When I bring a wild bird to Le Nichoir what should I expect?
When you arrive at Le Nichoir you will be asked to complete a form which includes information on the bird and your contact information. It is important to include as much information as possible so that the staff has a history on the bird.
The bird will be brought to the clinic by a staff member. In the clinic the bird will be given a medical examination and a treatment plan will be established. Examinations are stressful for birds, so sometimes the bird will not be examined directly after being admitted, to give it time to relax and become more accustomed to its settings.
How will I know how the wild bird that I brought is doing ?
You will be given an admission number so that you can later call the centre to get a follow-up on how your bird is doing. Le Nichoir is often not able to give you results of the examination immediately so we encourage you to call 24 hours later.
How long do wild birds stay at Le Nichoir?
The length of care of a bird at Le Nichoir depends on many variables such as the bird’s age, species, reason for admission, season, how the bird is coping in captivity, its health and its ability to survive in the wild. On average a bird spends 22-24 days in Le Nichoir’s care.
It costs Le Nichoir approximately $100 and more to rehabilitate one bird. Some treatment plans include oxygen therapy, running fecal examinations, x-rays, wing or leg stabilizations, pain killers, antibiotics and more.
What species of wild birds does Le Nichoir rehabilitate?
Le Nichoir rehabilitates songbirds, aquatic birds, shorebirds, insectivorous birds and wild fowl. Le Nichoir no longer rehabilitates pigeons (Rock doves) as a result of a disease outbreak that occurred at Le Nichoir years ago due to a pigeon. Le Nichoir is happy to provide advice on pigeon care and there are other rehabilitators in Quebec that care for pigeons.
Le Nichoir also refers all calls and admissions for bird of prey (raptors) to UQROP at the Faculté de médecine vétérinaire Université de Montréal (Saint-Hyacinthe) at 514 345-8521 extension 8427.