Hummingbirds are amazing little creatures. Their ability to hover and fly backwards sets them apart from other birds. However, sometimes hummingbirds get injured or sick and lose the ability to fly. If you find a hummingbird that can’t fly, here is what you need to know.
Why can’t a hummingbird fly?
There are several reasons why a hummingbird may not be able to fly:
- Injury – Broken wings or other injuries make it impossible for hummingbirds to fly.
- Illness – Diseases like pneumonia can ground hummingbirds.
- Starvation – Without enough food a hummingbird will become too weak to fly.
- Nestlings – Baby hummingbirds (nestlings) cannot fly until they are about 3 weeks old.
- Exhaustion – Migration or bad weather can exhaust hummingbirds to the point they cannot fly.
The most common reasons hummingbirds become grounded are injuries and exhaustion. Hummingbirds are very active birds with high metabolisms. They can tire easily if they cannot find enough food. Exhaustion makes it hard for them to fly.
Predators and collisions with windows, cars, or buildings can also injure hummingbirds to the point they cannot fly. Their delicate bones are easily broken. Even a lost tail feather can keep a hummingbird grounded until it grows back.
How to tell if a hummingbird can’t fly
Here are signs that a hummingbird is unable to fly:
- Sitting on the ground or low branches and not taking off when approached
- Rapid or heavy breathing
- Feathers in disarray
- Visible injury such as blood or broken wing
- Weak, uncoordinated movements
A healthy hummingbird will fly off instantly if a human comes near it. Lethargy, labored breathing and disheveled feathers are clear red flags something is wrong.
If you see a hummingbird sitting on the ground or low in a bush, watch it for 15-20 minutes. Even healthy birds will sometimes rest if they are tired. But if the bird does not fly off after resting, it likely needs help.
How to rescue a grounded hummingbird
When you find a hummingbird that cannot fly, your goal should be to catch it and transport it to a wildlife rehabilitator. Here are some tips for rescuing a hummingbird in distress:
- Call a local wildlife rehabilitation center for advice before attempting to capture the bird.
- Work quickly and calmly so you do not agitate the bird further.
- Wear thick gloves to protect your hands.
- Make sure pets are indoors so they don’t harm the bird.
- Turn off ceiling fans and close windows and doors leading outside.
- Dim the lights to make the space calmer.
- If the bird is on the ground, cup your hands gently around it and lift it. Or use a cardboard box or small towel to scoop it up.
- If the bird is on a bush or tree, snip the branch and gently lower it into a box or bag.
- Place the hummingbird in a ventilated box or paper bag. Poke air holes and include a perch for it to sit on.
- Keep the hummingbird somewhere warm, quiet and dark until you can take it to a rehab facility.
- Avoid giving it food or water unless specifically instructed to by the rehab center.
Never try to grab an injured hummingbird with your hands. The bird can stab its sharp beak into your skin even if it can’t fly away. Use caution and protection for your hands when attempting to capture the bird.
How to find a wildlife rehabilitator
Once you have safely captured the grounded hummingbird, next you need to get it professional care. Here are some options for finding a wildlife rehabilitator in your area that can care for the bird:
- Search for your state wildlife agency’s website, which should have a listing for rehab facilities they permit.
- Contact your county animal control office for referrals.
- Ask your local veterinarian’s office for recommendations.
- Search online directories such as The Humane Society’s rehab finder tool.
- Look for wildlife rescue organizations in your city or state.
When speaking to the rehab facility, let them know:
- You have found a hummingbird that cannot fly
- Details about where and when you found it
- Any visible injuries to the bird
- How you have it contained for transport
Follow their instructions for getting the hummingbird into their care as quickly as possible. The sooner it gets treatment, the better its chances of recovery and release back to the wild.
How rehabilitators care for hummingbirds
Professional wildlife rehabilitators have special training and facilities for caring for injured hummingbirds. Here is an overview of how they treat grounded hummingbirds:
- Initial exam – They do a hands-on health assessment looking for problems and injuries.
- Diagnostic tests – Blood work, fecal exams and x-rays help identify issues.
- Stabilization – Fluids, nutrients and medication are given to stabilize the bird’s condition.
- Physical therapy – Range of motion exercises can help strengthen wings.
- Housing – Hummingbirds are kept in warm enclosures and provided perches.
- Hand feeding – Rehabbers will hand feed formula or nectar until a bird can self-feed.
- Flight training – Special cages help recondition their flying muscles before release.
With attentive treatment, many grounded hummingbirds make a full recovery. The rehabilitation process typically takes 2-6 weeks depending on the severity of the bird’s condition and injuries.
Can a hummingbird recover from a broken wing?
Hummingbirds can and do recover from broken wings. However, it depends on the severity and location of the fracture. Here is more about hummingbird broken wing rehabilitation:
- Clean break of a major wing bone – Unlikely to heal fully aligned, so probably won’t fly well enough to survive in the wild. Humane euthanasia is typically recommended.
- Fractured shoulder joint – Severe disability. Euthanasia recommended.
- Clean mid-shaft wing bone fracture – Can heal well in a splint. Good release prognosis with physical therapy.
- Chipped tip of wing – Usually heals well enough for release.
- Broken covert feathers – Grow back after molting. Good release potential.
With an appropriate splint or wrap and proper realignment of the broken bone, many clean wing bone fractures heal remarkably well. The bird will need time, rest and therapy to rebuild its flight muscles before release.
Splinting a hummingbird’s wing
To splint a hummingbird’s broken wing bone:
- Immobilize with a bandage wrap or specialized brace.
- Check alignment of fracture with x-ray.
- Adjust wrap as needed to re-align bones.
- Keep wing wrapped for 2-4 weeks.
- Change wrap weekly to check healing progress.
- Remove wrap once bone has fused and healed.
Proper splinting and bandaging is crucial. If the break heals while misaligned, the bird will never regain normal flight. Rehabbers have the experience and tools needed to give a hummingbird the best chance at recovery.
Can a hummingbird live if it can’t fly?
Unfortunately, hummingbirds cannot survive long-term if they cannot fly. Here’s why:
- They have extremely high metabolisms and need to constantly eat. Just a few hours without food can be fatal.
- They feed on flower nectar and flying/hovering insects which they cannot access on the ground.
- All their behaviors center around flight including feeding, mating, migrating, and avoiding predators.
- Their feet are not designed for walking so they are very vulnerable on the ground.
Grounded hummingbirds have virtually no ability to find food or evade predators. Without flying, they cannot access the resources they need to live more than a few days at most.
The only exception is a hummingbird kept by a human caregiver as a pet. With special commitment, equipment and permitting, a permanently disabled hummingbird potentially could be cared for in captivity. But this is extremely challenging due to their specialized needs.
So for all practical purposes, hummingbirds must be able to fly and be released to survive in the wild. A hummingbird that cannot regain flight capability cannot be released and should be humanely euthanized by a rehabilitator.
Can baby hummingbirds survive if they fall from the nest?
Hummingbird chicks pushed from their nest before they can fly are in grave danger. Here is their potential for survival if they fall or are abandoned:
- Days 1-12 – Almost zero chance of survival. Will die without constant parental care.
- Days 13-21 – Slim chance of surviving a few days. May starve or be preyed upon.
- Days 22-28 – Improving odds, but still unlikely to survive to fledging.
- Days 28-35 – Can likely survive if rescued, rehabbed and released.
Newly hatched hummingbirds are hairless, blind and completely dependent on their mothers. They will die without her body warmth, constant feedings and protection.
Once they open their eyes and grow feathers, they have some marginal ability to survive if they fall from the nest or get blown out by a storm. But staying alive on the ground remains very difficult until a few days before their first flight.
Here are the key dangers faced by grounded nestlings:
- Hypothermia – Cannot yet thermoregulate their own body heat.
- Starvation – Need caregiving adult to provide food.
- Predators – Easy prey for cats, snakes and other predators.
- Exposure – Lack protection from weather and elements.
The safest outcome is reuniting fallen hummingbird chicks with their mothers if possible. Barring that, contact a wildlife rehabilitator immediately to give them the best shot at survival.
Should you give a hummingbird sugar water if it can’t fly?
When rehabbing an injured hummingbird, do not give it sugar water or try hand feeding unless specifically told to do so by an expert. Here’s why:
- It can easily inhale fluid into its lungs and develop aspiration pneumonia.
- Eating may use up valuable energy for healing if it has an underlying condition.
- You risk feeding it an improper ratio of sugar water.
- Excess food could accelerate dangerous gut bacteria growth.
- The bird needs professional hydration and nutrition methods.
Unauthorized feeding does more harm than good in most cases. Leave providing food and hydration to licensed wildlife rehabbers. Handle the bird as little as possible.
The one exception is if you have to transport the bird more than an hour to a facility. Only then should you consider a 1-2 drops of emergency nectar given under the guidance of an expert.
Otherwise, the safest bet is leaving the hummingbird alone until it reaches the rehabilitation center or veterinarian for care. Your good intentions may accidentally make things worse.
How to prevent hummingbirds from hitting windows
Hummingbirds frequently collide with windows, often resulting in injuries that leave them grounded. Here are tips to make your windows more visible to hummingbirds to prevent crashes:
- Put sheer drapes or curtains on the outside of windows to help break up reflections.
- Use decals, tape or ribbons to create external patterns and markings birds will notice.
- Install bird deterrent screens over problem window areas.
- Use bird-friendly window films that reflect ultraviolet light obvious to birds.
- Position bird feeders and baths at least 3 feet from windows.
- Choose exterior screens that have smaller mesh sizes (1/2″ or less).
Making the outside surface of glass windows more visible is key. Feeders placed too close to windows lure hummingbirds dangerously close. Move them further away and implement other precautions to alert hummingbirds to the barrier and prevent injury.
Summary
Hummingbirds are fascinating creatures but face many threats due to their tiny size. While they have amazing flying skills, they are very vulnerable if they become grounded and unable to access food.
By learning proper rescue and rehabilitation techniques, caring people can assist distressed hummingbirds. Get professional advice whenever possible. Temporarily disabled hummingbirds can often recover and be successfully released with appropriate treatment and time.
However, hummingbirds must fly to survive over the long term. If injuries are too severe for a hummingbird to fly again, euthanasia is sadly the most humane option. These delicate birds cannot live long without the freedom of flight.