Can I Help This Female?

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WillyPete
Posts: 18
Joined: Sat May 28, 2022 3:43 pm
Location: NE Arkansas

Found a wounded bird in a gourd today. Looks like another bird got after her. Still seems alert and not too badly injured but I lost two adults last season and wonder if there’s something i I can do to help?
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SSMartin
Posts: 463
Joined: Sun Jul 21, 2019 6:05 pm
Location: FL

If she can fly I would release her. Otherwise just feed her some hydrated insects and she should be fine in a day or two for release assuming no broken wings.

Do you have starlings?
WillyPete
Posts: 18
Joined: Sat May 28, 2022 3:43 pm
Location: NE Arkansas

we have a few starlings, but they have mostly disappeared since more Martin showed up. At first, I thought it was a sparrow, but when I went to check her again 10 minutes after writing, the initial post, I found two other purple martins at the gorge. Do you think they attacked her?

I decided not to take any chances and rushed her to the nearest wildlife rehabilitation center. She was still breathing and blinking when we got there, but it’s bad. Her injuries are. She was kind of balled up when I got her out of the gourd.
SSMartin
Posts: 463
Joined: Sun Jul 21, 2019 6:05 pm
Location: FL

What kind of housing do you have? Do you have round holes or starling resistant?

I don’t deal with starlings luckily but I have never seen martins do that to each other. I would have to assume it was a starling especially if you don’t have resistant entrances.

Thanks for helping her out I hope she makes a full recovery.
WillyPete
Posts: 18
Joined: Sat May 28, 2022 3:43 pm
Location: NE Arkansas

The gourds are starling resistant, but nobody has built a nest in this one.
SSMartin
Posts: 463
Joined: Sun Jul 21, 2019 6:05 pm
Location: FL

House sparrows?
Martintown33
Posts: 1366
Joined: Tue Jun 01, 2021 6:21 pm
Location: Laplace,La
Martin Colony History: Colony started in 1998. 2 s&k modified houses and gourd rack

Poor girl. I have never seen martins cause that kind of damage to another. My first suspects would be starling or sparrow.. I hope she makes it.. sorry this happened..
Rob
PMCA member
Laplace, La
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