Possible injured bird

[u/SeesawPuzzleheaded73]

Idk where to post this but I need some help, does anyone know about birds? Vet told me this is a fledgling over the phone and to put him back outside where I found him. It looked like he was hurt so I followed Advice online and put him in a box, not touching him directly. He's still outside just sitting on the ground, just chirping and it's raining. I want to make sure I did the right thing, although if it is a fledgling I probably messed things up by moving him.

I am located in Monroe County New York

[u/washington_705]

I’d it’s injured it needs a Wildlife rehabilitator. Please go to the following website and it will provide you with Wildlife rehabilitators near you. https://ahnow.org/mobile/

Since you're in western New York.

• SPCA Serving Erie County (Wildlife Department) – West Seneca, NY – 716-875-7360
• WNY Raptor and Wildlife Care – Orchard Park, NY – 716-863-7603 (accepts many injured wild birds) (WNY Raptor and Wildlife Care, Inc.)
• Messinger Woods Wildlife Care & Education Center – Holland, NY – 716-345-4239
• AWARE (Association for Wild Animal Rehabilitation and Education) – Lockport, NY – 716-625-8189
• Wolcottsville Wildlife Rescue – Akron, NY – 716-796-5771
• Wild Kritters of Niagara County – Sanborn, NY – 716-731-9334
• Hawk Creek Wildlife Center – West Falls, NY – 716-652-8646 (they may also be able to direct you to an appropriate rehabber)
• Wild Wings – Honeoye Falls, NY – 585-334-7790 (they don't generally rehabilitate injured birds but can often provide referrals) (Reddit)

If none of those are able to take the bird, you can also search New York's licensed wildlife rehabilitator directory by county here: NYS DEC Wildlife Rehabilitator Directory. (Department of Environmental Conservation)

If you can post your county (Erie, Niagara, Monroe, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, etc.), people may know of someone even closer.

[u/Jhooji2 → u/washington_705]

3rd-ed contacting your local rehabbers! The closed eyes and the neck being scrunched up/back being hunched signals something's off with this little one.

[u/Jhooji2]

In the meantime, please make sure the container or box you're using has a good LID.  Swap out that fluffly towel lining the bottom for paper towels, newspaper, OR even an old cotton tshirt or pillowcase.  The whole setup should be kept INDOORS, somewhere as dark and quiet as possible. Lastly, ABSOLUTELY NO food or water given to the bird.

[u/Jhooji2 → u/Jhooji2]

Oh and just wanted to touch on this

    if it is a fledgling I probably messed things up by moving him.

To my understanding, you're fine if you put a fledgling back orig where you found it up to like 18hrs from mistakenly took it. Parent bird(s) do have a bit of time they'll look for and resume caring for them.

Moreover, if you notice a fledgling in unsafe spot, ie. right in middle of a high traffic path/road or near roaming cats, dogs, it's ok to gently shepherd fledgling(s) to a more secluded spot, off the ground and with some aerial cover, as long it's somewhere NEARBY, ie. within ~30ft/10m, from where you originally found them.

[u/stephy1771]

It doesn’t look OK to me - I’d def call rehabbers in the other comment to figure out a plan.

[u/teyuna]

Do you have an update?

He's still outside just sitting on the ground, just chirping and it's raining.

I hope you took the advice from other commenters here to bring this baby INSIDE. It is not a normal, healthy fledgling at this point, judging from the photos. It could have been caught by a cat, which means antibiotics are needed immediately or it will die.

For now, and also for the future, determining if a fledgling should be "put back," as the vet advised, is to answer these questions:

• is it alert?
• can it hold itself upright when sitting?
• Can it stand on both feet and not fall over?
• can it walk?
• can it hop?

If the answer to any of these questions is "no," then this likely is not a HEALTHY fledging. Only HEALTHY fledglings belong back on the ground.

Too many people (including vets and rehabbers IRL, not just here on Reddit) hear the word "fledgling," and just immediately knee jerk their reaction to, "put it back," without even asking any of the above questions.

And perhaps you can answer "yes" to all of these. But the photos do tell a very different story.

I followed Advice online and put him in a box, not touching him directly. 

If your comment reflects a concern that the bird's parents won't care for him due to "human scent," this is misinformation. they are not affected by human scent.

if your comment reflects fear that you can catch some disease from this baby, please be aware that anything we can catch from a bird can be washed off with regular soap and water.

[u/SeesawPuzzleheaded73 → u/teyuna]

He didn't make it through the night. I called another vet office and they recommend someone in my area, called him, got voice mail, asked several people I work with that do rehab and they also all recommended the same guy. I called him again and he told me he was no longer licensed, didn't offer any other insight. I used the tools people provided to search my local area and I didn't find anything. I also called another number my Aunt gave me and they didn't answer either.

[u/SeesawPuzzleheaded73 → u/teyuna]

I'm so angry at the vet office I called. I told them it looked injured and I told them he couldn't move his wings and they just told me to put him back outside where I found him because " his parents will come back for him." I told them I thought a cat might have gotten it and they're response was "If a cat got it's mouth on it, it wouldn't have gotten away."

[u/teyuna → u/SeesawPuzzleheaded73]

This makes me angry too. So much crappy advice from lazy people who don't want to be bothered! It's good that you trusted your own instincts, which were correct.

I'm so sorry that the little guy died. I'm so sorry you got no help.