How do I clean a wild bird with paint on its feathers?
It is best to bring the wild bird directly to Le Nichoir (637 Main, Hudson) and not wash the bird yourself. In order to remove the paint, it requires a special washing process. If not done correctly, it can actually cause more harm to the bird. Washing birds also risks water entering their lungs. It is also very stressful.
Remove the bird from the area where the paint was found. Place the bird in a cardboard box with holes lined with a towel or paper towel and bring the bird to Le Nichoir as soon as possible.
I found a wild bird stuck on a sticky trap. What should I do?
Sticky traps are inhumane traps used to catch rodents. Too often other wildlife become victims by getting trapped on them. Being stuck on a sticky trap is very painful as wild birds attached to glue traps can injure themselves badly trying to get free. You can cause very painful and life threatening injuries by trying to remove them yourself.
If a bird is caught to a glue trap, cover the remaining sticky areas of glue with tissues. This will keep the bird from getting even more stuck. Put the whole trap in a closed cardboard box for transport. This is an emergency situation and every effort should be made to get the bird to Le Nichoir as soon as possible.
I found a wild bird that is covered with oil. What should I do?
Wild birds affected by oil or other feather contamination are not always as obvious as they look in TV reports about oil spills. Most birds, especially ones that live on or in the water, have waterproof feathers and should never look “wet”. Ducks, geese, gulls, or loons that look wet or are swimming very low in the water (just their heads sticking up) may need help. (Cormorants are an exception).
Please call Le Nichoir at 450-458-2809 for instructions on how to capture and transport an oiled bird before attempting to handle the bird. Remember that some of these contaminants can be toxic and dangerous. Also, it is illegal to spill oil and there are proper procedures that must be followed when handling oiled wildlife to prevent further damage to the environment.
If you witness an oil spill it is important to contact Environment Canada before taking any action. If you observe an oil spill, disease outbreak, contamination of wildlife, mass stranding or other unexplained death in wildlife, including wild birds, contact the Government of Canada at: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/wildlife-plants-species/wildlife-emergencies.html