People often seem to be amazed when around me regarding the highly varied number of calls/emails/messages from around the globe seeking assistance for wild birds in distress. Sometimes I do surprise myself at how easily I can recollect a treatment from a similar circumstance – even when it has happened many years or even decades ago. However, given that I have been doing this for over 43 years; I should be pretty good by now! Certainly it is getting busier now and my evenings are usually speaking with other rescues and vets regarding treatments and viable operations, the weekend calls are often from the general public who have found their local rescue phone either fully engaged, or alas the rescue is temporarily full. Many times, I find these birds did not NEED admitting anyway, and I am able to advise how to care for the bird where found – and it is rewarding when people do update later to say to both our joys that the advice given/received was successful and the bird is safely back in the wild. Remember to look at the ADVICE pages on this website to find a wealth of information to help in the majority of cases.

The photos attached to the report are a pair of very different scenario broken wing x-rays, sent onto me for evaluation and advice by different vets.

The first is a straight-forward break which is fairly common, and can be successfully repaired to enable 95-100% repair and it is rare that the bird cannot be returned to live a full life in the wild, even in the case of such as kestrels or barn owls which need to be able to hover.

The second is a very nasty break where the wing is completely smashed. Sadly in this case, there was no kinder option than for the bird to be put to sleep.

Nigel