Injured Blackbird any Takers

[SandraC]

I have today found outside my front gate an injured Blackbird, which seems to have one or possibly both legs broken. This bird is very much aliveand still quite strong is it did try to flutter away from me. I could not leave it there at the mercy of the local cats, so it is courrently in a box in my garden shed with some old material and torn up paper to keep it warm. I have also left it some water, and bread and seeds, but I do not know what else to do for it. I live in the Newcastle area, and wonder if there is anyone who would be kind enough to come and take the bird to see if it can be helped.

[valleyforge]

Hi SandraC and welcome to the WAB forum.

Sorry to hear about your blackbird casualty, but if indeed both legs are fractured, the chances of recovery will very much depend on which bones are broken, and where.

If the bones can be readily splinted, then there is a very good chance that they'll heal sufficiently well for the bird to be released again ... bird bones fuse quite quickly ... but the casualty will need to be tended to for a number of weeks at any rate.

When both legs are fractured it is usually necessary to suspend the bird in a cradle, so that its legs are 'dangling' in the splints. Cradles for this purpose are commercially available for pigeons, and can be fairly readily adapted for other species.

Because of the time needed to nurse the bird back to full health, you will need to get the help of a wildlife rehabilitator ... your local vet may have the contact details of someone in your neighbourhood ... or you could give the following contacts a call:

Blyth Wildlife Rescue - tel: 07910 643 122
Wildlife in Need Sanctuary - tel: 01668 5281

Please don't be overly surprised however if the bird does not survive overnight ... injuries like this in blackbirds are usually caused by collisions with vehicles, so there may well be associated internal injuries too.

Keeping the bird in a warm, dark and quiet place is your best course of action meantime.

Sorry I'm not close enough to your location to be able to assist directly.

[243kingfisher]

did you manage to find anybody to take care of the blackbird?

Regards, Chris!

[barquar]

My first thought are get it to a vet or RSPCA centre so it can be treated.They will take a look and see if it can be saved.
Barquar

[Farplace]

With fractures, the quicker it can be seen by a vet, the better. Let us know what's happened to it please. And welcome to WAB.

[SandraC]

Hi all

Thank you so much for ourreplies, and the advise you gave me. Unfortunatly the bird has died, a friend who runs the Phoenix Animal Sanctary was going to take it but it was not to be.
Many thanks

[Cowgirl]

Aww poor thing but these things happen. Well done anyway Sandra, at least it's last few hours weren't as a plaything for the local cats.