will accept your trying to do so. If it has no feathers, it is probably directly under the nest. Put it back. Parent birds can't smell humans and won't abandon a baby that has been touched. [A small human that doesn't yet know how hard to squeeze is another matter.] If there is a larger featherless bird in the nest, it may a cowbird that will push the little one out again. If the bird has stunned itself by hitting the window, protection is a good idea. Put it in a brown paper bag paperclipped shut and keep it at a moderate temperature. Listen for the sound of its recovery, and offer it freedom. Usually it will accept gracefully and fly to a resting perch. If there is an obvious broken bone, call the experts listed at the end of the page. It is not a good idea to try to nurse an infant or injured bird. Apart from the fact that it is illegal, it is a major commitment to hourly feedings and special food preparation. What to do if I see a dead bird? If you find a dead bird, particularly a crow or other corvid (jay, magpie, raven) please call 877-968-2473 promptly. Do not touch the bird. The California Department of Health Services will record all dead bird reports and will arrange for pickup and laboratory testing for West Nile virus when appropriate. (This quote is from from the pamphlet, California Surveillance and facts about West Nile Virus, distributed by the Alameda County Mosquito Abatement District, 510-783-7744.) The pamphlet also suggests that one avoid mosquito bites, offering several suggestions. The website for the West Nile Virus Surveillance Program is: http://www.westnile.ca.gov/ What to do with an injured bat We are indebted to the Organization for Bat Conservation (http://batconservation.org/) for the following information: What To Do If You Find A Bat On The Ground, An Orphaned, or Injured Bat The public should never handle wild animals, including bats. Unfortunately, you cannot tell if a mammal is rabid and thus should never be touched with a bare hand. If someone ever finds a bat on the ground, the best thing to do is leave the bat where it is. It is most likely resting from exhaustion, learning how to fly, or is sick, in which all cases, should be left alone. You can then call your local health department or wildlife rehabilitator If a bat must be handled (because children are near), take necessary precautions with heavy leather work gloves or a towel to scoop the bat up and move it to a safe place (i.e. in the woods away from people). If you are bit by the bat or know that someone did, you must contact your local health department immediately! Although few bats have rabies it is a deadly disease and a human that is bit needs to be seen by a doctor immediately! If you are a rehabilitator and need help caring for the bat, check out Bats in Captivity written by Susan Bernard of Basically Bats. If you find an injured or orphaned bat you need to contact a rehabilitator in your local area. In our area, The Lindsay Wildlife Museum and Sulphur Creek Nature Center are rehabilitators. Any other Rehab center would be able to give you numbers of local bat rehabilitators. Resources: Sulphur Creek Nature Center (Hayward, San Lorenzo and Castro Valley) 510-881-6747 |
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