Friday 3 March 2017

Birds are pretty confused with Spring-like temperatures!

Stunned by impact
Daisy and I found a nuthatch that had hit the window. She was outside on the front porch, and I heard it from indoors. I keep lots of items hanging outside the window so that they don't hit it, but every so often...

All About Birds has a good post on
1) Why Birds hit windows,
2) How to prevent the birds from hitting windows, and
3) What to do if they have hit a window.

Apparently, it is illegal in North America to handle a critter that is on the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994 (MBCA), unless you have a licence. Who knew?
I recall delivering a loon to a rehab on Lake Ontario. Loon on the frozen field – missed the 'go south' memo

As a student teacher we caught and banded birds at the Natural Science centre. That was in 1981!

That said, the bird is on the ground, I cannot let the cats at it. I do ensure it has a safe place to recover, wait for it to assure it can fly, and let it take off. With Daisy out, that meant waiting and watching. Of course, if it has a broken wing, or other issues, you take it to a rehab centre.

I sat with it for a bit. Daisy was highly curious, she took a sniff. Highly curious.




We did a selfie video! It was simply stunned, and flew away. Just after this, it shook its head, and flew up to the eaves. Fit as a fiddle.
Nuthatch from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.


14 comments:

Olga said...

We would have that confused bird thing once in a while at our house. Always glad to see that shake of the head and a sailing off. Mike always went out to make sure the neighbor's cat was not out and on the prowl.

eileeninmd said...

Hello, cute nuthatch! I am glad it survived the window strike. Happy weekend to you!

Cat Lover said...

Sad for the bird to bonk into your window but what a wonderful experience for you.
Thanks for sharing the video!

Christine said...

we once took a bird to a rehab centre, it had a broken wing so was put down after all that. It was a mourning dove.

Powell River Books said...

We've even had birds hit the sliding door glass windows on the porch under the large overhang. So far they've only been stunned and are up and on their way shortly. - Margy

troutbirder said...

Well done. I had a similar experience with a ovenbird which eventually flew away and a rare snowy owl in a ditch on a farm road. We took it to the Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul.

Cloudia said...

Bless you my dear Jenn!

William Kendall said...

I remember once sitting with a woodpecker who took a header into a window. The poor thing was stunned, but a few minutes of rest and it flew off again.

Out To Pasture said...

Glad the nuthatch recovered. I rarely have a window strike thanks to my Venetian blinds breaking up the mirror effect. Of course, when the birds are panicked by something, all bets are off!

Lowcarb team member said...

Birds really can stun themselves ... always so nice to see them fly away happily.

I love the nuthatch

All the best Jan

PS Thanks for the links

Linda said...

I hate hearing that thunk on the window. Most times the bird is okay, the odd time its stunned and we will help if necessary, then there is the aweful feeling to find that the bird didn't survive. Thank goidness that isn't too often. We have things in the window too but I'm not sure they help.

Red said...

You did the right thing.

Anvilcloud said...

Being a nuthatch, it probably wasn't as nervous about you as most other birds would have been.

Debbie said...

such a sweet video - he was really concentrating on you!!!! we have the same problem so often here...i'm so happy he survived, they are such a beautiful bird!!!