Wildlife rescue group reminds people to look out for struggling birds

The Wildlife Rescue Association says it has had an extremely busy last few days, as the severe winter weather has led to more injured and cold-stricken birds in the Lower Mainland.

According to Linda Bakker, the group's co-executive director, many birds that would be living higher in the mountains have been forced to move down into the cities, where they're more likely to get hurt and found by people.

"They're not used to flying around houses and windows, so they strike windows quite often right now, and get injured that way," said Bakker. That accounts for many of the cases they're seeing at the group's rescue centre in Burnaby.

Window strikes are mainly affecting song birds, she said, adding that hummingbirds have a different set of challenges in the extreme cold weather.

Hummingbirds in need of food

Mainly, Bakker explained, hummingbirds are struggling to find food, and many feeders are frozen, making it impossible for the little birds to maintain the caloric intake needed to sustain their fast metabolisms. 

Bakker suggests that people with hummingbird feeders take extra steps to ensure they're thawed, including hanging them very close to homes where it's slightly warmer, shielding them from the wind, and using a light to add warmth.

She said that alternating two or more feeders and letting them warm up indoors can help ensure they don't freeze solid, and they should be brought inside overnight when the birds aren't using them anyway.

Bakker said avian flu remains a concern, and songbird feeders shouldn't be put outside — but hummingbirds are often territorial about feeders and just really need the extra help getting food in the winter weather.

She advised anyone who finds an unresponsive bird out in the cold to take steps to warm them carefully:

• Prepare a box with ventilation holes and something soft on the bottom.
• Put the bird in the box in a dark place that's not too warm, like a garage.
• Once the bird has warmed to that temperature, gradually increase the temperature so as not to shock its system.
• Call Wildlife Rescue or drop the bird off at the rescue centre in Burnaby if necessary.