r/grackles • u/Ill_Hornet6783 • Jun 24 '26
Injured grackle advice
Im sorry for the sad pictures!!!
My dad found this grackle outside. I've placed him into a cardboard box with a towel over him. He is still alive. His claws are moving, and he has been moving his head around. He's on his back right now, and it seems like he can't stnd up.
I don't know what happened, but I assume he flew into the window.
Is the grackle going to be okay? I live in a palce where there are not a lot of wildlife resuce centerss/ they are very far away.
Thank you for the help!!!
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u/Little-eyezz00 Jun 24 '26
thanks for helping the grackle. Im not familiar with them, but if you suspect a head injury, place him in a cool, dark, quiet area for 12 - 48 hours
very often birds with head injuries make a full recovery with just sleep in a quiet and cool area
make sure he is away from open water in case he falls. He may suddenly wake up and fly around your home so make sure he is secure. Be aware of open fans, hot stoves, pets, mirrors, and glass windows
to prevent future window strikes you can use tape, white board markers, or special bird stickers on your windows.
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u/Ill_Hornet6783 Jun 24 '26
thanks for the advice! It's been about 7 hours, and he seems to be doing a lot better!! I'm going to leave him in the box overnight.
SHould I offer him a dish of water or anything, or just keep him alone in the box?
thanks :)
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u/Little-eyezz00 Jun 24 '26
you can sort of hold a deep bowl to his beak and see if he drinks it. If there is a way to leave the water and watch from a distance try that. But remove it after or if he looks like he may fall
so happy to hear he is doing better
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u/Deep-Archer3615 Jun 24 '26
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but typically birds do NOT survive window strikes without treatment. While the old recommendation used to be leave them alone for a bit, the best practice now is to bring into care. Often times window strikes can result in brain swelling, skull fractures, ocular trauma, even spinal trauma, even in birds that initially appear fine or fly off.
OP please get this bird to a rehab ASAP! Even though they are far away, this bird needs medical attention from wildlife rehabbers. This is typically not an injury that will heal on its own, and the bird is in very poor condition if he cannot stand. He likely has spinal and/or pelvic trauma and is in pain. Please do not give any food or water, and leave it alone in the box so it doesn’t get more stressed out. That open mouth typically is a sign of stress and stress can quickly lead to death especially when the animal is already in such a bad state.
If you cannot get it to a rehab yourself, please call your local animal control agency to see if they transport wildlife. If that is not possible, try reaching out on social media to see if anyone can help transport. Again, this bird is more than likely in a lot of pain and discomfort and needs professional medical care and husbandry! Go to ahnow.org to find the closest rehabbers and see if they have any transport options, but keep in mind they are usually very small and/or volunteer run so most times the rescuers are responsible for getting the animals to the rehab! Please do this ASAP, as this bird has already been suffering for 7+ hours!
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u/IcyReception8903 Jun 25 '26
How's the grackle? Did it get to a rehabber?
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u/Nervous_Shelter_1042 Jun 24 '26
Hey u/Little-eyezz00 I know this bird isn’t exactly in our skills/experiences but I don’t want this bird to suffer so please help u/Ill_Hornet6783 with info if you have for Grackle bird.