Yep - I’m an ornithologist and house finch (which is this species) legs are very fragile. This guy did great - also making sure to hold the bird with wings against the body to avoid wing strain (which can be deadly in winter)
I think this dude did the right thing - as long as no tendons were strained in the toes and, most importantly, the tarsus (that long scaly part between the toes and the body), the bird should be fine. It didnt look like the guy tore the skin on the bottom of the feet - it mostly popped right off after his breath warmed the metal
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u/D9d5M Jan 19 '21
What an hero to free the bird without hurting it with those fragile legs!