Help urgently please!! Bird crisis.

[Kittiwake]

I've just had a tiny bird fly into my kitchen window glass. It then sat on the outside window sill looking disorientated. My cats were going crazy (on the inside of the window). Obviously, it's pitch black outside and the coldest night ever, so I thought I had better bring it in.

It's now in a covered box in my office in the warm(ish). What now?

I'm not even sure what it is. It's smaller than a Robin and has the same colouring as a Song Thrush???

Advice please folks re what to do now.

Thanks!

[Natasha_38]

I'm no expert but had a similar experience with a sparrow last year. I just kept him in a box until the next day when he seemed fine so released him. Hope it's ok/

[forestwildlife]

I agree, keep him warm, quiet and dark and see how it is in the morning its probably just stunned but as you've said its very cold outside so prob best not to let him go until the morn.

[Kittiwake]

Thanks guys. No need to provide water/food then? My husband wanted to put some in because it might have been short of food in this weather, but I thought not. At least not for now anyway.

I'm still trying to figure out what it is (without looking in the box again).

[Natasha_38]

I wouldn't put any water in. We also had a stunned wood pigeon last year who couldn't seem to stand properly & ended up falling face first in to the water I had put in. Luckily I saw otherwise he could've drowned!! Again he was fine in the morning. Hope your little bird is ok. Do you know what it is
yet?

[PMG]

Sounds lsike it could be a wren..... keeping it warm-ish, quiet and dark till its daylight - then have a cautious look - be prepared for either a 'bullit out of gun (keep your curtains closed before looking as it could easily fly pell-mel into your window on the inside and this time break its neck and drop dead on your carpet!) or a poorly bird half alive laid/crouched in a corner with one eye closed and one leg not working properly (best case scenario now is put out of misery) or bird already dead in box ..........

Hope its the first one - except I hope you get it outside released near bird feeders or an area where birds are being fed (small birds such as wren and goldcrest will eat other birds droppings in severe weather - cos they are insect eaters not seed eaters by preferrence). If its alive and perky just let it go - don't attempt to feed or even offer food - you will cause more stress than just letting it get back to - albeit a very cold - normal! If its survived without damage then you've done everything neccessary - so let it go back to where it should be as fast as poss! And well done. Come back and let us know won't you?!

Pauline

[clare]

Best advice is to keep it in a quiet, warm, dark place. I had a similar experience with a goldfinch that collided with a window last year, a sparrow that my neighbour had rescued from a cat and a pigeon that again I think had been got by a cat or possibly a sparrowhawk. Apart from the pigeon they all survived the night and I was able to let them go the following morning.

It was also advised not to give them water.

Hope it's OK and let us know if you find out what it is.

Clare

[Kittiwake]

Thanks very much everyone for taking the time to reply. He's safely tucked up for the night and hopefully he'll still be with us by daybreak tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

I still don't know what he is. My initial thought was wren (size-wise) but he's got a very pale and very distinctly spotted underside and I don't recall seeing an eye stripe or other wren-ish features or even the wren posture. I'll get a proper look tomorrow morning and hopefully I'll get some pics/video if he's slow enough off the mark.

I live in the middle of nowhere and the only bird feeding that goes on is in my garden, although sadly I've had to really restrict it these last few days as I now have at least one rat in my loft.

Lots of animals trying to get indoors out of the cold, it seems. Can't blame them, can you?

Ellie

[SheffieldLass]

Dunnock? Birds always seem smaller when you have them in your hand.

[Merrow]

could be a redwing? our cats keep catching them and I was surprised at how small they are up close, they areabout the size of a robin. ..like SheffieldLass said birds seem so much smaller than you think they are