From the Enpa Wildlife Office comes a sort of vademecum to understand what to do if we meet a bird that is injured or in danger
La spring is now advanced and the exits outside the city multiply. For us nature lovers, a stroll in the countryside can also mean something pleasant encounter with animals Of every kind, birds included. But what to do if we see someone in trouble?
As spring progresses, in fact, we enter the full of wild bird nesting season and the Animal Protection Department receives more and more reports of birds in difficulty.
From the Enpa Wildlife Office comes a sort of vade mecum to understand what to do if we encounter a bird that is injured or in danger.
Index
If we find the bird on the ground
In the case of swallows, swifts e house martins, if we find a puppy on the ground we can take it, because its parents will not come down to help it.
In any case, remember that birds have highly developed parental care and they resort to strategies dictated by Mother Nature to ensure the survival of the greatest number of children. For example, this occurs with the precocious abandonment of the nest, that is when the young specimens, already with a little plumage and open eyes, flutter and jump even though they are not yet autonomous.
“Many passerines, including blackbirds, adopt this strategy because the nest is a very dangerous place in nature. At first sight
- explains Andrea Brutti from ENPA - the little ones may seem abandoned but they are not at all since the parent will follow them at a distance, recognizing them with singing, and providing not only food but the fundamental knowledge to live in nature, such as the recognition of predators and the identification of dangers ".
In these cases, therefore, never take them off the groundunless they are injured, featherless or in obvious distress.
What to do if
If the bird is injured and you're not exactly a top expert, avoid any "do it yourself" rescue and contact an expert. Therefore, avoid improvised bandages or splinting.
In case of discovery, notify the Forestry Corps or the Provincial Police or contact the wildlife recovery centers of the region or province. Know that all wild animals are protected by law 157/92 on the protection of fauna which prohibits its detention and also the disturbance and destruction of the nests and that if the animal has been detained or not delivered to the authorized facilities, there is a risk of committing a crime.
If you happen to rescue a swallow or a wounded blackbird and you can't give it to some expert right away, put it in a box with slits and never in a cage, because it could get hurt.
If you have to feed him
“Until they are delivered to experienced people, the animals can be given an emergency meat-based diet; never give them milk, bread or baked goods, and eggs ”, continues Brutti.
Also know that wild birds recognize only natural food, while the young often are not yet able to eat alone but it is necessary to open the beak delicately, forcing a little in the lateral yellow part, typical of the young specimens.
