“One hundred million birds in North America die from window collisions.”
Mother Nature Network
The insects are out, as the red-bellied woodpecker knows. He rat-a-tat-tatted on the bark of the wild cherry tree. Feeding birds flew frantically, darting from ground to tree and back again as the kittens watched unabated. Wilhelmina, our dainty cross-eyed kitten, pirouetted across the yard catching mosquitos.
Then there was a solid thump against the French door’s windowpanes. Below the door lay two birds, a female cardinal and a dark-as-chocolate cowbird. Rushing to their rescue, Sam retrieved the cowbird while I carefully lifted the cardinal and placed her on a dirt-filled flower pot. I righted her a bit with a clump of dirt. She was breathing heavy and stunned.
Sam tenderly placed the cowbird on the porch railing. He asked, “Do you think they were fighting?”
“Hard to tell,” I answered, not taking my eyes off my cardinal.
“Maybe the cowbird was trying to put her eggs in the cardinal’s nest,” suggested Sam.
“Could be.”
In a short time, the cowbird stood steady and, flapping its wings, lifted herself a few feet off the railing, only to return. Next, she flew to the ceiling fan and perched atop it. The poor cardinal was not faring as well. Her eyes were open, as was her mouth, but she listed to the side.
Sam retrieved the box my flip-flops came in and, adding a soft cloth, we laid the cardinal in the box and left it.
Checking in with the Mother Nature Network website we read an article by Matt Hickman and discovered we had done the right thing. According to Matt, the bird has a better chance of survival being left in a quiet, dark place without stimuli and without any food or water. He suggested leaving the bird for one to two hours then returning and taking the box outside. When removing the lid, stand back, and hope the bird flies.
The other scenario is that the bird has not recovered and may have internal injuries. If this is the case, one should call a certified bird rescuer because it is against the law to keep a wild animal in captivity. One may try to temporarily nurse an injured animal, but to keep it is not legal.
An Internet search listed animal rescuers for the North Mississippi area, with a group called Mississippi Wildlife Rehabilitation. I contacted Valery Smith at [email protected].
Valery can recommend a nearby certified rescuer and was kind enough to provide her cell number (901-283-4987), in case of need.
Also, the National Audubon Society lists options for lessening the incidents of bird collisions. One recommendation is placing feeders either 3 feet or 30 feet from windows. Three feet means the bird can’t get momentum, and 30 feet attracts them away from the house.
In the case of our pretty cardinal, her injuries had been too severe. Looking out the back window, I saw Sam with a shovel where the cardinal joined the other critters that had gone before.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.