Injured or Diseased Birds 

Birds can become injured and sick for a multitude of reasons. The most common reasons include getting attacked by house cats, window collisions, being hit by cars, and bacterial and viral illnesses contracted at bird feeders (see diseases at bottom of this page).

The only time you should even consider intervening in any wild animal’s life is if it is clearly sick or injured – or in the case of a baby, if you are certain the parent is dead. If it flies off when you try to approach, it does not need your help.

Signs of adult songbird in need of help:

·        On the ground not moving 

·        Does not fly away when approached

·        Easily picked up

·        Extremely fluffed up or ruffled feathers 

·        Eyes closed, squinted, crusty, weepy, swollen, bleeding

·        Evidence of blood or wounds

·        Panting, shivering, vomiting

·        Obvious injured limb (dangling leg, drooping/hanging wing, wings not symmetrical)

·        Tries to fly but can’t

Before you intervene, please remove any and all cats, dogs and other pets from the area to avoid further injury to the bird. Direct small children to stay away to avoid stressing it.

If a bird has hit a window, it may just be temporarily stunned and needs a little time to regain its senses. Leave it alone and it may be able to fly away on its own. If it’s still not moving on its own within 15-30 minutes, it may help to put it in a more sheltered place.

If the bird is a small species (not a raptor or bird of prey) that you feel you can safely handle, use gloves to pick it up and carefully put it in a towel-lined cardboard box with a lid or a towel over the top. Keep the box in a cool, quiet, safe place.

In the case of a window-collision stunned bird, with no signs of any other kind of injury, open the box every 15 minutes to give it a chance to fly away.

Whatever the injury, when you periodically check on the bird’s condition, don’t be surprised if it dies. Birds go into shock very easily when injured, and often die from the shock.

Do not try to force feed or give water to any bird or animal that you’ve confined to a box.

Do not attempt to treat or raise a wild animal yourself – it could be harmful to the animal or to you, and it’s against state and federal laws. If you are not properly trained, you could make an animal’s situation worse or even kill it. If kept improperly, animals may lose their natural fear of humans and become more vulnerable to predation or injury.

Any willing veterinarian can legally provide simple, stabilizing care for a wild animal until it can be transported to a wildlife rehabilitator.  Currently there are no licensed wildlife rehabilitators in Spokane County. The closest rehabilitator that takes all bird species is Washington State University’s Exotics and Wildlife Ward at 100 Grimes Way in Pullman (about 90 minutes south of Spokane); call them at 509-335-0711 to make arrangements to bring in an injured bird.

If you cannot get an injured bird to a vet or rehabilitator, call the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Eastern Regional Office in Spokane at 509-892-1001 or TeamSpokane@dfw.wa.gov, or contact the Spokane Audubon Society volunteer bird-help team at spokanebirdrehab@gmail.com. In your email to us please leave a phone number or best way to contact you quickly. If our volunteers confirm your belief that the bird needs help, and if one of them is available, they may assist with getting it to a state licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Spokane Audubon volunteers only handle native birds, not the non-native, abundant, invasive species like starlings, House sparrows and pigeons.

All wildlife rehabilitators are volunteers, relying on donations for their services. If you send an animal to them for care, consider making a donation to them.   

Wildlife rehabilitators are limited by their state and federal permits as to how many and what species of animals they may admit to their facility.  (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service requires a permit to rehabilitate migratory birds, and coordinates with WDFW regarding threatened and endangered species.)

To learn more about injured wildlife and rehabilitation, including all Washington state licensed wildlife rehabilitators listed by county, click here.

Bird Diseases

Avian influenza, also known as bird flu, is a disease caused by infection with type A flu viruses that occur naturally among wild aquatic birds (ducks, geese, swans, gulls, terns, and shorebirds) worldwide and can infect domestic poultry and other bird and animal species. The viruses are very contagious among birds through saliva, nasal secretions, feces and contaminated surfaces. The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) form is fatal for infected birds.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has been tracking an avian flu outbreak and provides updated information on cases, recommended precautions to reduce the risk of spreading or contracting the disease, and an on-line suspected case reporting tool at https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/diseases/bird-flu.

Salmonellosis is a common and usually fatal bird disease caused by the salmonella bacteria. It is transmitted through droppings and saliva when birds flock together in large numbers, such as at bird feeders. House finches, pine siskins, goldfinches and grosbeaks are most commonly afflicted in the Pacific Northwest.

The first indication that a bird has salmonellosis is that it will appear to be tame, is lethargic, fluffs out its feathers, and is easy to approach. At that point, it is usually in the late stages of the illness and there is nothing that can be done to help except to report them to WDFW's online reporting tool for sick, injured or dead wildlife. 

Asymptomatic individuals pose as much a risk in spread of this pathogen as those obviously sick. Reducing unnatural opportunities for backyard birds to flock together, such as at bird feeders, helps to alleviate these risks in transmission amongst individuals.

It is possible, although uncommon, for salmonella bacteria to transfer from birds to humans through direct contact with infected birds, droppings, or through domestic cats that catch sick birds. When handling birds, bird feeders or bird baths, it is best to wear gloves and wash hands thoroughly afterward.

For more information, see https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/diseases/salmonellosis-wild-birds.

Several other diseases can afflict birds and be spread at feeding stations. If evidence of any of these diseases is seen, immediately remove feeders and clean them with a ten percent chlorine bleach solution. Dry completely before re-using and repeat if you see any more sick birds. Here’s what to watch for:

Avian pox – This viral disease causes wartlike growths on birds’ faces, legs, wings and feet. The virus is spread by direct contact with infected birds, ingestion of food or water contaminated by sick birds, or contact with contaminated surfaces of feeders, birdbaths and perches. Insects, especially mosquitoes, also carry the disease from one bird to another.

Aspergillosis – This disease is caused by a fungal mold that grows on damp feed or soil in or around a feeder. Birds inhale the fungal spores and the disease spreads through their lungs and air sacs, causing bronchitis and pneumonia. Infected birds have trouble breathing, usually seen open-mouthed but not eating.

Trichomaniasis – This disease is caused by small parasites that can affect a wide variety of animals, including humans. The mourning dove and band-tailed pigeon seem to be particularly susceptible. The disease causes sores in their mouths and throats, and results in death from starvation or dehydration.