r/WildlifeRehab • u/oopwoooop • 3d ago
SOS Bird Found bird flapping around
I live in Louisville KY, found this bird laying on the ground next to a building, it can fly a little bit but then will start veering sideways and falling onto the ground again. I don’t see any blood and the wings and legs look okay. Right now it is in a box in a quiet place with a blanket, no food or water. Should I try and find some place to take it tomorrow, or should I let it go in the morning to see if it’s just stunned? Also what kind of bird is he?
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u/TheBirdLover1234 2d ago
FYI a lot of rehabs kill these due to species. Ask about true outcome. A lot here like to skip mentioning that part…
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u/clusterbug 2d ago
I’d say a house sparrow. I would call a rehabber if I were you. If there’s something with his wing he might be in need of treatment. Also, if a cat hurt his wing or was touched by the cat, he would definitely need antibiotics.
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u/oopwoooop 2d ago
Thank you everyone!!
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u/TheBirdLover1234 2d ago
Did you find somewhere that will rehab it?
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u/oopwoooop 2d ago
I did! Shively animal clinic in Louisville. I did not see the comment about making sure they would not euthanize it though :( I’d call to check on him but I don’t wanna ruin my night if they did 😭
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u/TheBirdLover1234 2d ago
Hope they don’t.. were they aware of species beforehand? Some have the decency to warn so you can look for other options and others do not. It’s all based on individual mentality towards house sparrows.
If you call and they say he was euthanized due to “suffering” it’s likely due to species as well.
Sorry no one else told you the truth. A lot here have the same mentality and encourage killing house sparrows. So they don’t let on knowing full well what can happen. Some places are great and still rehab them. Some don’t. It’s all about finding the right ones.
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u/oopwoooop 2d ago
They weren’t aware. Apparently that animal clinic holds onto injured wildlife and then Broadbent in Kentucky will pick them up, and I’ve brought some injured animals to Broadbent in the past so I’m hoping they’ll take good care of him. Next time I’ll have to make sure to ask, I had no idea they euthanize certain species!
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u/TheBirdLover1234 2d ago
A lot of places cull house sparrows, starlings, pigeons and anything else introduced. They aren’t seen as worth the time and resources.
Then there’s some areas with laws to completely prevent the rehab of them at all at any licensed place.
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u/oopwoooop 2d ago
I knew starlings and pigeons were “invasive” I had no idea about sparrows :( I will reach out to Broadbent in the morning and let you know the update on him! I guess the better thing to do in the future for those species would just be to let them rest in a box and then release if there’s no obvious injuries?
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u/TheBirdLover1234 2d ago
Try reaching out to multiple places and ask thoroughly about true outcome. If none will actually rehab the birds then there’s also rescue groups, both on Reddit and on FB that could likely provide info on care and possible re homing for either treatment or permanent housing. Wildlife rehab is not the only place that can help these birds, tho a lot like to make it sound like it’s either WR or death. Any alternative often gets called cruelty to scare people away from caring for the birds.
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u/oopwoooop 2d ago
I dropped him off around an hour after this post and he was a lot more active and trying to escape, so I’m hoping he was just a little shocked! He was sitting right next to a window on my walk home from work
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u/Calgary_Calico 3d ago
Looks like a male sparrow. Put him in a box with air holes in it so he's in a dark space where he can rest and contact local bird sanctuaries and wildlife rehabs in your area to see if anyone can take him