Quick Answers
No, you generally cannot take a wild hummingbird to a vet or wildlife rehabilitator. Hummingbirds are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which means it is illegal to capture, possess, or try to rehabilitate them without special permits. If you find an injured hummingbird, the best thing to do is leave it alone or create a safe space for it to recover on its own. Only licensed wildlife rehabilitators with hummingbird permits can legally take in and treat sick or injured hummingbirds.
Why You Should Not Take a Hummingbird to the Vet
Hummingbirds are very delicate, high-strung creatures that require specialized care. Here are some key reasons you should not attempt to take an injured or baby hummingbird to a vet or rehabilitator yourself:
It’s illegal
All native bird species in the U.S. are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. This federal law makes it illegal for any person to take, possess, transport, sell, or purchase migratory birds, their eggs, parts, and nests without permits issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Hummingbirds are considered native migratory birds, so it is generally illegal to capture, keep, or rehabilitate them without the proper permits.
Vets are not equipped
Most veterinary clinics are not set up to properly handle hummingbirds. These tiny birds have very specialized needs in terms of housing, temperature regulation, handling technique, and diet. They require feeding specialized nectar every 15-20 minutes from dawn to dusk. Without the right equipment, permits, and training, vets can do more harm than good in attempting to rehabilitate hummingbirds.
It causes extreme stress
Capturing a wild hummingbird and transporting it to a vet would be an incredibly stressful experience for the bird. Hummingbirds have rapid heart rates, high metabolisms, and delicate nervous systems. Excessive stress can quickly lead to potentially fatal conditions like capture myopathy, hyperthermia, hypothermia, shock, heart attacks, strokes, and more. Minimizing handling and transportation is critical.
Releasing them is difficult
Hummingbirds that become accustomed to captivity through rehabilitation often lose their natural fear of humans and ability to survive in the wild. Special permits, facilities, and training are required to ensure hummingbirds can be safely exercised, housed, and released back into appropriate habitats at the right times of year to survive. Without this, rehabilitated hummingbirds released by unlicensed people will often die.
What to Do If You Find an Injured Hummingbird
If you find a sick, injured, or orphaned juvenile hummingbird, follow these steps for the bird’s best chance of survival:
Assess the situation
Before intervening, take a moment to assess the scene. Fledgling hummingbirds on the ground may appear injured when they are simply learning to fly. If they are alert and unharmed, leave them be. Keep cats, dogs, and humans away and watch from a distance to see if the parents are still feeding them. Only interfere if you confirm there is an injury or the parents do not return to feed their young.
Call a licensed rehabilitator
If the hummingbird clearly needs help, call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator or hummingbird specialist in your area for guidance. With their permits and training, these experts will know how to contain the bird, provide appropriate housing and nutrition, and give any necessary treatment. Let them determine whether rehabilitation is possible.
Provide emergency support
While waiting for a rehabilitator, you can create a temporary enclosure for the hummingbird in a quiet, warm, dark location. Use a ventilated container or mesh cage lined with a soft cloth. Provide a shallow dish of commercial nectar (1 part sugar to 4 parts water) or dilute pedialyte to give emergency nutrition. Do not try to handle or feed the bird. Keep disturbance to a minimum until the rehabilitator arrives.
Wish them well
Baby hummingbirds only spend 2-3 weeks out of the nest before they must fly and fend for themselves. Even with expert care, their survival rate is low. If rehab is impossible, the kindest thing you can do is wish the little hummingbird well and hope it can recover on its own back in nature. Avoid causing additional stress or injury during its final moments.
Signs a Hummingbird May Need Help
Here are some signs that a hummingbird in your yard or garden may need professional veterinary care and rehabilitation:
Injuries
– Broken bones or wings
– Wounds from predators
– Concussions or other neurological issues from hitting windows or cars
Illness
– Weakness or lethargy
– Loss of appetite
– labored or rapid breathing
– Feather loss
– Discharge from eyes or nostrils
– Inability to perch or fly
Abandonment
– Nestlings or fledglings on the ground
– No parents feeding young
– Evidence of a destroyed nest
Environmental stresses
– Exposure to cold, heat, rain, or wind
– Attacked by other birds
– Nest failure due to natural causes
If a hummingbird is displaying any of these signs, a licensed rehabilitator may be able to intervene and give the bird supplemental medical care and housing during recovery.
Can You Take a Baby Hummingbird to a Rehabilitator?
It depends. Here’s what you need to know about bringing orphaned or injured baby hummingbirds to a wildlife rehabilitator:
It’s illegal without permits
As migratory birds, it is technically illegal for unauthorized persons to possess hummingbirds without permits from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services. This includes taking in sick, injured, or orphaned chicks. Only licensed rehabilitators may legally accept hummingbirds for rehabilitation.
Some make exceptions for good Samaritans
However, many rehabilitators will make exceptions for extreme cases involving abandoned nestlings or injured fledglings in life-threatening situations. They may instruct you to contain the bird and bring it in for assessment and possible rehabilitation.
Minimal handling is required
It is best practice to handle baby hummingbirds as little as possible. Follow the rehabilitator’s instructions exactly for how to carefully contain the chick or limit any interactions to providing emergency support until the rehabilitator takes over care.
Survival rates are low
Even with expert round-the-clock care, baby hummingbirds have relatively low survival rates in captivity. Rehabilitators may advise leaving orphaned chicks be if the parents are still somewhat attentive and the babies are not in immediate mortal peril.
Focus is returning them to the wild
Responsible rehabilitators aim to return any hummingbirds they take in back into the wild as soon as they are healthy and self-sufficient. Hummingbirds do not make good pets, so rehabilitation focused on release is vital.
So in summary – it is technically illegal, but some rehabilitators may make rare exceptions if the only other option is certain death of a baby bird without parental care. Check locally for rescue and rehab options before intervening.
Risks of Taking Hummingbirds to Unlicensed Rehabilitators
While the impulse to help an injured or orphaned hummingbird is understandable, attempting rehabilitation without proper training, permits, and equipment can do more harm than good. Dangers of taking hummingbirds to unqualified people include:
Accidental injury or death
Hummingbirds are incredibly fragile. Without specific handling techniques, their bones can easily break and their wings can be damaged. Stresses induced during capture and transport can also lead to fatal shock or heart attacks. Even minor injuries can prevent their release back into the wild.
Nutritional deficiencies
Hummingbirds have very specialized nutritional needs. Feeding them inappropriate ratios of sugar water, artificial nectar, or other liquids can cause metabolic disorders that permanently damage their health.
Disease transmission
Sick hummingbirds or unhygienic housing and care can expose the birds to deadly bacteria, fungi, or parasites. Captivity stress also weakens their immune systems. Diseases can spread rapidly between hummingbirds in rehab.
Habituation
Hummingbirds given insufficient exercise or premature/improper release conditioning while in captivity can lose their natural fear and ability to live independently in the wild. This often leads to death post-release.
Illegal poaching
In rare cases, unlicensed rehabilitators may illegally sell healthy hummingbirds or their parts on the black market rather than releasing rehabilitated birds. This contributes to poaching and wildlife trafficking issues.
The best way to support hummingbird conservation is to contact licensed professionals immediately if you encounter a bird in need and avoid disturbance or removal from the wild if possible. Leave rehabilitation to the experts.
Locating Licensed Hummingbird Rehabilitators
So you found an injured hummingbird and want to get it appropriate licensed professional care – how do you find a permitted hummingbird rehabilitator in your region? Here are some options:
The Humane Society
Contact your local Humane Society chapter or animal control office and ask for referrals to wildlife rehabilitators in your area. Let them know you need one with hummingbird expertise and permits.
Wildlife rescue networks
Search for wildlife rescue or rehabilitation networks for your state. For example, Wildlife Rehabilitators of North Carolina (WRNC) or Wildlife Center of Virginia (WCV). Check their membership rosters for hummingbird specialists.
Online databases
The Humane Society and some state wildlife agencies maintain searchable online databases of wildlife rehabilitators. Search for licensed rehabilitators near you with hummingbird or songbird skills.
Veterinary associations
Contact local veterinary medical associations and vet schools. Their members or faculty may have names of vets who do permitted bird rehabilitation or can refer you appropriately.
Nature centers
Nearby nature centers, parks, or Audubon chapters that operate hummingbird feeding stations or give related educational programs may have connections with hummingbird rehabbers.
With some diligent networking, you should be able to find a licensed, trained hummingbird rehabilitator to provide needed assistance while following all regulations around handling these federally protected migratory birds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions about taking hummingbirds to the vet:
Can any vet treat a hummingbird?
No, the average vet does not have the specialized training, facilities, equipment or legal permits required to medically treat hummingbirds. Only wildlife rehabilitators with hummingbird experience and permits can legally and properly rehab hummingbirds.
Do you need a permit to rehabilitate hummingbirds?
Yes, federal and state laws require special permits and licenses to possess, rehabilitate, or release hummingbirds and other native bird species. Handling migratory birds like hummingbirds without proper permits is illegal.
What do you feed an injured hummingbird?
Only licensed rehabilitators have the training to properly feed and care for injured hummingbirds. As emergency nutrition, an unlicensed person could try offering commercial nectar or sugar-electrolyte solutions until a permitted rehabilitator takes over care. Do not try to handle or force-feed it.
Can a hummingbird survive in captivity?
It is extremely challenging even for experts to rehabilitation hummingbirds in captivity, and survival rates are low. Captivity causes severe stress and medical issues. Hummingbirds do not make good pets. The goal of any rehabilitation should be successful release back to the wild.
How do you catch an injured hummingbird?
It is best to avoid catching uninjured hummingbirds. If a licensed rehabilitator asks you to contain an injured bird, they may advise using a lightweight net, towel, box or small cage. Always minimize handling time and disturbance to the bird.
Do hummingbirds bond with humans?
No, hummingbirds do not form social bonds or imprint upon humans. Attempting to tame them causes extreme stress. A properly rehabilitated hummingbird will retain its natural wariness toward humans for survival post-release.
Conclusion
While our instinct is often to help, it is typically in the best interest of both the hummingbird and the would-be rescuer to avoid taking wild hummingbirds to unqualified vets or rehabilitators. Licensed experts with proper permits, training, and equipment are the only people who should attempt to medically treat or rehabilitate injured, ill, or orphaned hummingbirds. If you do find a hummingbird in distress, contact an authorized wildlife rehabilitator for advice and next steps. With appropriate care guided by the regulations around handling these federally protected birds, a lucky few may be nursed back to health and released to brightly flit among flowers once more.
