Backyard Bird Feeder Visitors
> Squirrels Wrens <Rescued Birdies
These are birds that had the misfortune to stun themselves by running into our back windows. We made a BCU (Birdie Concussion Unit) from a shoe-sized box and some old towels and keep it handy in the kitchen. When a bird hits the window and can't fly off, I bring it inside and put it in a dark, quiet part of the house for 15-45 minutes to recover in safety.
I saw this bird in the snow and thought it was dead. I went out and gently picked it up. It was alive, weak, but not at all happy to be picked up. After a half hour recovery in the house, I took the container back out on the porch. I uncovered the bird and gently lifted the towel up to the top so it was clear to see around. I asked, "How are you doing little one?" It perked up, squeaked at me, and flew off into the neighbors trees. Hurray!
Heard a rather loud hit on the window while I was working and came out to check on it. Found some pink feathers on the pane and this male purple finch sitting on the railing outside clearly stunned. He still had the sunflower seed he was trying carry off. After the last time we prepared a BCU (Birdie Concussion Unit) so I grabbed it and walked outside. He didn't try to fly away and let me get under his feet with my hand to put him in the BCU box. I took him in and gave him 20 minutes in a quiet dark corner of the house to recover. When I checked on him, he was alert and ready to get out again. I took him back outside and let him fly away. No goodbye chirps this time, but he did leave me his sunflower seed (and some poop).
This time I was working in the kitchen when I heard the strike. I dropped what I was doing and checked outside. There was a small bird on the ground with wings not closed, not moving. It looked bad. I grabbed the BCU and went out, but it was alive. This one took a 45 minute break before I brought it back outside. I opened the box but it didn't seem to know it could leave. I snapped this photo with my phone and gently pulled the towel up so the bird was up out of the box. Then it figured things out and flew away.
Heard a loud hit and saw the imprint he left on the back door window. I looked out and saw two birds at different windows. This guy survived after a 2 hour rest period in the BCU. The male cardinal that I also found must have hit earlier, because he was soaked through and already dead.
I had just taken the purple finch out to see if he was ready to go. He decided he wasn't so I came back in, and this chickadee hit the door glass right behind me. The BCU was already filled so I wrapped it in the spare towel and used a cardboard box. After 45 minutes it was ready to leave - so much so that it escaped the box indoors and flew into the window again trying to escape. I caught it in the towel again and let it go outside.
We had what looked like a small hawk come by and drive 3-4 birds into the windows. I saw the hawk as it flew off with one of the stunned birds. I rescued the other one still on the ground, this Pine Siskin.
It has been a couple months since our last injury. This Pine Siskin hit the kichen window and left a lot of feathers. It flew off after a 30 minute rest.
This bird hit the back door window. I took it inside for 15-20 minutes and then took it outside to fly off again.