What I find most remarkable about birds is their intrepid nature. I love to point my binoculars and watch a bird soar above me, seemingly out of reach of all human pettiness. I never tire of watching warblers flutter from branch to branch, challenging me to look closer, observe more fiercely and attend to details even more vigilantly. Spending hours observing birds could lead to the false conclusion that they’re invincible, otherworldly creatures.
I often forget the danger birds find themselves in constantly. A migratory flight may well end up in disaster (and a sizable percentage of them do). A bird could find itself off-course, like the western tanager that appeared in Oshawa this past December, and live out its last days in a foreign locale, entirely unprepared for its climate. Birders marveled at the rarity, but what began as a miraculous sighting tragically turned into a deathwatch, since the bird wasn’t prepared for our winter.
Anybody living in a large urban centre recognizes the constant danger birds face when navigating office buildings and high-rises. Toronto alone claims about a million avian casualties every year, many of them migratory birds that collide with skyscrapers, fatally deceived by reflective windows. The Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP) is working to spread awareness about the senseless bird deaths and also to increase bird-safe buildings by developing collision reduction strategies for architects, developers and building managers.
Last week, the Royal Ontario Museum mounted an annual exhibit displaying the corpses of 2,400 birds that died while passing through the Toronto skyline to raise awareness about avian casualties.
But what happens when you come in contact with an injured bird? About a year ago, while birding on the Toronto Islands, I saw a dying cormorant on the beach while on a group tour. My group leader was qualified enough to assess that it was too late to call for help of any kind. Suddenly, I wondered what I would have done if I was alone. Before this moment, I had operated under the illusion that birds were invincible. The fact that I had no idea what to do or who to call terrified me.
Ontario Wildlife Rescue has an informative website dedicated to orphaned, sick or injured wildlife in our province, including rehabilitation centre addresses and phone numbers. Most hotlines are available seven days a week and will provide you with guidance.
The first thing to do if you find a small, injured bird is to confine the bird. Place the injured bird in a covered box, with air holes punched in it, and keep it in a warm, quiet place without trying to feed it or apply any kind of medication. If the injuries look serious, the bird has blood on it, is missing a significant amount of feathers, is swollen, asymmetrical, or can no longer stand on its own, the best thing to do is to take the bird to a rehabilitation centre immediately. For less serious injuries, there is a chance that if the bird is left alone for a few hours, it might be able to fly away on its own, once released. Always use your judgment and never try to confine birds of prey or large birds such as cormorants or swans.
FLAP has a useful page about how to confine injured birds, FLAP also has a section of their website devoted to helping individuals save birds by reporting injured bird incidents and also offering practical suggestions about what to do with an injured bird.
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The most amazing thing about birds, in my opinion, is their daring nature. I enjoy pointing my binoculars at birds to see them soar above me, seemingly above human petty concerns. Watching warblers dart from branch to branch never gets old for me; it makes me want to pay even closer attention to details and observe with greater ferocity. Observing birds for hours on end may mislead one to believe that they are unbeatable, alien species.
Ontario Wildlife Rescue has an informative website dedicated to orphaned, sick or injured wildlife in our province, including rehabilitation centre addresses and phone numbers. Most hotlines are available seven days a week and will provide you with guidance.
Anyone who lives in a major city understands the ongoing risk that office buildings and high-rises pose to birds. Approximately a million birds are killed each year in Toronto alone, many of them are migratory birds that crash into skyscrapers after being fatally misled by reflective windows. The Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP) develops collision reduction strategies for architects, developers, and building managers in an effort to raise awareness of the needless deaths of birds and to increase the number of bird-safe buildings.
I often forget the danger birds find themselves in constantly. It is possible for a migratory flight to end in disaster (and a significant portion of them do). Like the western tanager that showed up in Oshawa this past December, a bird could get lost and spend its final days in a foreign place where it is completely unprepared for the weather. The bird’s extraordinary sighting left birdwatchers in awe, but because it wasn’t ready for our winter, what started out as a miraculous sighting tragically turned into a deathwatch.
If you come across a small, injured bird, your first course of action should be to confine it. Without attempting to feed it or give it any medication, place the injured bird in a covered box with holes punched in it and keep it in a warm, quiet area. It is best to take the bird to a rehabilitation center right away if it has severe injuries, blood on it, a large number of missing feathers, swelling, asymmetry, or is unable to stand on its own. If the bird has less severe injuries, it may be able to fly away on its own after being released if it is left alone for a few hours. Always exercise caution when handling large or prey-seeking birds, such as cormorants or swans, and never attempt to imprison them.
FAQ
Can a bird’s broken wing heal on its own?
How do you tell if a bird has a broken wing?