Sick and injured

[Elean0r]

I landed here because I was looking for some information about possibly sick and also injured birds, so there are two things really.

We are very lucky to have a pair of song thrushes in our garden, but one of them has seemed really off-colour for the last few days, sometimes sitting there with feathers fluffed out for quite a few minutes. It's noticeable because it isn't in the most appropriate of places - at the base of the bird table, or on the paving close to the house, not somewhere where the bird could safely take a nap.

I don't know if it's the weather, if this may be the female and she's getting ready to lay (because they're busy nest building), or if there's something else that might be wrong.

I can't really do more than keep an eye on them, but I thought I'd ask all the same.

The other is the number of birds visiting the garden with damaged legs. At the moment there's just the one starling, but there were quite a few last year. I suppose this one will manage OK for a time, but it's beginning to get more and more scruffy.

Would these sort of leg/foot injuries be caused by those awful plastic nets fat balls tend to be wrapped in?

[naturelover]

Hi eleanor,welcome to the site,if you hold on someone will be here for you,i cant help myself but there are lots that can,would help if you could post a picture on the arcive Gallery,see you around have fun.

[Elean0r]

I haven't processed any of the pictures I took yet, but I will do very soon and upload them. Thanks for the idea, didn't think of that.

[Elean0r]

OK,

Here's the starling, taken yesterday. It can balance on a thick branch, not on a small one. This is piece of branch is attached to our bird table, makes it easier for the birds to land and also for me to take their pictures.



This is the song thrush. (S)he was not far from the house, fluffed out. Not a juvenile, is part of a pair that are nest building. (S)he might just be tired, but it seems an odd place to settle. Did the same today actually on the bird table.

[Blackbrook Eye]

Hi EleanOr, Can't help with the thrush, it doesn't look too chirpy does it, so far as the starling goes, it may as you say have had an unfortunate encounter with mesh on a bird feeder or a near miss with a cat or sparrow hawk, these thing happen all the time, I have a blue tit currently using my feeders which is very reluctant to use its left leg at all, even when hanging upside down but it has been returning for several days, so it must be coping reasonably well, the mating period which is now with us can be quite a violent time for all wildlife and a few injuries are to be expected.

[mystic meg]

Hi EleanOr, The thrush looks like it may have had a collision of sorts. The feathers look like they are more raised on its back, it may have ruptured an air sac, very common with trauma. It may go down on its own, in time. If we have a bird come into the hospital with a ruptured air sac we pop the bubble with a sterile needle and that usually disperses the excess air. Obviously with your bird you can only observe for the moment. I hope it improves.Again with the starling there is not alot you can do, except keep an eye on it. The middle photo shows up some very fine thread/line? But wasn't visible in the other 2. the leg its holding up dosn't appear to be fractured as it isn't dangling down. Again i hope he also improves

[PMG]

Hi HelenOr - there's not a lot you can do unless you can catch things - and usually by the time they will allow that its too late and the critter is too ill to care. Agree with Mystic meg that the thrush looks to have had a collision - could be a window (avoiding a sparrowhawk) or more likely its glanced off a car - which is a common happening for thrushes and blackbirds. She may well recover slowly over a few days......... the starling may not use its leg again but will cope - they are hardy aggressive birds which seem to cope. The best thing for all is that food is easily available on your bird table and that must help a lot of slightly injured or disabled birds get thro their lives.

Pauline

[Elean0r]

Thanks.

I'm reassured that all I can do is watch, feed and hope.

Originally Posted by mystic meg

The middle photo shows up some very fine thread/line? But wasn't visible in the other 2.

It's a slightly different part of the branch from the other two pictures. The starling is standing directly above a filled half-coconut. The tiny thread is a bit of fluff from the jute thread that's looped over the branch, I hadn't noticed it before. Makes me pleased I got my new lens.

Both these birds seem to be in established pairs, so I hope things work out for them.

[willing to learn]

The Song Thrush could be in egg lethargy, if she at the point of laying. If so things will take there course and she will be fine.
Or at worst egg bound. In either case excess to water, so she can bath could help relieve the problem. Being egg bound can be brought on with a sudden drop in tempreture. Egg laying draws on the birds resourses. The calcium for the shell ect, is drawn of the the laying birds skeleton, so their diet needs calcium to replace the loss to its own skeleton. Another thing is this is where unnatural feeding at this time of year can lead to obesity another cause for a bird to become egg bound. All the time a bird feels under the weather it becomes very vunrable to predators. I hope all goes well.
Regards
Colin

[Elean0r]

That's interesting, thanks.

The weather's certainly turned a lot colder and they were very busy carrying nesting material last week, which I'd have thought meant she was getting ready to lay. Would that be right?

There's plenty of water in the garden, bird baths and a small pond they can walk into as well. I'm hoping she'll be OK, it was lovely to see the young thrushes last year.