Hooded crow rescue

Falcon L

Hi Guys, I know they're not the most cuddly of creatures, but I have rescued a hooded crow chick which was entangled in wire below his nest. He looks like he should be able to fly as he seems to have all his flight feathers and the wings aren't damaged, but he looks completely worn out. There is some skin damage on one of his legs where he was obviously struggling to get free. I don't know how long he was tangled up in the wire, but I'd say it was hours. Just lucky the local feral cats didn't get to him first.

I've put him in a box with hay and left him to rest in a dark shed. He's bright enough and everything seems to work. I tried to encourage him to fly, but I think he's exhausted. His parents have been around the trees a lot recently, but there's no sign of them now.

Any advice as to how I might give this little fella a fighting chance?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

After letting him rest for an hour put him outside near where you found him.

Falcon L

Jaylah Wrong Campus wrote: »

After letting him rest for an hour pit him outside near where you found him.

That was my first thought: to make him comfortable where he was, but while I was untangling him, three semi-feral cats - that my wife feeds - were circling and they had to be run off. If I left him there they would most certainly have had him.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Well, you can't keep him, so put him out in as safe a place as possible and let the parents find him again. While you may not detect it, keeping a young bird like this is extremely stressful for them.

Storm 10

Jaylah Wrong Campus wrote: »

Well, you can't keep him, so put him out in as safe a place as possible and let the parents find him again. While you may not detect it, keeping a young bird like this is extremely stressful for them.

And where would the safest place be to put him, the OP just told you about the roaming cats that would surely end his chances, I don't see any where in the post that he would keep him, why not keep him for a few days to get back his strength then go back where you found him and see will he fly off into a tree.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Storm 10 wrote: »

And where would the safest place be to put him, the OP just told you about the roaming cats that would surely end his chances, I don't see any where in the post that he would keep him, why not keep him for a few days to get back his strength then go back where you found him and see will he fly off into a tree.

Put him in a tree. Keeping him a few days would be madness.

Falcon L

Thanks Storm.

I left him in the dark shed for a while and I saw the two crows that had been around, returning to the places in the tree from where they kept watch. I went out and took the bird from the shed and placed him as high as I could on a large pile of sticks, right beside the place he was tangled.

I watched for a while and the feral cats passed under him without detecting him. He kept stock still throughout. I checked on him 2 hours later and he seemed OK.

Fast forward to this morning... I heard a lot of cawing at 6 am, more than normal. I went out at 7:30 and there was no sign of the crow. No feathers where I put him or anywhere near. No sign of a kill, and I'm used to seeing the aftermath of the slaughter. :mad:

I can only hope that he got away after resting a while.

savagethegoat

ah you did a good thing and whatever the outcome, you did your best. Just don't send him round here!