Rearin’-to-go Redstart

This little American redstart was found on the sidewalk beside a huge department store. We believe that she flew into one of the enormous plate glass windows, seeing a reflection of the sky in it and believing she could fly right on through. No such luck.


But the good news is this gal just needed to “shake it off” and regain her composure. We receive many calls at VINS about birds flying into windows and sitting on the ground stunned, unable to fly or move much at all. Unless you see blood or an obviously fractured bone, we recommend giving the bird 30 minutes to “snap out of it.” Often, within 30 minutes, you’ll see the bird fly off just fine. If 30 minutes pass and the bird is still on the ground stunned, we advise bringing him or her to your nearest rehabilitator: there could be a fracture, head trauma or internal injuries.

As you will see in our video, this redstart zipped right of of the box we kept her in overnight. Safe travels, little warbler!

2 Comments

  1. Tree on May 26, 2011 at 12:23 pm

    Safe travels indeed! Well done WLS!!

  2. Meghan on May 26, 2011 at 2:00 pm

    Thanks, Tree!

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