If you find a sick or injured wild animal, contact a certified wildlife rehabber right away. Do not handle, feed, or give water to the animal without speaking with a certified rehabber first.
If you live in the New York City area:
Wild Bird Fund (NYC)
If you live outside the New York City area:
Animal Help Now (National Directory)
Signs that a wild animal needs help:
- Picked up by a cat or a dog
- Evidence of bleeding
- Obvious broken/injured limb (dragging leg, hanging wing)
- On the ground in the same spot for more than 24 hours
- On the ground with eyes closed, squinted, crusty, weepy, swollen, and/or bleeding
- Tries to get away but can’t (unable to fly, walk, stand, etc. but unable to)
Know the difference between normal and sick baby birds.
Take photos:
Full-body shot that is a close-up image of the head and the entire body of the animal.
A zoomed-out photo to show the position/location of the animal in its environment.
Do not bring wildlife to zoos or animal shelters.
Report sightings of dead or injured birds:
Submit sightings using dBird, a project of the NYC Bird Alliance. This can help officials track potential disease outbreaks, especially around avian flu.
Additional source: Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary and Audubon Center.
A Parallel World 