Need Bird ID and Advice!

[maxfox426]

We have this little guy hanging out in our yard.

Does anybody recognize what kind of bird it is?

It seems to have an injured wing. When I went out to check on it, it did this kind of half hop/half flap sort of thing. Jon thinks it may have bumped into one of our windows.

I know that Killdeer (sp?) will fake a broken wing if a predator gets too close to it's nest, but I'm not sure if that is what this bird is. I did a quick scan of our yard, but I didn't see anything nest-like... not inside our fence, anyways.

Next question, what should I do? It is inside our fenced backyard, so it's relatively safe. I was watching it eat some bugs out of the grass, and there is a mulberry tree over our property that drops berries in one corner of the yard, so it isn't going to starve here, either.

For now we are just leaving it alone and not letting Morgan bother it, but is there something else I could do if this bird really is hurt?

Thanks!


ETA: Sorry about the photo quality, I only had my phone. It is raining and I didn't want to bring out the Canon.

 

[JessLough]

I'm not sure what kind of bird it is.. but is there a bird sanctuary around where you live? If you don't want to leave it in your backyard (for fear of it getting attacked or anything), if you bring it there they will keep it in a cage until it's wing gets better, and then they'll let it free.

 

[maxfox426]

I'm not sure what kind of bird it is.. but is there a bird sanctuary around where you live? If you don't want to leave it in your backyard (for fear of it getting attacked or anything), if you bring it there they will keep it in a cage until it's wing gets better, and then they'll let it free.

I'm really not all that worried about it getting attacked. I think it's actually pretty safe in our yard, at least for now.

I will look around for bird sanctuaries, though. At the very least, they would be better suited to help if the poor thing really is injured.

Thank you!

 

[FluffyZooCrew]

It kinda looks like the mocking birds that we have down here. And I second the bird sanctuary, or wildlife vet if you have one. Down here, most found exotics go to the LSU Vet School, as they have an exotics department. They take in any injured wildlife.

 

[bubbatd]

Yes , we do have bird sanctuaries around here .... if you contact Eagle Park they may give you a number . Not sure of the bird , but it could be a fledgling ......

 

[maxfox426]

It kinda looks like the mocking birds that we have down here. And I second the bird sanctuary, or wildlife vet if you have one. Down here, most found exotics go to the LSU Vet School, as they have an exotics department. They take in any injured wildlife.

Hmmm... I wouldn't have thought of the exotic vet! As luck would have it, I'm quite familiar with one! I don't know if she will see/rehab wildlife, but I'm sure she would have an idea of where to call next.

Yes , we do have bird sanctuaries around here .... if you contact Eagle Park they may give you a number . Not sure of the bird , but it could be a fledgling ......

I will definitely call the park. I was thinking that maybe it was a fledgling, too, but Jon is pretty sure that this is the same bird that he saw bump the window this morning. He said it didn't seem to hit too hard, and thought it flew away, so he didn't think anything of it until he saw this guy in our yard this afternoon. It's possible that the two events are unrelated, but if it is the same bird than it was definitely flying before meeting with our window.

 

[bubbatd]

Let us know !!

 

[~Tucker&Me~]

For sure look for a Wildlife Rehabilitation Center around you. Even though it may not be in danger from your dog, larger birds of prey would happily pick off an injured, grounded bird. A bird with a broken wing generally doesn't last long.

I happen to be looking after a bird with a broken wing Hehe.

 

[maxfox426]

Well, the little bird is gone now. I hope it is okay!

I did some digging, and I still have no idea what it was, though I know it was NOT a killdeer. That's the best I've been able to do.

I was planning to take it somewhere this morning, once things were open again. Guess not.

I hope it's okay... I feel bad if a hawk got it or something. I suppose it's only natural, but I hope it was just able to fly out of the yard on it's own power after some time to calm down.

Anyways, just wanted to share that little update.

 

[bubbatd]

He may have just been dazed from hiting the window . Glad he flew off !

 

[PretzelDog]

Can't tell for sure, but it's head and tail make me think it is a Mourning Dove.
It probably was just dazed from hitting something, both wings look as if they are folded properly and hopefully not broken.

 

[smkie]

There is an exotic vet that rehabs wildlife. That is where i took the cardinal to. He had jsut about exactly what your bird has. He could flop but he coulld not fly.

THere is danger. Possums, raccoons, rats, alot of things that run about at night that would see this bird as a tasty dinner.

 

[Renee750il]

Mockingbirds have white on the wings. Catbirds look a great deal like mockingbirds, but without the white.

Did it look like a catbird to you?

 

[maxfox426]

Can't tell for sure, but it's head and tail make me think it is a Mourning Dove.
It probably was just dazed from hitting something, both wings look as if they are folded properly and hopefully not broken.

I'm pretty familiar with mourning doves... those are one of the few birds I can actually identify accurately. LOL! So I am fairly certain that's not what this guy was... it's head was too big, IMO.

There is an exotic vet that rehabs wildlife. That is where i took the cardinal to. He had jsut about exactly what your bird has. He could flop but he coulld not fly.

THere is danger. Possums, raccoons, rats, alot of things that run about at night that would see this bird as a tasty dinner.

I think that it was just dazed and when we went out to check on it we scared it. I think the combination of scared + dazed made the poor thing unable to get it together to fly off right away. I really do think that it took off on it's own later that evening.

I really hope so, anyways, I feel really bad if something caught it.

Mockingbirds have white on the wings. Catbirds look a great deal like mockingbirds, but without the white.

Did it look like a catbird to you?

Hmmm... kinda. It's body and beak were the right shape to be a catbird, but ours was more brown than gray, and it had white "eyeliner" and tracing around it's beak... I don't really remember it having a darker "cap", either. Maybe the one in our yard was younger?

 

[smkie]

I thought with the chest streaking it was either a juvinile or a female something. I don't have my bird book to refer to.

 

[MericoX]

Maybe it was a fledgling?

 

[maxfox426]

Well, the bird came back yesterday, after being gone for a whole day. I saw it flap-hopping around the yard again after work. Unfortunately, I had to rush back out for a band concert almost immediately, so I couldn't do anything about it right away. When we came back afterwards (a little more than 2 hours later), it was gone again. It still wasn't out there this morning.

This little bird is baffling me!

Renee, I'm not sure now if it is a catbird. The tail didn't seem long enough when I saw it again yesterday. I suppose it could be, if it's still young... I just don't know!

Weird little bird... I'm kinda hoping it shows up again while I'm home tomorrow morning. That way I can observe it to see if it is indeed able to fly, or if it's just getting out through a space under the fence, or if it has just found a REALLY good hiding place somewhere out in my yard.

This is all so very odd.

 

[bubbatd]

Wierd !!!!