Hummingbird Help

A friend and I found a sick humming bird today. Or maybe it was just cold. It did go down to 43'F last night. Normally, I leave cold birds alone. The sun will warm them. Songbirds on the ground might be fledglings learning to fly, being watched by adults in surrounding bushes. However, this one was not moving, fluttering or crying. It was smack in the middle of the driveway to a car dealership. I scooped up the still form. As I stood up, a huge black pickup truck approached. It waited as I got out of the way before rolling over the spot my new friend had been.

Looking about, there was a leafless tree it probably fell out of, still deep in shadow. Cupped in my hand the bird didn't flutter its wings. It's whole body heaved from rapid breathing. Did it have a concussion from hitting a window? We looked for a sheltered, sunny spot with the idea that as soon as it warmed up it would fly off. We moved it to a good looking spot about 500 feet away. It had clamped onto my glove and I had to unhook the talons from the fabric before trying to get them around a branch. Thinking good thoughts, I finished walking my friend to work.

On the walk back to my car, I checked to see if the little hummingbird was still there, or if it had recovered and flown off. Not only was it still there, but it had slipped on its perch and was hanging beak down by only one toe. I scooped it up again, cupping my left hand over my right to generate some heat. I stopped into the bluebottle coffee shop on the corner and begged a storage container (a shout out to all of the people waiting in line to buy coffee who let me cut in front of them to get a box for a birdie).

With two hands free, I was able to drive it to the Lindsay Wildlife Rehabilitation Hospital in Walnut Creek. They do great work and have a wonderful web resource about what to do if you see/find an injured animal. The nice woman at the desk took my carryout box and instantly walked it into the warm processing room. She came back with my glove. Then typed information on where and when I had found the Anna’s Hummingbird (yay! an identification!) The patient was given an id number. I can call them in a few days to see if rehabilitation is possible. They also gave me a pass for free family admission to their Wildlife Museum.

I cannot wait to go back and sketch the critters there (who are unable to be released back into the wild). It is one of the best places to get up close to wild animals - especially owls and hawks. If you have never been, you should go the next time you are in the Bay Area.