How safely rescue birds that fly into your house.

(from SVBC charter member and master bird bander, Judy Richardson)

Sadly, we’ve all found a bird below our window, either stunned or killed by the impact. There are just certain times of day that our windows seem to, disappear, and birds think they’re just flying through the woods. Our heart breaks when they hit the window hard enough to kill them. The stunned birds usually sit there; keep your cats and dogs inside, as it can take a while before they fly off. If they are in the sun; I have picked them up and put them in a shady shrub where I can keep an eye on them as they recover. Or if it’s cold, I put the inside in a box with a saucer of water. If it’s a hummingbird, offering a bit of sugar water can mean the difference between life and death! I hope you read the last post about Ceci Sansonetti ‘s rescuing a tiny White Crested Coquette.

Now we come to the always interesting “bird chase“ through your house! Has everyone had this happen? In Connecticut, where I live, I always have a Carolina or House Wren come to visit! They are cleaning the insects along the doors and windows and then lose track of the exit! Panic sets in. For me, the investment of a $15 butterfly net has helped enormously! Since it’s usually my in screened porch, I leave the door open and eventually out she goes. Otherwise, from a long-handled distance, I can coax the birdie closer to the exit without causing panic!

Once in Costa Rica, I had a Green Hermit slide in the door after feeding right outside it. The butterfly net helped guide it out, even though my ceilings are very high.
That net has taken out Scorpions, Wolf Spiders, and hornets! I’ve even caught the odd butterfly, just for close-up viewing purposes!

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How to hold a bird in your hand so that neither you or the bird get injured. The bird bander’s grip.

Small birds—

(photo courtesy of Judy Richardson)

Larger birds—