What to do about an injured bird?

July 24, 2022 5:35 PM

There's an injured crow that's been sitting on our back walk-way for most of the afternoon (I don't think it's fully matured, there's been a family of crows "living" in the backyard). When I went close to it, the crow tried to walk/fly away but couldn't... and kind of fell over. Something his wrong with it's little leg! There is a local wildlife rescue, but because it's Sunday they're closed. What should I do about this poor little crow?

Every organization that would help or that I could drop off the animal seems to be closed, so I don't know if I should just leave it and let nature take its course??

posted by VirginiaPlain to Pets & Animals (2 answers total)

I would follow the pigeon advice here. If it will let you.
posted by praemunire at 5:39 PM on July 24, 2022 [1 favorite]

Individual wildlife rehabilitators are pretty dedicated; you may be able to find one you could text for help and dropoff, even if the big centers are closed. If you're in the US, the Humane Society has state-by-state links to listings for wildlife rehab contacts.

Be very cautious about picking it up or meddling with it too much. Wild birds can easily go into shock and die from sheer fright, and crows ime are even more afraid of humans than are many smaller birds. They are also smart and social, so parents or other flock members might also be around to protect and comfort; you wouldn't want to frighten them away until you're certain you can take the bird directly to a place where it'll receive help.
posted by Bardolph at 6:01 PM on July 24, 2022