Emergency - Bird Fell Out Of Tree

Lex Luthor

I just noticed a magpie chick that has fallen out of its nest in a tree in my back garden. It looks injured and I am not exactly sure what to do about it.

I've left a message with the local ISPCA but I'm afraid if it doesn't get help soon it will die.

Glowing

Hmm unfortunately there is probably very little you can do. If he looks reasonably well grown up, and if you have a charitable vet nearby, you could try bring him in. If he is injured too badly, they'll at least put him to sleep to put him out of his misery.

Poor wee thing.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Lex Luthor wrote: »

I just noticed a magpie chick that has fallen out of its nest in a tree in my back garden. It looks injured and I am not exactly sure what to do about it.

I've left a message with the local ISPCA but I'm afraid if it doesn't get help soon it will die.

It's that time of year again when I get people by the dozens bringing me birds which have "fallen from the nest", are "abandoned", or "injured". In 95% of cases the birds are newly fledged and perfectly fine.
Magpies are fledging at the moment and the likelihood is that this bird is just fine. If it is feathered then it will be ok and the pardents will look after it.
In what way does it "look injured"?
Generally you are best to leave young birds alone; most are fine and those that are not should really be left to Nature - unless it's a species under threat.

Puggy

Agree with Srameen,

the parents are the ones to look after it. Had something like this before, picked up the bird and the parents would not touch it, and it died. This has happened many times since, and apart from keeping the cats away, dont do anything.

Lex Luthor

the ISPCA called me back a few minutes after I posted and they asked me to put it in a box, cover the box and put in water and leave it overnight....

I've done that....I had no choice really as I needed to cut the grass and didn't want to mow it down.

It seems like it might just be stunned. Do you think it is able to fly at this stage? It seemed lively enough when I went to pick it up, so hopefully its not too damaged. Left wing looked a bit out of sorts but then again it was moving freely. If I had left it any longer one of the local cats will get it. At least I know its safe for a while.

Hopefully I haven't alienated its parents from it. Her brood is small enough with one of the eggs already fallen out a few weeks back

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Lex Luthor wrote: »

the ISPCA called me back a few minutes after I posted and they asked me to put it in a box, cover the box and put in water and leave it overnight....

I've done that....I had no choice really as I needed to cut the grass and didn't want to mow it down.

It seems like it might just be stunned. Do you think it is able to fly at this stage? It seemed lively enough when I went to pick it up, so hopefully its not too damaged. Left wing looked a bit out of sorts but then again it was moving freely. If I had left it any longer one of the local cats will get it. At least I know its safe for a while.

Hopefully I haven't alienated its parents from it. Her brood is small enough with one of the eggs already fallen out a few weeks back

As someone who works with wildlife I would recommend that you take it out immediately and release it where you found it. The parents will not be far away and you can't protect young fledglings 24/7 from cats. It will have a much better chance of survival if you release it now!

Lex Luthor

ok, went back to box next morning and bad news, the bird was dead...

I felt bad about it as some people had said to put it back but the ISPCA said to do what I did.

Got up this morning and it looks like another one has fallen out of the tree. This time it was moving about freely and not like the other which definitely had leg & wing damage. I watched it for a while and sure enough the parents were feeding it all day. It has now taken refuge under my deck and I'm sure in a few days when it can fly, it will away

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Lex Luthor wrote: »

ok, went back to box next morning and bad news, the bird was dead...

I felt bad about it as some people had said to put it back but the ISPCA said to do what I did.

Got up this morning and it looks like another one has fallen out of the tree. This time it was moving about freely and not like the other which definitely had leg & wing damage. I watched it for a while and sure enough the parents were feeding it all day. It has now taken refuge under my deck and I'm sure in a few days when it can fly, it will away

Just for the record. It probably has not "fallen" out of the tree but has fledged. They have poor flight ability at this stage but can usually scurry out of harms way.

Lex Luthor

Freya Round Menthol wrote: »

Just for the record. It probably has not "fallen" out of the tree but has fledged. They have poor flight ability at this stage but can usually scurry out of harms way.

ok I get what you mean, but the one I picked up I would have expected it to move fast as I approached it but it limped and rolled all over the place which suggested to me that it was injured badly.

The one currently in my garden is totally different. Its jumping up on the rails of the deck and getting some jumping practice to fly a few feet.

I'm guessing the first one would not have lasted the night outside as the local cats would certainly have picked it off, whereas the current one has a bit more to it