RESPECT THE BIRD'S FEARS BY GIVING IT LOTS OF PRIVACY OFTEN THE BEST THING WE CAN DO IS TO BACK UP AND GIVE THAT BIRD PRIVACY. Start by not interacting. Avoid direct eye contact. Open cage doors and reach inside as little as possible.
As a Veterinary technician as well as a wildlife rehabilitator, I have worked with many birds with head and spinal injuries. Birds have an amazing ability to recover from these injuries.
If you can, wrap them in a warm towel to offset the shock and place them in a well ventilated box. After this you can contact your vet or nearest animal emergency hospital to inform them of the bird's condition, should it be badly injured and need additional assistance.
TAMING A FRIGHTENED BIRD
It works, but you must exercise patience. DO NOT rush it or it only won't work. It took me about two weeks from stage 1 where the bird would fly to the other side of the cage if I came within two meters of the cage, to stage 2 where the bird would happily step onto my hand from the cage.
Biting, hissing, lunging, and excessive screaming are all signs to watch out for. Fear – While not all birds are outwardly friendly, if your bird suddenly becomes timid and avoids being handled, this could be a sign that your feathered friend is stressed.
More than 70% of birds die of head trauma instantly or within minutes. Of those that survive, the majority suffer a concussion. Many suffer internal bleeding, severe bruising and/or shock. Some are left with a fractured wing, clavicle (collarbone), sternum (breastbone) or other incapacitating injury.
If you have found a sick or injured bird it will need to see a vet before coming into care. If you are able to safely contain the bird, you can keep it in a quiet, dark, warm place e.g. wrapped in a towel in a ventilated box or carrier with a lid while you transport it to the nearest vet.
So birds certainly possess the capacity to mourn—they have the same brain areas, hormones, and neurotransmitters as we do, “so they too can feel what we feel,” Marzluff says—but that doesn't mean we know when it's happening.
Depending on the severity of the impact, it may take just a few minutes or up to 2-3 hours for a bird to recover, and during that time it should be stimulated as little as possible.
The following are indications that a bird may be sick or injured: The bird is quiet, dull, the eyes may be closed, and it has fluffed feathers (the bird looks “puffed up”). It may have an obvious wound, breathing problems, a drooping wing, or show lameness or an inability to stand.
Depending on their species, a bird will make loud noises. However, a sudden increase in screaming and screeching may indicate that a bird is stressed, unhappy, or bored. Just as biting can be indicative of pain or discomfort, so can screaming.
According to psychologist and ecologist Gay Bradshaw, PhD—who established the field of trans-species psychology—captive birds experience Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from prolonged, repeated suffering.
Denial of these activities can cause physical and behavioral abnormalities including aggres- sion, incessant screaming, pacing, head-bobbing, feath- er-plucking, and even self-mutilation. Captive birds may also exhibit extremely passive behavior, even appearing to be catatonic.
Symptoms of a depressed bird can include: Fluffed-up feathers. Loss of appetite. Change in droppings.
Often, environmental changes, such as a recent move to a new home, new people or pets in the house, loud noises (such as from construction or thunder), or even a change in the location of the bird's cage in the house or of the color of paint on the walls, can stress or upset a bird.
Hold your hand near his cage for 10 to 15 minutes (or as long as you can hold your hand up), two to three times a day, for four to seven days. You may want to place your hand gently on the outside of his cage. Getting your bird to be comfortable with your hand will take time and patience.
It's never too late for a bird to learn; whether it's learning to stop screaming, stop biting, fly for the first time or trick train or merely step up on a stranger... don't give up on your bird by not ever giving it the chance by just assuming it's too late.
It may take a few weeks or more, but your bird will learn that your hand is a safe place. “You can't expect the bird to trust in a day,” he says. “Try training for five minutes day and if you see he's getting stressed, stop. Always end on a positive note.”