What to do with dead or injured birds

BIRD COLLISION REPORTING

How to report a building or window collision

Human-made infrastructure—homes, buildings, industrial facilities, radio and cell towers—creates some of the biggest threats to birds due to the artificial light at night these structures emit and the reflective glass in windows or on exterior walls.

dBird.org—an NYC Bird Alliance and Birds Connect Seattle citizen-science project—allows anyone to report sightings of dead or injured birds in less than two minutes. This database helps to guide conservation and advocacy efforts—such as Lights Out Louisville—that aim to reduce human-made hazards to birds.

REPORT AN INCIDENT

How to help an injured bird

When a bird survives a building collision, it needs a quiet, dark, safe place to rest and recover. If you find a bird on the ground near a building or home:

Handle the bird as little as possible, and wear disposable gloves when you do.
Roll clean tissues or paper towels into a doughnut shape to allow the bird to sit upright if it can.
Place the tissues or paper towels inside a paper bag or small cardboard box with a few air holes poked into it.
Gently place the bird inside the paper bag or box. Keep the container closed.
Never try to feed the bird or give it water.

• If you find a sick or injured songbird in Kentucky, call Shively Animal Clinic, (502) 778-8317 open 24/7, 2401 Dixie Hwy Louisville, KY 40216.

• Note: Most KY rehabbers do not take injured songbirds (passerines). Shively is the only clinic we know of at the moment.

• Please call to say you’re bringing in an injured songbird. (If the receptionist says they do not take injured songbirds, please ask them to check with the vet.)

• When you arrive at the clinic, take the bird to the front desk to drop it off.

• If you find a sick or injured raptor or bird of prey in Kentucky, please call Raptor Rehabilitation of Kentucky Inc.: (502) 491-1939

• If you find an injured songbird in Indiana, please call songbird rehabber Rose: 812-949-8618

Click here for other wildlife rehab facilities.

injured Common Yellowthroat, female — *Injured female Common Yellowthroat in downtown Louisvill*e, *reported to dBird.org by Connor Allen and taken to Shively by Lights Out Louisville Vice Chair Dan Price. Photo credit: Connor Allen*

Important: Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been reported in Kentucky. Do not attempt to contain or handle birds with HPAI symptoms: swimming in circles; lethargic; unable or unwilling to fly; exhibiting head tremors; and/or moving in an uncoordinated fashion.

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife asks for reports of wild birds that exhibit HPAI symptoms. Learn how to report suspected avian flu.

dBird.org map of dead/injured birds logged in Jefferson County — *This map shows the dead or injured birds seen in Jefferson County and reported to dBird.org *(2024–present)*.*

CITIZEN SCIENCE

Your data at work

Click the image to see a live map—updated in real time—showing any dead or injured birds seen in Jefferson County and reported to dBird.org since 2024.

As with any citizen-science project, data quality and quantity depend on how many people report sightings and how often—so please use dBird.org to log any dead or injured birds you see.