If you’ve found a bird that looks hurt in your garden, the first thing to work out is whether it’s sick or injured, or whether it’s a fledgling hopping about on the ground.
Once you know that, who you call depends on where in the UK you are.
Scotland runs its own separate charity for this, the Scottish SPCA. As does Northern Ireland, with the USPCA.
Is the bird truly injured? – By bird control professionals
Fledglings on the ground are usually fine
A young bird hopping around your garden, unable to fly properly, still with a few fluffy feathers, is very likely a fledgling. This is normal for garden birds: parents keep feeding fledglings on the ground for several days while their flight feathers finish developing.
Leave it where it is unless it’s in immediate danger, such as sitting in the middle of a road or a cat’s favourite patrol route.
If it needs moving, place it in nearby cover a few metres away, not indoors.
Always cover hands with gloves or a towel if needing to handle birds, this minimises stress for the bird and helps with hygiene.
Signs of an injury
A drooping or oddly angled wing, obvious bleeding, a leg that won’t take weight, or a bird that can’t stand at all are all signs the bird needs help.
A bird that lets you walk right up to it and pick it up without struggling is also a concern.
Wild birds are naturally wary, so one that doesn’t try to get away is often too weak or unwell to do so.
Stunned after hitting a window
A bird that’s flown into a window is often just stunned rather than badly hurt.
Give it space, keep cats and children well away, and leave it alone in a quiet spot for twenty minutes or so.
If it flies off under its own power once that time’s up, it’s usually recovered fine.
If it’s still sitting in the same place with laboured breathing or a visible injury, follow the steps below.
What to do before you call anyone
If the bird is small and needs help, a well-ventilated box lined with a towel, kept somewhere quiet, dark and warm, keeps it calm while you sort out where it needs to go.
Don’t offer food or water unless a vet or wildlife rescue specifically tells you to.
Wash your hands thoroughly afterwards, even if hands were covered, and keep pets well away from the box.
If a cat’s caught it
Cat saliva carries bacteria that can cause a fatal infection in a bird within a day or two, even from a bite that looks minor.
Any bird a cat has caught needs a vet straight away, even if it flies off looking fine afterwards.
Keep the cat indoors or away from the area for the rest of the day, and try to note roughly when the catch happened.
A vet will usually ask, since it affects how urgent the antibiotics are.
Bird flu safety
Avian influenza, or bird flu, is still circulating in wild bird populations across the UK.
Don’t handle a dead bird, and if a live bird or any other wild animal looks seriously unwell, wash your hands thoroughly and avoid close contact with your face afterwards.
Anyone who keeps chickens, ducks or other poultry should watch their own birds for signs of illness too, and report concerns to the Animal and Plant Health Agency rather than waiting to see if it passes.
Who to call for an injured bird in Scotland
Scottish SPCA, not the RSPCA
Scotland has its own animal welfare charity, the Scottish SPCA (SSPCA), and it’s completely separate from the RSPCA, which only covers England and Wales.
The RSPCA doesn’t take calls for Scottish addresses, so double-checking which charity you’re dialing saves time.
The RSPB is a different organisation again: a conservation charity focused on protecting wild bird populations and habitats, rather than a rescue service for an individual injured bird.
For an injured bird anywhere in Scotland, including Edinburgh and the Lothians, the number to call is the Scottish SPCA Animal Helpline: 03000 999 999.
It’s open daily, with extended hours through the day and evening, longer through spring and summer than in winter.
Calling doesn’t automatically mean an officer comes to collect the bird.
Depending on the situation, the team may talk you through bringing it to a vet yourself, since that’s often faster than waiting for a callout.
Scottish SPCA in Edinburgh and the Lothians
The Scottish SPCA’s Edinburgh & Lothians centre is on Mansfield Road in Balerno, EH14 7JU, on 01383 841032. It’s their oldest centre, running since 1930.
Call the national helpline first rather than heading straight there.
Wildlife cases get triaged and directed to wherever’s appropriate, which is sometimes a vet, not always the centre itself.
The Balerno centre covers Edinburgh along with East Lothian, Midlothian, West Lothian and the Scottish Borders, so a call from anywhere in that area gets routed through the same helpline.
Specialist wildlife rehabilitation for anything needing longer-term care happens at the Scottish SPCA’s National Wildlife Rescue Centre near Alloa, well outside Edinburgh, so a bird collected locally may well travel on from there.
Scottish Animal Welfare, a separate organisation, also runs a 24-hour helpline and a rescue and rehoming centre on the outskirts of Edinburgh, useful to know about for emergencies outside the Scottish SPCA’s hours.
Who pays for the vet bill
Cost is often the first worry once you’ve found an injured bird, but you shouldn’t need to pay anything for the initial visit.
Vets across the UK are typically expected to give emergency first aid to wildlife free of charge, covering the immediate treatment a bird needs to be stabilised.
Some practices are limiting wildlife access to their buildings because of ongoing avian flu precautions.
Even where that applies, most vets will still examine a bird outside or in a separate area, rather than turning it away.
Free treatment covers that first assessment and stabilisation, not necessarily everything after.
If a vet decides the bird needs longer-term rehabilitation rather than a quick release, they’ll usually arrange for it to move on to a dedicated wildlife rescue centre from there.
Call your local vet before bringing in the bird, and they will best guide you through the next steps, or whether the RSPCA, SPCA, or USPCA should be called instead.
In Scotland
The same free first-aid principle applies at local vets across Scotland, so it’s always worth trying your nearest practice first.
If you’re not sure where to take a bird, or a local vet can’t help, the Scottish SPCA Animal Helpline on 03000 999 999 can point you toward whoever’s actually able to see it.
In Northern Ireland
Vets in Northern Ireland aren’t under a legal obligation to treat wild animals for free.
In practice, though, many local practices will still examine an injured bird and provide first aid at no extra charge.
The Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (USPCA) is the charity to contact for advice or further help.
Reporting a dead bird
A single dead garden bird usually doesn’t need reporting.
Larger numbers are different: report 1 or more dead birds of prey or owls, 3 or more dead gulls or waterfowl, or 5 or more dead birds of any species.
The Defra helpline for this is 03459 33 55 77, and it covers reporting across Great Britain including Scotland.
Don’t touch or move a dead bird yourself.
Pigeons or gulls nesting on a building
A single injured or sick bird is a welfare matter for the Scottish SPCA or a vet.
Pigeons or gulls nesting, roosting or building up in numbers on a roof, chimney or ledge is a different situation entirely, and it’s the one we actually handle.
We manage the pest bird side of things: proofing a building against pigeons, dealing with an aggressive nesting gull colony, or working out what’s legally possible under a general licence when a pest species nest needs managing during nesting season.
Rescuing an individual injured bird isn’t something we do, so for that you’ll always want the Scottish SPCA or a vet first.
If that sounds closer to your situation than a single injured bird, our bird control page covers what we actually do in greater depth.
Bats are not birds, and are peaceful animals that cause little to no damage to your loft space.
Should you be facing a bat population nesting, you should contact Bat Conservation Trust for guidance instead.
Injured bird: your questions answered
Who do I call for an injured bird in Edinburgh?
The Scottish SPCA Animal Helpline, 03000 999 999, covers Edinburgh and the whole of Scotland. Their Edinburgh & Lothians centre is in Balerno, but call the helpline first rather than going there directly.
Does the RSPCA cover Scotland?
No. The RSPCA’s remit is England and Wales only. Scotland has its own separate charity, the Scottish SPCA, which is who to contact for an injured bird anywhere in Edinburgh or the wider Lothians.
Is it a baby bird or an injured adult?
A young bird hopping on the ground with short tail feathers and a parent nearby is usually a fledgling. An adult bird with a drooping wing, an obvious wound, or one that can’t stand needs help.
What if my cat has caught a bird?
Get it to a vet even if it looks fine. Cat saliva carries bacteria that can kill a bird within a day or two of a bite that seems minor at the time.
What should I do if I find a dead bird?
A single dead bird usually doesn’t need reporting. Larger numbers, 1 or more dead birds of prey, 3 or more dead gulls or waterfowl, or 5 or more of any species, should be reported to Defra on 03459 33 55 77. Don’t touch the bird.
Need protection from unwanted bird population? Talk to our team today
If you’re dealing with pigeons or gulls that keep coming back to nest or roost on your Edinburgh property, call us on 0131 322 1291 or get in touch through our contact page.
We’ll tell you honestly whether it’s something we can help with.
For expert advice and humane prevention, talk to our friendly team today.
