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How to Care for Sick Bird

Submitted by Michael Adams on January 12, 2010

When one comes across a sick bird, there may be the urge to care for and help the bird out of its unfortunate situation, but you may lack the knowledge on how to do so. Also, sometimes people make the mistake of assuming a bird is ill, when actually it happens to be a young bird that is learning to fly. A good way of making this distinction is to look around and observe if there are any other birds flying around in a frantic manner.

In such cases, leave the bird alone. However, if you suspect that a bird is really ill, the best thing to do is to take it back home with you and provide the necessary care.

You can also contact the nearest veterinarian.

Some animal clinics take in injured or ill birds and provide the appropriate medical care. If you decide to take the bird home, you need to set up a hospital cage, which is essentially just a regular bird cage or pet carrier. You may even use a shoe box after making some holes in it or a small aquarium covered with a screen. Place the hospital cage away from other birds and pets. It needs to remain in an area where the sick bird will not be disturbed. The bird needs to be kept warm, usually at about 85 degrees F. You can provide heat to the bird through the use of lamps, heating pads or hot water bottles. Ensure that the electrical wires are kept away from the reach of the bird when using heating lamps or pads. Sick birds often face the danger of becoming dehydrated. Make water readily available to the bird. If the bird is unable or refuses to drink water, use a dropper to put fluids down the throat at regular intervals. Also, make food available to the bird by placing it inside the hospital cage. Some birds such as sparrows eat seeds and berries, while other birds like the robin is carnivorous. Depending on the type of bird, place the appropriate food inside the cage. It is helpful to go through some information on identification of bird species so that you can properly identify the bird. If the bird is of the seed eating variety, offer some bird food along with raisins or chopped up cherries. Carnivorous birds also eat seeds, so you can mix suet with some birdseed and offer it to the bird.

If the bird continues to appear sick and shows no improvement, it is advisable to consult a veterinarian who will be able to properly diagnose the problem and treat it appropriately.

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Bird Health