We all enjoy observing birds singing, flying, feeding, and living their best lives. However, for observant birders, it’s likely that one day you’ll come across a bird in distress.
It’s not uncommon to encounter a bird that’s lying still on the ground, seemingly unconscious or lifeless. For a thoughtful birdwatcher in this situation, two questions will come to mind:
- Is this bird dead, or just stunned?
- How can I help?
You can tell if a bird is stunned or dead by checking for breathing and a heartbeat. Breath can be observed as a rise and fall in the chest and stomach area. A heartbeat can be detected by gently touching the chest.
Nobody wants to see an animal in trouble, but finding a stunned bird provides a great opportunity to lend a hand. Let’s review what to do—and what not to do—if you come across a stunned or lifeless bird.
Is a Bird Dead or Stunned? How to Tell
At first glance, a stunned bird might look like a dead bird. In either case, it may be awkwardly situated on its back or side, or helplessly spread out on the ground.
Aside from checking for breath and heartbeat, there are some clues you can detect simply by looking at the bird’s body and posture. Dead birds are generally stiffer, while a stunned bird’s form often looks limp, almost as if it was drugged.
Here are a few differences you’ll notice in the body language of dead birds and stunned birds.
Physical Differences Between Dead and Stunned Birds | ||
Trait | Dead Bird Indicators | Stunned Bird Symptoms |
Eyes | Eyes usually closed | Eyes usually open, will blink even when unconscious |
Muscle Tension in Extremities | Stiff legs and feet | Legs and feet usually limp and relaxed and possibly twitching |
Posture | Stiff, frozen pose, sometimes with neck raised | Body is usually limp, with feathers lying flat or sideways, or puffed up; head may be tilted to one side; |
How to Tell if a Bird Is Stunned
If you encounter an unresponsive bird, don’t rush to react.
If the body looks stiff, there’s a good chance it’s dead. But, if you see any bodily movement at all, then a full and speedy recovery is possible.
Before getting close to the bird, watch for visible signs of life. Spend a few minutes of patient observation. The bird might quickly wake up and fly away—and you’ve done your part, keeping it safe from predators while it recovered.
Check for blinking eyes, twitching feet, or other movements. Observe the chest for the rise and fall of breath.
To know for sure if an unconscious bird is still alive, you can physically check for vital signs.
Check for breathing and heartbeat by gently placing your ear or fingers to the chest area. If the bird is alive, you should be able to feel the faint tapping of a heartbeat or the soft motion of breath.
Along with vital signs, check for injuries. Birds often go into a state of shock following an injury. Bird in shock symptoms include limp, weak, or puffed-up posture. If these signs are present, the bird might just be stunned, not dead or dying.
If the injury is minor, the bird may be just fine once it recovers from shock. If you can detect a major injury, then you may want to bring the suffering creature to a wildlife rehab center or a vet’s office.
Causes of Stunned Birds
Birds are brilliant navigators, but accidents happen. Plus, they’re living in a confusing modern world. Surprises like fast-moving vehicles and deceptive glass surfaces result in plenty of mid-air head bonks.
The top cause of stunned birds is collisions with windows.
Glass windows are an enormous threat to birds, rivaling predation by domestic and feral cats. One study estimated 25 million bird deaths by window collision annually across Canada. Portland Audobon estimates up to one billion annual window collision deaths in the US.
The most dangerous windows belong to large buildings with broad, uninterrupted glass faces. However, birds are also likely to smash into your suburban kitchen window, especially if you have a backyard feeder that brings lots of birds to your property.
Windows reflect foliage, presenting a seemingly inviting spot to fly towards. Or, birds might see through the clear glass and want to approach potted houseplants or enter a sheltered area. Sometimes, birds even fly into windows in an attempt to attack their own reflections.
If your windows are attracting collisions, you should take some safeguarding measures. You can add screening or netting outside of the window. Or, add decals, stickers, or tempera tape to the window to break up the illusion of a clear flight path.
Along with glass window accidents, other hazards that could result in a stunned condition include:
- Car collisions
- Power line electrocutions
- Attacks by other animals
- Choking
- Disease
How to Help a Stunned Bird
The best way to help a stunned bird is to simply observe it from a close distance for a few minutes. Your presence will keep it safe from predators and other threats while it—hopefully—recovers.
Even if a bird has suffered some injuries, if it’s strong enough to wake up and fly away, then that’s the best-case scenario. It’s better not to intervene unless a bird can’t get moving again on its own.
However, if the bird is in an unsafe spot, such as in the middle of a road, then you should move it to safety. The best spot is some grass that provides a soft pad and a bit of shelter. Babysit the recovering bird until it flies away or you determine that more intervention is needed.
For a bird that’s definitely alive but not quickly recovering, you can place it in a box to keep an eye on it. Put the box somewhere safe and quiet. Maintain a close watch, as you’ll want to release the bird immediately if it wakes up in a healthy state.
Don’t use an uncovered box indoors. You might end up with a startled wild animal smashing around your home when it wakes up.
If you place a bird in a covered box, make sure there’s plenty of airflow and enough room for wing spreading and standing. Add some rolled-up paper towels as a perching platform.
Frequently take the box outside and remove the lid, giving the bird a chance to wake up and fly away.
Usually, a healthy bird should recover from a stunned condition within 15 minutes.
If recovery doesn’t come quickly, then it might not occur at all. If you’re watching over a bird that doesn’t wake up, you’ll need to contact a professional if you want to continue your intervention.
Can You Give CPR to a Bird?
It is possible to resuscitate a bird via cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). However, the procedure is only likely to be of use when performed by professionals with medical equipment such as a breathing tube.
CPR is used in cardiac arrest situations. During cardiac arrest, the heart of a human or animal isn’t effectively pumping blood through the body. Breathing may be disturbed or absent.
To maintain blood flow, CPR involves chest compressions that mimic the pumping of a heart. Unfortunately, CPR doesn’t typically “restart” the heart.
When performed outside of a medical setting and without equipment, CPR is most often useful as a means of maintaining blood and oxygen flow until a life-saving electric shock can be administered.
If you encounter a stunned bird and you don’t have immediate access to medical assistance, CPR is unlikely to be a life-saver.
Attempting CPR could easily do more harm than good. You might:
- Break the bird’s bones
- Fail to properly provide chest compressions because you don’t know how to locate a bird’s heart
- Catch or spread disease if attempting mouth-to-mouth breaths
- Prevent the natural self-recovery that may already be in process
Remember, if you’re observing a stunned bird, it may recover on its own if you simply move it to a safe place and wait.
If you believe CPR is needed, your best bet is to rush to a veterinary clinic.
If you work with birds or have a pet bird and you’d like to be able to perform CPR yourself, you should contact a vet and request an instruction session.
What Not to Do if You Find a Stunned Bird
First of all, don’t get close to birds of prey, such as hawks, or other large birds. Talons, beaks, and wings can do serious harm.
Even with smaller species, use extreme care when handling—for their safety and your own. Touch the animal as little as possible. Remember, a tiny avian body is fragile, so use a very gentle touch.
Finally, don’t try to offer food to a bird that’s injured or semi-conscious. If you’re just providing a few hours of emergency care, the bird doesn’t need to eat during this time.
If you’re keeping the bird safe in a box, you can provide a small dish of water—just make sure it’s shallow enough to prevent drowning if the bird loses consciousness again while drinking.
Who to Call For a Stunned Bird
When helping an animal in distress, it can be upsetting if they don’t quickly recover. There aren’t too many places to turn to, but these are your best bets:
- Local wildlife rehabilitation center
- Veterinarian that treats wild animals
The Humane Society of the United States maintains an incredibly comprehensive wildlife rehabilitator database, organized by state.
Note that not all veterinarians treat wild animals. They aren’t obligated to do so and they may charge for their service if they do offer treatment.
Furthermore, carefully consider your options before choosing to transport a bird to a rehab or vet center.
Transport and human contact can be traumatic and may involve separation from parents or nested offspring. If a bird is clearly in need of assistance, then it’s a wonderfully kind act to bring it to a professional that can help—just don’t rush into this decision.
How Long Do Birds Stay Stunned?
There’s no precise timeline for how long a stunned bird will stay unconscious.
An unconscious state may last as long as:
- A few minutes for a minor bump on the head
- A few hours for a significant blackout
After a few hours without waking, recovery is unlikely.
If you’re keeping an eye on a bird that’s unconscious for several hours, check its vital signs periodically. Monitor for any changes in life signs, such as twitching feet or blinking eyes.
How to Know if a Bird Is Dead
If you’ve monitored a bird that remains unconscious for several hours, it’s likely dead or dying.
These signs indicate death:
- Unblinking eyes
- Stiff legs and feet
- Rigid body
- Raised neck
Of course, lack of breath and heartbeat are the strongest indicators of loss of life. However, don’t jump to conclusions. The respiration and pulse of a small bird can be quite faint, especially if the bird is unconscious or in shock.
You probably aren’t used to checking avian vital signs. So, don’t assume that death has occurred if you can’t detect breath or pulse. Continue monitoring its condition and check again after a few minutes.
After a few hours with no signs of life, it’s safe to assume that the bird is dead.
What to Do With a Dead Bird
If you find a dead bird in the wild, such as while you’re out on a hike, there’s no need to do anything about it.
For a dead bird found on your property, follow these steps for safe disposal:
- Wear disposable gloves or ones that you can thoroughly clean after use
- Use a tool, such as a shovel, to place the corpse in a plastic bag
- Seal the bag and place it in a trashcan
- Keep your garbage away from potential predators or scavengers
- In most cases, there’s nothing unusual about finding a dead bird and there’s no need to report the event.
Consider reporting the death to local wildlife officials if one of these factors applies:
- An unusual cause of death, such as predation by a rare animal or an animal with rabies, or obvious death by human, such as a gunshot
- If several bird deaths occur within a short period in the same place
- If the bird is banded or tagged
- If the bird is a raptor, other large bird, or very rare species for the area
If you want to take the opportunity to practice citizen science, you can photograph the bird and log the sighting on iNaturalist.
Helping Distressed Wild Birds
When you encounter a stunned bird, remember that the best-case scenario involves the animal waking up and flying away without any human contact. Taking your time before intervening allows that possibility to occur.
If the bird suffered a head smash from a window collision, it may just need a few minutes to recover. These incidents are often minor, even though they may involve a short time in an unconscious or semi-conscious state.
If you are able to provide some form of assistance to a stunned bird, relish the opportunity to give back some love to your local wildlife—along with an up-close look at a beautiful wild animal.
James has always been an avid outdoorsman. Since a kid, he kept a journal of all the different birds and species he saw. Now he wants to share his passion with other birders with Happy Birding!
