Photo by Leslie Fellows
There are a lot of DOs and DON'Ts when attempting to rescue an injured or orphaned bird. The most important DON'T is that it's not legal in the state of Virginia to keep or care for orphaned, sick, or injured birds unless you are a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
However, there are steps you can take to get an animal out of risk and into the hands of a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Rehabilitators are private citizens and telephone calls should be limited to daytime hours only.
Learn the Facts
Read the contents of the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) web page on injured and orphaned birds. If the bird is not in immediate danger, most of the time, the best thing to do is nothing.
Find a VA Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator
Use the button below to get a list of VA Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitators sorted by county. Make sure the rehabilitator can help your kind of bird.
Another very helpful resource is the Wildlife Center of Virginia in Waynesboro.