The do’s and don’ts when rescuing a baby bird

Spring has sprung and the twitterpating has begun.

While it is lovely to hear the joyful chirping in your garden, spring is often a dangerous time for baby birds that fall out of the nest.

In the last year around 400 birds were rescued from the North Coast according to the motherhen, Sarah Keyser who runs the local CROW depot.

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“Spring is our busiest time. We urge people to phone a professional for help immediately when they find a baby bird to give them the best chance of survival,” said Keyser, who has been helping birds for the past ten years and started the Broken Wings rescue and adoption group with fellow bird lover, Claire Matthis three years ago.

“We ask that no one attempts to feed the babies or even give them water unless it is under professional guidance. We had a number of birds come in last season that died due to being fed the incorrect foods and/or being fed the incorrect way. Birds’ breathing tubes are positioned right behind their tongue, so if you are not trained to feed them, they end up aspirating.”

She said the best thing to do is to put the bird into a little box, keep it warm and seek help immediately.

“About 30 percent of the birds we rescue were attacked by cats and most of them cannot be released into the wild again. We have rescued everything from storks to owls, but pigeons are our most common bird.”

While many people think of pigeons as pests, Keyser said the unreleased pigeons make fantastic pets.

“We need to stop people from seeing pigeons as flying rats. Claire and I both have pigeons – that could not be released back into the wild – as pets and they are lovely. We do not promote keeping wild birds as pets, but if we know the bird cannot survive out there and will have a good life in a home, we give it that second chance at life.”

If you find a bird in need, contact Keyser at 072 801 0606 or Matthis at 082 339 9886 or join their Facebook group Broken Wings – Durban for more information about birds.

WATCH online how Sarah Keyser feeds a baby bird. 

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