Bird People! Help Please!

misstishus · 09-17-2009, 03:42 PM

Today, while doing barn chores I found a barn finch doing the army crawl on the ground. She can flap both wings, but doesn't seem to be able to walk or get enough momentum to fly.

I would like to try to save this little bird because I'm a softie and hate to see anything suffer. I have made her a little 'nest' in a cage since she cannot perch, and gave her little food and water dishes. She appears to have tried to eat and drink once. Other than that she pretty much lays cocked on her side and has a fast respiration rate (due to pain? fear?) Any instructions or ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Buckeye Horsefeathers · 09-17-2009, 05:14 PM

Have you checked her legs for any sign of trauma? I would see if she can move them or can curl her toes around your finger. If there is no sign of an injury then it sounds more neurological/ disease related and outlook is not so good. We had a sparrow that was flying very low in the barn and could not gain altitude. My son finally caught her and upon inspection she had "goo" from a fly strip that was effecting her flight and vision. We removed the dried goo and she took off normally. So I guess you just never know. Good luck, hopefully she will respond to supportive care.

azhorselover · 09-17-2009, 10:02 PM

She may have flown into a window or something hard. I have rescued a few that I thought wouldnt make it and they recovered after a few days. One couldnt stay upright at all and kept falling backwards and he made it but it took about a week. Keep the finch quiet and see what happens. Good luck.

misstishus · 09-17-2009, 11:26 PM

Thank you for the responses. I have been trying to handle her as minimally as possible, because I would like to release her if she recovers. There is no visible sign of trauma, and she is moving around more this evening. Still unable to walk normal or perch. She seems to have settled a bit, lower respiration rate, normal bird sleeping posture, not laying cocked on her side anymore. Hopefully she'll continue to improve! Any tips, well wishes, etc are greatly appreciated!

BornToRide · 09-17-2009, 11:56 PM

Great thing you're doing, hoping for the best

misstishus · 09-18-2009, 07:24 AM

Apparently I'm not a good bird doctor. Poor little girl didn't make through the night. Wish there was more I could have done for her. RIP little bird.

Rafflesgirl · 09-18-2009, 08:16 AM

Aw that's too bad. Thanks for trying to save it. A lot of people wouldn't because they would feel it was hopeless. I'll tell you a story about a baby bird who seemed hopeless. A few years ago my pre-teen daughter found a baby bird that had fallen out of it's nest barely any feathers, very newborn. Seemed to have a broken leg and it's neck was crooked. But it was still acting hungry so she and her friend found a couple worms and fed it. I told them it would probably die, but several hours later the thing was still living so we decided to give it a chance. We made it a little nest out of an old towel, I splinted it's little leg and neck with popscicle sticks and gauze, (it couldn't hold it's neck up) I put a heat lamp outside it's cage and we fed it every couple hours and that little bird made it. We fed it ground chick food moistened. Eventually she tore her splints off and began to get feathers and perch and finally could fly around her little cage and we released it. Don't know if it made it in the wild, but I hope so. A year later I saw a bird sitting on a fence post that looked like the little bird, (it had always had a slighly crooked foot) I like to think it was the little bird hanging around. thanks for trying to help one of God's little creatures.

JenandSundance · 09-18-2009, 09:07 AM

At least you tried. My grandmother had a robin that flew into a window and was hurt, she nursed it back to health, with a popcycle stick splint, and that robin use to come down and perch on her shoulder any time she was in the garden, I have a pic of it somewhere. Birds are funny creatures, but at least you made that little bird comfy during its last days.

WickedNag · 09-19-2009, 07:54 AM

I would be worried about West Nile and would not have tried to save it but instead called the county to have it picked up.

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09-17-2009, 03:42 PM
misstishus Yearling Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 577	Bird People! Help Please! Today, while doing barn chores I found a barn finch doing the army crawl on the ground. She can flap both wings, but doesn't seem to be able to walk or get enough momentum to fly. I would like to try to save this little bird because I'm a softie and hate to see anything suffer. I have made her a little 'nest' in a cage since she cannot perch, and gave her little food and water dishes. She appears to have tried to eat and drink once. Other than that she pretty much lays cocked on her side and has a fast respiration rate (due to pain? fear?) Any instructions or ideas would be greatly appreciated! Last edited by misstishus : 09-17-2009 at 03:48 PM.

09-17-2009, 05:14 PM
Buckeye Horsefeathers Weanling Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 265	Have you checked her legs for any sign of trauma? I would see if she can move them or can curl her toes around your finger. If there is no sign of an injury then it sounds more neurological/ disease related and outlook is not so good. We had a sparrow that was flying very low in the barn and could not gain altitude. My son finally caught her and upon inspection she had "goo" from a fly strip that was effecting her flight and vision. We removed the dried goo and she took off normally. So I guess you just never know. Good luck, hopefully she will respond to supportive care. __________________ Always remember, what mother nature gives...father time takes!

09-17-2009, 10:02 PM
azhorselover Weanling Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: prescott valley arizona Posts: 495	She may have flown into a window or something hard. I have rescued a few that I thought wouldnt make it and they recovered after a few days. One couldnt stay upright at all and kept falling backwards and he made it but it took about a week. Keep the finch quiet and see what happens. Good luck.

09-17-2009, 11:26 PM
misstishus Yearling Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 577	Thank you for the responses. I have been trying to handle her as minimally as possible, because I would like to release her if she recovers. There is no visible sign of trauma, and she is moving around more this evening. Still unable to walk normal or perch. She seems to have settled a bit, lower respiration rate, normal bird sleeping posture, not laying cocked on her side anymore. Hopefully she'll continue to improve! Any tips, well wishes, etc are greatly appreciated!

09-17-2009, 11:56 PM
BornToRide Started Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Tennessee Posts: 2,178	Great thing you're doing, hoping for the best __________________ There's something about the outside of a horse that's good for the inside of a man.-Winston Churchill 6 Year Member

09-18-2009, 07:24 AM
misstishus Yearling Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 577	Apparently I'm not a good bird doctor. Poor little girl didn't make through the night. Wish there was more I could have done for her. RIP little bird.

09-18-2009, 08:16 AM
Rafflesgirl Long Yearling Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,338	Aw that's too bad. Thanks for trying to save it. A lot of people wouldn't because they would feel it was hopeless. I'll tell you a story about a baby bird who seemed hopeless. A few years ago my pre-teen daughter found a baby bird that had fallen out of it's nest barely any feathers, very newborn. Seemed to have a broken leg and it's neck was crooked. But it was still acting hungry so she and her friend found a couple worms and fed it. I told them it would probably die, but several hours later the thing was still living so we decided to give it a chance. We made it a little nest out of an old towel, I splinted it's little leg and neck with popscicle sticks and gauze, (it couldn't hold it's neck up) I put a heat lamp outside it's cage and we fed it every couple hours and that little bird made it. We fed it ground chick food moistened. Eventually she tore her splints off and began to get feathers and perch and finally could fly around her little cage and we released it. Don't know if it made it in the wild, but I hope so. A year later I saw a bird sitting on a fence post that looked like the little bird, (it had always had a slighly crooked foot) I like to think it was the little bird hanging around. thanks for trying to help one of God's little creatures. __________________ Kelli ~He is the lord of all horses and has been my friend through many dangers - Shadowfax Lord of the Rings

09-18-2009, 09:07 AM
JenandSundance Newborn Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 27	Aww... At least you tried. My grandmother had a robin that flew into a window and was hurt, she nursed it back to health, with a popcycle stick splint, and that robin use to come down and perch on her shoulder any time she was in the garden, I have a pic of it somewhere. Birds are funny creatures, but at least you made that little bird comfy during its last days. __________________ I PROMISE I WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER HORSE!!! AT LEAST NOT THIS MONTH!!!

09-19-2009, 07:54 AM
WickedNag Long Yearling Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: South Dakota Posts: 1,145	I would be worried about West Nile and would not have tried to save it but instead called the county to have it picked up.