A sweet little European Robin flew into my kitchen — I carefully grabbed him and released him. Im in shock to be honest, Im pretty sure the little fella is fine.
In the unlikely chance that something like this happens again — do you have any resources on how to properly grab or hold a wild bird safely?
I think I did an okay job, but I cant help feeling that I couldve done better/been more confident for the sake of his comfort. I tried looking up resources but I only saw posts on pet birds.
Is there anything you can do to safely grasp or hold a wild bird in the unlikely event that something similar occurs again?
When a cute little European Robin flew into my kitchen, I gently caught him and let him go. To be honest, I’m shocked, but I think the little guy is okay.
I believe I performed ok, but I can’t help but feel that, in order to make him more comfortable, I could have done better or shown more confidence. I looked for resources, but all I could find were posts about pet birds.
How to Get a Trapped Bird Out of Your House
Removing the bird’s access to the entire house will improve the likelihood that it will return outside promptly and safely.
Children and animals such as cats and dogs can cause anxiety to a wild bird. And your pet might attempt to kill or capture the bird. It will be simpler to guide the bird back outside with less chaos and danger to it if children and pets are kept out of the area.
Maintaining your composure will help both you and the bird because wild birds are already wary of humans, and they become even more agitated when they become trapped. Don’t talk to it, move quickly, or make erratic hand gestures.
Make sure that gaps like these are closed off to keep birds from becoming trapped there.
The larger the exit you create for the bird, the more probable it is that it will be taken. If there are windows in the room the wild bird is in, open the largest one (and remove the screen) Better still if there’s a door, like a French or sliding door that opens to the outside!
This is a particularly crucial step at night, as the bird will probably be drawn to any lights inside. Instead, you want them to be drawn to the exit door or window.
The bird might leave on its own if you can wait it out. But if not, you can use a large bed sheet. The sheet should hang flat in front of you as you raise it as high as you can. Place the bird between you and the exit, then approach it slowly and gently guide it so that it takes off. Once it does, immediately close the window or door.
Seek assistance from your local wildlife rehabilitator or animal control agency if the bird is injured or ill, or if you are unable to get it to fly out on its own.
Why Do Birds Fly into Open Windows and Doors?
Put simply, birds are always on their way somewhere. And they follow what appears to be a clear path when they come across it. Therefore, it’s simple for them to misinterpret a straight sightline as one that enters your living room, trapping itself and trying to escape. When you combine that with a warm interior light, wild birds are drawn in. These are also the primary causes of window strikes, which occur when a bird hits a glass door or window because it believes it to be transparent.
Window strikes kill up to 1 billion birds each year. See the article “5 Ways to Prevent Window Collisions and Keep Birds Safe” for information on how to avoid them. ”.