Help!! Injured bird in garden, what to do??

scarlet_mandy

Hey, came home from outing few mins ago and let dog out back, to find her gunning straight for a bird who was flapping but getting nowhere He is a grey big bird, attached pic. He flew into our window twice now and can't fly high enough to get over the back wall, keeps flapping wings, flies about a foot upwards and then lands again. He seems to be getting very stressed too



I tried the DSPCA but they're closed, as all Vets would be too, any idea who to contact for rescue? If not what else to do?? Don't want dog to get it obviously but can't leave her in house forever either......

Toulouse

http://www.irishwildlifematters.ie/animals/contacts.html

If you can't get anyone in Dublin then try Dan Donoher, listed there for advice.

Renegade Mechanic

Id nearly say keep it for a while, in dark, with water. Give it time to cool down. I know birds and flight go hand in hand but sometimes extreme stress can impact that. Id keep it till morning and bring it outside to see if it flies off.

Dubl07

Looks like a young seagull.

Argyle & Bainbridge vets in Stillorgan and Dundrum will treat injured wildlife free of charge if you can get advice on how to safeguard it overnight. http://www.wikihow.com/Care-for-an-Injured-Wild-Bird-That-Cannot-Fly may be of help.

aonb

can you gently quietly walk up to it, and pick it up by covering its wings on either side. If you could put it in a shed in shade, with some water for a few hours to destress. Most important thing I guess is to get it away from your dog (and dont let the dog see where you put it :rolleyes:) It looks like a seabird of some sort, if you have a little tin of fish or some sort in your cupboard you could put it on a saucer too. Tomoro you might be able to contact some of the previously mentioned rescues if it still cant fly by then. good luck

scarlet_mandy

Thanks for all the replies! I think I'll leave it in the garden, as it seems to be staying in the shade for now. I've left a litter tray full of water out and I'll try contact a rescue centre in the morning if it's still there, better chance of getting a response on Monday morning I'd say. Maybe it will fly off if it rests up, coz it can run and get a little bit off the ground, so hopefully it's only a minor injury! For now I'm bringing the dog out on mini walks for her to do her business and leave the bird alone. It just killed me seeing it stressed and flying into the window, but that's stopped now

Capercaille

It's a recently fledged Herring gull. Probably just took it's first flight and is stuck there in your garden. You could give it some fish (some canned fish would do). Contact Kildare animal welfare foundation ( https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kildare-Animal-Foundation-Wildlife-Unit/267133126640711 ) and they will help. Contact Dan Donogher. He looked after a buzzard that was poisoned that I found. He did a great job.

honerbright

scarlet_mandy wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies! I think I'll leave it in the garden, as it seems to be staying in the shade for now. I've left a litter tray full of water out and I'll try contact a rescue centre in the morning if it's still there, better chance of getting a response on Monday morning I'd say. Maybe it will fly off if it rests up, coz it can run and get a little bit off the ground, so hopefully it's only a minor injury! For now I'm bringing the dog out on mini walks for her to do her business and leave the bird alone. It just killed me seeing it stressed and flying into the window, but that's stopped now

I raised a baby seagull that had be abandoned by its parents last year, when he was learning to fly it sounds exactly like the one in your garden.
Our garden was really enclosed and small and he didn't have a chance of getting up and out. In the end we caught him in a cat carrier and let him go at a place in Galway where there were loads of other seagulls (and water) and he popped off and went swimming and learned to fly with more space.
I was in contact with a local swan rescue and they advised it might take a few days of practice to get up and going properly,
We fed ours (from a baby fluffy chick up until fledgling) fish flavored cat food, which he loved. Also had the cat litter tray filled with water which he loved to play in.

I'd just be wary of any local cats, but I think he should be fine and flown off soon enough

Some of the advice I received about mine from the swan rescue, which might be help to you:

The parents will be feeding and protecting it. In the meantime you could supplement it's feeding by putting out some cooked potatoes, vegetables, porridge oats, good brown bread, fish scraps, cat food etc. Any of those are good and a basin of water would be an advantage.
It takes a week or two for the flight feathers to develop. It depends on how long it's out of the nest area. As the walls are so high it may need help to take off e.g windowsill, ledge etc.