Quick Answers
Here are some quick answers to your question:
– Remain calm and act quickly to help the hummingbird. A hummingbird is very small and fragile, so every second counts when trying to save its life.
– Gently pick up the hummingbird with both hands and lightly hold its body to stabilize it. Avoid touching its wings.
– Check if the hummingbird is injured – look for any blood or broken bones. However, internal injuries are harder to detect.
– If the hummingbird is alert and uninjured, release it immediately so it can fly away.
– If the hummingbird is stunned or injured, it needs rehabilitation. Place it in a cardboard box with air holes and contact a local wildlife rehabilitator.
– Do not try to give the hummingbird food or water. Let the experts handle its care.
– Tape paper or stickers on your windows to help prevent future collisions. Hummingbirds can’t see clear glass.
Assessing the Hummingbird’s Condition
If a hummingbird hits your window, the first step is to quickly check its physical condition before determining next steps. Here are signs to look for:
– Observe if the hummingbird is alert and attempting to fly away. If so, it may not be injured. You can release it and it should be able to fly off on its own power.
– See if it can perch on your finger. Hummingbirds have strong feet that naturally grip. If its feet seem weak, an injury is likely.
– Look to see if the hummingbird can flap its wings symmetrically and with full range of motion. If there’s any wing drooping or struggle to flap, that indicates an injury.
– Inspect the wings, legs, feet, and body for any obvious wounds, bleeding, or broken bones. Use a magnifying glass for a closer look. Even small fractures can be life-threatening.
– Listen for any unusual breathing sounds like clicking or wheezing, which could suggest respiratory damage.
– Check if the hummingbird seems weak, trembly, or unable to control its head movements. This may signal head trauma or neurological impairment.
– Notice if the hummingbird is going into shock—indicated by rapid shallow breathing, eyes closing, and loss of alertness. Shock requires emergency care.
Handling a Stunned Hummingbird
If the hummingbird hit your window hard but is not obviously injured, it may simply be stunned. Here’s how to safely handle a hummingbird in that situation:
– First minimize any stress to the hummingbird. Speak softly, move slowly, and avoid loud noises.
– Very gently cup your hands around the hummingbird’s body to restrict its movement. Avoid compressing its chest.
– Carefully lift the hummingbird and hold it in your palms with its head sticking out between two fingers. Keep it in a natural perching pose.
– Check if the feet grip your fingers—this is a good sign. Hold very still so it has a stable perch.
– Keep the hummingbird in a warm, dark, quiet place for 15-20 minutes to recover from shock. A bathroom may work well.
– After 20 minutes, take the hummingbird outdoors and test if it can fly by lightly tossing it up. It should be able to take off.
– If the hummingbird cannot fly or perch after an hour, something is wrong and you’ll need to get rehabilitation help.
– Never give an injured hummingbird food or water. Let trained experts handle its care.
Getting Immediate Help
If your inspection shows the hummingbird is clearly hurt, time is critical for its survival. Here are the next urgent steps:
– Gently place the hummingbird in a covered ventilated box or paper bag to restrict movement. Line it with a soft cloth. Keep it somewhere warm and quiet.
– Look up wildlife rehabilitation contacts in your state. There should be a hotline number or list of licensed rehabilitators who assist hummingbirds.
– Call a facility or rehabilitator right away to describe the hummingbird’s condition and symptoms. Ask if they can accept the bird.
– If the hummingbird stops breathing, gently touch its throat for 10 seconds to see if you can revive it. Don’t give up too fast.
– Follow instructions to carefully transport the hummingbird to a rehabilitator. Keep the box out of direct sun and minimize stops and bumps.
– When transferring the hummingbird, move your hands slowly to avoid any fluttering that could worsen injuries.
– Do not try to feed, hydrate, or otherwise treat the hummingbird yourself. Only professionals know proper care techniques.
Preventing Collisions
Here are some tips to make your windows safer so hummingbirds don’t hit them:
– Apply decals of raptor silhouettes, hawk shapes, or hummingbirds to the outside of windows. These act as visual markers so hummingbirds avoid flying toward the glass.
– Hang strings, ribbons, or metallic strips in front of your windows. These break up reflections and alert hummingbirds to the barrier.
– Place bird tape directly onto glass in stripes or patterns so hummingbirds see the obstacle. Only use tape specially designed for this purpose.
– Keep windows clean without streaks. Reflections from water or grease make glass more dangerous for hummingbirds.
– Install an ultraviolet-reflective film on windows to create a visual cue. Hummingbirds see UV light that we can’t.
– Add screens to your windows. Screen mesh disrupts reflections and reduces impacts.
– Plant flowers, trees, and shrubs in front of windows instead of having open spaces. Foliage naturally prevents collisions.
– Close curtains and blinds whenever possible to block sight lines to habitat through glass, especially when hummingbirds are most active.
– Turn off unneeded lights at night. Hummingbirds can get trapped and hurt by nocturnal light pollution near glass.
Understanding Why Window Collisions Happen
Hummingbirds frequently collide with glass windows for several reasons you should understand:
They See Reflections of Nature
– Windows can perfectly reflect nearby trees, sky, and foliage that hummingbirds may try to fly to. The reflections essentially camouflage the glass.
They Don’t Perceive Glass as a Barrier
– Unlike humans, hummingbirds don’t have innate awareness of transparent barriers and glass. They only see habitat to fly through.
They Focus Forward When Flying
– A hummingbird’s vision is specialized to look forward when flying fast, so they don’t always see windows on their sides or perpendicular to their flight path.
They May Get Trapped
– Greenhouses, glass banisters, skylights, and atriums can all entrap hummingbirds and cause repeated crashes as they try to escape.
Urban Areas Have More Glass
– Expanding cities create more glass buildings and windows that become collision risks, especially bright or mirrored glass.
Migrating Hummingbirds Can Be Unfamiliar With a Building
– Hummingbirds migrating through unfamiliar areas may not know a house and repeatedly crash until they learn to avoid it.
So while hummingbirds do have good vision, windows can still be very hazardous. Being aware of these factors can prompt us to take steps to protect hummingbirds around glass. Even placing a few stickers on your windows can save lives!
Caring for an Injured Hummingbird
If a hummingbird hits your window and sustains an injury, here are tips for its care while you take it to a rehabilitator:
– Keep handling to an absolute minimum to avoid stress. Use soft, clean gloves if possible.
– Check that the hummingbird is warm enough—its body temperature must stay around 105°F. Gently wrap a heating pad or microwaved bean bag around the box if needed.
– Use just a plain cardboard box or paper bag, lined with a thin cloth. Avoid fabric that can catch feet. Don’t use wire cages or parrot cages.
– Puncture air holes in the box but keep it covered or dark inside. Keep the hummingbird calm and still.
– Prevent movement of injured body parts with light bandages, but avoid restricting breathing. Wrap the torso if there are rib fractures.
– Monitor breathing rate. Count breaths per minute. Rapid or labored breathing indicates respiratory injury.
– Do not attempt to give any food, water, sugar water, or medication. This requires exact professional techniques.
– Note any change in symptoms or behavior as you transport the hummingbird, to report to the rehabilitator.
– Drive as smoothly as possible, avoiding sudden acceleration or braking. Keep music and talking quiet.
With proper temporary care en route to an expert rehabilitation facility, an injured hummingbird has its best chances of recovery and return to the wild. Avoid handling injured hummingbirds more than absolutely necessary.
Hummingbird First Aid and Rescue Facilities
Here are some top U.S. hummingbird rescue and rehabilitation facilities you can contact if a hummingbird needs help:
Facility | Location |
---|---|
South Carolina Coastal Bird Rescue | Charleston, SC |
Sarvey Wildlife Center | Arlington, WA |
Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley | San Jose, CA |
Riazoo | Boynton Beach, FL |
Fort Wildlife | Fort Collins, CO |
Blue Ridge Wildlife Center | Millwood, VA |
These facilities have veterinarians and staff specially trained in hummingbird rehabilitation. They can accurately assess injuries, provide treatment of fractures and wounds, ensure proper nutrition, and oversee recovery care. With their expertise, injured hummingbirds get the best chance at healing and release back to the wild.
Conclusion
A hummingbird hitting a window can be traumatic for both you and the tiny bird. But by knowing what to look for, acting quickly, stabilizing it, and getting it to professionals, you can hopefully save its life. Taking some simple preventative steps will also help your home’s windows be safer so hummingbirds don’t collide and get injured in the future. With extra care around glass during hummingbird season, we can coexist safely with these special feathered visitors.