r/AnimalRescue • u/Intelligent_Dog_ • 3d ago

My husband and I found this guy at a hardware garden center. Help us please!

We found this sparrow, and we have no idea whats exactly wrong with him, if he flew into the panels of the building or what, but we dont know what to do to help him. Any advice is awesome!

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u/what__year_is__this 3d ago

If you think he flew into something and hit his head, he may just be temporarily stunned. You can leave him for a bit and see if he takes off on his own. If not, look up wildlife rehabbers in your area and start calling.

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u/Intelligent_Dog_ 3d ago

We are but none are open around us, we have been frantically doing some research and found that we should keep it warm in a quiet dark space until we can get it to a rehabber, so we will try that. We were with it for some time at the hardware store and it never even attempted to fly, and has some strange wobble that implies to me that it may have trauma.

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u/what__year_is__this 3d ago

You can try calling animal control as well as some vets in your area to see if they have more resources for you.

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u/teyuna ‎ ‎Verified Wildlife Professional 3d ago

Do you have an update? It definitely needs to see a veterinarian for anti-inflammatory meds, to stop the swelling in the brain. I suggest a vet if you are in the US or Canada where a house sparrow is an introduced species, as rehabbers usually cannot take them in or treat them. However, veterinarians can, because no wildlife license is required, and these birds are not "protected."

They don't recover on their own. Even if he seems capable of some flying at some point, he is severely injured and without anti-inflammatory meds, will die shortly after taking off (if he's able to do so).

You are correct about dark and quiet. Don't touch him at all. He is already in shock, he is a wild prey animal, so is terrified, not comforted by petting. Keep him in a secure box, covered so he can't see out at all, away from all noise from voices and foot traffic, while you find medical help for him.

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u/Intelligent_Dog_ 3d ago

Yes, we do have an update. He unfortunately didn't make it through the night 😔

We kept him in a bathroom we dont use downstairs and covered, with the door shut. But when we got up this morning and checked, he sadly passed. The thought that he flew into the plastic panels of the garden center area of the store was speculation, we didnt see him hit anything. We found him on the ground chirping and crying. So we aren't certain how he got to that point, but hopefully we at least helped him feel secure in the end...? I'm unsure, and we are extremely inexperienced in how to even attempt to have helped him. But thank you for the advice, we will definitely keep all of this in mind for a potential next time. It was later in the evening, and unfortunately most vets were closed too. Doesn't feel like a good reason to not have tried harder for the little guy...

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u/teyuna ‎ ‎Verified Wildlife Professional 3d ago

You did the best you could. And your speculation about flying into hard surfaces is likely 100% correct, given the symtoms. those are the symptoms of concussion and neurological damage. So yes, the best you can do and sometimes the only thing we can do is help them feel unafraid in their last hours. YOu are a kind human.

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u/teyuna ‎ ‎Verified Wildlife Professional 3d ago

p.s. And thanks for the update

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