Mary Allen
Wide-open windows and doors are supposed to provide air – but they can also lengthen the flight path of wild birds. But what to do if the room becomes a trap for Spatz and Co.? Your animal world explains what to do then.
Do you always open all windows and doors on hot days to get the apartment a little cooler? Unfortunately, it can also quickly happen that small wild birds such as sparrows, titmice, or swallows accidentally fly into it. But what do you do then? How can you help the lost birdie?
“When the animals notice that they are locked up, they often panic and desperately try to get outside again,” says Ursula Bauer from the animal welfare organization “Aktion Tier”, describing the problem. The birds could fly against furniture or closed windows and injure themselves.
Bird in the Apartment? Never Hunt!
Therefore, you should never hunt caged birds. That scares them unnecessarily. If you can catch the animal gently and quickly without any problems, you can simply put it outside again. In doing so, you must not throw the lost bird in the air under any circumstances. Rather open your hand and give the birds time to orient themselves.
If the bird sits flat on the ground and “panted” with its beak open, the stress level is very high. “At this stage, he can suffer a life-threatening shock if you don’t leave him alone,” warns biologist Ursula Bauer.
Show the Bird the Way
Since birds always followed the light, you should completely darken the room in which the bird got lost, except for an exit. So: close the doors and darken the other windows with blinds or curtains. The remaining escape route should be wide open. Then withdraw to another room and give the birdie time to calm down and find the way to freedom.