Found Bird - Need Help

[Jessika]

Driving home from the store tonight I thought I saw a baby animal of some sort on the side of the road, just sitting there and not moving. HJ stopped the car and got out to inspect. The size suggested baby duckling from what I could see from the car, but upon closer inspection it was a full grown... something. It was not moving at ALL, and we first thought it was injured. I went home to get a box so we could take it inside and look at it in light.

We got it home, HJ carried it home in his hat (he didn't want to wait for me to get back with a box.. lol). The bird appeared fine, but would NOT move. He's been here for maybe thirty minutes now, and we have him nestled in a box away from the animals, but he hasn't moved, hasn't made a sound. We checked his feet, legs, wings, everything seems fine. He just won't move!

I couldn't just leave him on the side of the road, either. There are cats that run wild and would have had their way with him really quick. Especially if something is wrong and he isn't moving!

Is he just scared? Should I feed it anything?

I have the number for the conservation department, but they are closed now and I will have to call tomorrow. But for overnight, what do you think I should do?

Oh, and what do you think he even is? I've lived here my whole life, and have never seen anything quite like him!!



Look at those claws! :eep:

[Karen]

He may be bruised in some way that you cannot see. If you have an Audubon Society near you, I'd take him there tomorrow. Put some water in with him in a wee dish, if you can, that's more important than food.

[Jessika]

We were planning on closing the bathroom off tonight and putting him in the tub with a small dish of water and the towel so he isn't crammed in a box (and so the animals won't try bothering him) but I'm just trying to figure out what he is now more than anything!

[Karen]

Try http://whatbird.com - you can choose various criteria, and it help you find your bird!

[Jessika]

Aw poo, it won't load for me. Oh well, whatever he is, he's still just sitting there in the box not moving an inch.

[flip195]

Aw poo, it won't load for me. Oh well, whatever he is, he's still just sitting there in the box not moving an inch.

I think it's a sora
Sora: Small rail with dark gray-brown upperparts with black-and-white streaks. Breast is gray and flanks and belly are dark gray with white bars. Gray head has a darker crown and nape, and black face, chin and throat. Bill is yellow with dark tip. Sexes are similar. Winter adult and juvenile are browner and have pale throats.

Sora: Breeds from southeastern Alaska, east to Newfoundland, and south locally to northwestern Baja California, southern New Mexico, eastern Colorado, southern Missouri, central Ohio, and Maryland. Spends winters regularly from central California, east to southern Texas and the Gulf coast, and south through Central America to portions of South America. Preferred habitats include freshwater marshes, flooded fields, swamps, and slough borders.
Length: 6.75 inches Wingspan: 12.5 inches

• Fairly small, chunky, short-tailed, round-winged, ground-dwelling marsh bird
• Short, thick bill
• Most often seen walking, rarely flies
• Often flicks and cocks short tail while walking, exposing white undertail coverts
• Sexes similar

Adult bird:

• Yellow bill
• Black lores and throat (paler in basic plumage)
• Blue-gray face, sides of neck, and breast
• Brownish cap, nape, hindneck, back and upperwings
• Whitish belly
• Dark brown and white barring on flanks

Juvernille:

• Pale yellowish bill
• Buff-brown face, foreneck and breast; whitish throat
• Brownish cap, nape, hindneck, back and upperwings
• White spotting on back and upperwing coverts
• Flanks less distinctly barred with white and dark brown

I may have recieved a glancing blow from a car and have a concussion, just put it in a boxcover it with a towel and leave it in a warm area with a small water bowl and see how it does.

[Kater]

It looks like some kind of rail to me (Rallidae family). The feet/legs definitely look like those of a 'water bird'......
Maybe a Sora? Link: http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/508/_/Sora.aspx

I'll keep looking...

[BitsyNaceyDog]

I don't know what he is. He's not a duck, doesn't have webbed feet. He does look like a water bird though. If he can move this morning I'd take him back to where you found him and release him back. If he's still not moving I'd call the conservation department.

If you didn't feed him anything last night or if you did and he didn't eat don't worry, it was late and birds don't eat at night (unless they're nocturnal, which he's not). This morning you could soak a little dog food in water until it's spongy. Just lay it the tub with him and leave the room. He may or may not eat it.

[Miss Z]

It looks like some kind of rail to me (Rallidae family). The feet/legs definitely look like those of a 'water bird'......
Maybe a Sora? Link: http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/508/_/Sora.aspx

I'll keep looking...

I think Kater has identified the bird correctly . He/she is definitely some sort of rail at least, and rails are very shy and secretive creatures, so what he/she was doing near a road I don't know. Maybe he/she's sick or just wandered off and became scared and cold. It's probably no surprise that the bird's not moving as they are very wary of people. A vet would give him/her a check over and if the bird is OK might be able to tell you a good place to re-release it