Tiffany Farrell
We are lucky to have such a caring community! People often write or call with questions about injured birds. If you find a bird that seems hurt or distressed, please check the links below for guidance. Unfortunately, none of our leaders are licensed wildlife rehabilitators, so we are not qualified to help directly.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) offers guidelines at their Sick and Injured Wildlife page. https://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Pages/plants_wildlife/sickorinjured.aspx
If the animal appears to be orphaned, please read the Maryland DNR page Think Twice Before Rescuing Young Wildlife. https://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Pages/plants_wildlife/ThinkTwice.aspx
If after considering the situation carefully you think someone must intervene, then please search for a licensed wildlife rehabilitator at https://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Pages/plants_wildlife/rehabilitators.aspx.
Another helpful resource is City Wildlife in Washington, D.C. https://citywildlife.org/
We also recommend Owl Moon Raptor Center, a state and federally licensed rehabilitator specializing in birds of prey. http://owlmoon.org
If a bird has struck your window or glass doors, please take a moment to learn about this problem that kills up to a billion birds a year in the United States. SMAS has a page describing the issue and some resources to create bird-safe windows at http://somdaudubon.org/our-work/bird-friendly-habitats/bird-safe-windows/. The American Bird Conservancy has an extensive program to help reduce or prevent glass collisions at https://abcbirds.org/program/glass-collisions/. They offer simple solutions you can apply at home!