A young Pileated Woodpecker sits on a towel on a counter next to a bowl of mealworms, being observed by wildlife rehabilitation staff.
Sharon Explore

Help! I’ve Found Distressed Wildlife.

What to do if you find a sick, injured, or orphaned bird or other wildlife.
Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic Contact Us

Few things are more heartbreaking than encountering an injured, sick, or orphaned bird or other wild animal. Follow the below guidelines to ensure your thoughtful intervention benefits the animal you're concerned about.

Know Your Resources

It is always good to be aware of your resources in a wildlife emergency.

The Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic at Sharon Audubon Center is a Connecticut state and federally licensed wildlife rehabilitation facility for birds, small mammals, and reptiles. Each year, Sharon Audubon Center admits hundreds of sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife patients into the clinic, providing care and treatment with the ultimate goal of returning them to the wild as soon as possible. The wildlife rehabilitation staff and volunteers are on duty at the center to answer wildlife questions and interface with the public. Please call 860-364-0520 for assistance. If the team is busy with a patient and unable to answer the phone, please leave a message, and they’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

To find other licensed Wildlife Rehabilitators near you, look to the following state agencies and resources:

No matter where you are, public lists of licensed wildlife rehabilitators in each state are available online. Just do an internet search for “list of licensed wildlife rehabilitators” for the state you are in.

What to Do if You Encounter Distressed Wildlife

Contact a wildlife rehabilitator ASAP who can assist you with the evaluation/rescue process and take the animal in for treatment. The care protocol of wildlife depends on a wide variety of factors, such as age, species, condition, etc., and must legally be provided by a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.  

Remember that wildlife is wild! Humans are seen as predators and our voices and touch is threatening to them. Often, the animal’s defense mechanisms (lying down, holding still) are mistaken for the animal being friendly or calm, when they are actually scared or debilitated. 

Throughout the rescue process, remember:

  • Be as quiet as possible! Do not talk to the animal
  • Do not pet or hold the animal
  • Keep animal away from people and pets
  • Do not hand wildlife to children
  • DO NOT give food or water

Step 1: Take a Picture for the Rehabilitator

Take a full-body photo of the animal for the rehabilitator. This will help with species identification and evaluating the situation.

  • Photo 1: “Full-body shot” that is a close-up image of the head and the entire body of the animal
  • Photo 2: A zoomed-out photo to show the position/location of the animal in its environment

Step 2: Contact a Wildlife Rehabber

The Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic at Sharon Audubon Center is a state and federally licensed wildlife rehabilitation facility for birds and certain species of small mammals and reptiles in Sharon, Connecticut.  

  • Call (860) 492-0106 and leave a message 
  • Email Sunny.Kellner@audubon.org and include a photo/video of the animal. Follow instructions in auto-reply.
To find other licensed wildlife rehabilitators near you, look to the following state agencies and resources: 
  • Animal Help Now (An animal emergency professional locator website and app) 

No matter where you are, public lists of licensed wildlife rehabilitators in each state are available online. Just do an internet search for “list of licensed wildlife rehabilitators” for the state you are in. 

Step 3: Evaluate if the Animal Needs Help

Signs that a wild animal needs help: 

  • Animal was picked up by a cat or a dog 
  • Evidence of bleeding 
  • Obvious broken/injured limb (dragging leg, hanging wing) 
  • Animal is a featherless/furless baby 
  • Animal is laying on its side 
  • On the ground in the same spot for more than 24 hours 
  • On the ground with eyes closed, squinted, crusty, weepy, swollen, bleeding 
  • Tries to get away from you but can’t (tries to fly, walk, stand, etc. but unable to) 
  • Flies buzzing around the animal (means the animal has been there for a long time) 
  • It is a species that does not spend any time on the ground as a baby or adult (determined by rehabilitator) 

For some species, it is normal for babies to spend some time on the ground. Whether or not this is normal should be determined by a licensed rehabilitator.

Step 4: Safely Contain the Animal if Deemed Necessary 

If possible, always contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator ASAP to assist you with evaluating the situation and with the rescue process. 

DO NOT FEED OR GIVE WATER – this can do more harm than good if animal is sick or injured. 

  • Contain animal in an appropriate size box or plastic container with lid, with air holes.  
  • Line box with smooth fabric without holes or strings (pillow case, t-shirt) 
  • Be sure that box is completely, securely closed and covered so the animal cannot see out. 
  • Small animals: Use protective gloves to handle small animals.  
  • Larger animals: Place box over animal, slide lid underneath animal to contain inside, slowly turn the box right side up, and secure the lid. Animal will adjust itself inside the box. Can add fabric to box after if needed. 

Baby birds: craft a makeshift nest out of a small round food container, completely lined with layers of toilet paper to make a cup-shaped test the baby can sit in.  

Baby mammals: line the container with a soft t-shirt or pieces of fleece for the baby to hide in. 

Supplemental Heat for Babies 

  • Heating pad on LOW setting placed underneath the box. If it has an auto-shut off, make sure it stays turned on.
  • Small ziplock sandwich baggies filled with hot water. Double bag the hot water and place the bag beneath the fabric inside the box with the baby.
  • Heated rice sock—Fill a sock with rice and microwave for 1 minute. This should be warm to the touch, not hot. Wrap sock in small hand towels and place under the fabric, or under the box.  
  • Check often that the baby is not overheating or directly touching the heat source.  

Important tips to minimize stress  

We are predators to wildlife and they do not know we are trying to help. Keep stress as low as possible by: 

  • Not feeding/giving water 
  • Not handling or touching 
  • Staying quiet—no talking or music  
  • Keep in a dark, quiet, warm place away from people and pets until it can get to a rehabilitator.