We care deeply about the health of Wisconsin's birds -- they're the reason the Bird City Wisconsin program exists -- but we are not wildlife rehabilitators, and we do not have the staff or resources to pick up injured and sick birds.
Read about the mission and rationale of Bird City Wisconsin.
See a list of all Bird Cities.
Here's where to get help, what to do with sick or injured birds, how to rescue baby birds, and how to transport wildlife safely.
Where to get help
If you are in Milwaukee County, contact the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of the Wisconsin Humane Society. The Wildlife Rehabilitation Center rescues, rehabilitates, and returns to the wild injured, sick, and orphaned wild animals in Milwaukee County. It also refer callers from other counties to their closest wildlife rehabilitation resources.
Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
Web: https://www.wihumane.org/wildlife
Phone: (414) 431-6204
If you are outside of Milwaukee County, use this directory, maintained by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, to locate a wildlife rehabilitator in your area:
Wildlife Rehabilitation Directory
Web: https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/wildlifehabitat/directory.html
Phone: 1 (888) 936-7463
If you're anywhere else in the US, type in your ZIP code on this site:
Wildlife Rescue Directory
https://www.onthefeeder.com/wildlife-rescue-directory/
What to do with a sick or injured bird
This three-page document (PDF), published by the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of the Wisconsin Humane Society, describes the following:
- What to do when a bird collides with a window
- How to determine whether a bird found on the ground is sick or injured
- How to handle large birds
- What to do after you contain a bird
- Where to get help
How to rescue a baby bird
Two one-page documents (PDF), prepared by Wisconsin DNR, describe the following:
- How to rescue baby birds
- How to determine if a baby bird needs rescuing. (Not all baby birds need our assistance.)
How to transport wildlife
This two-page document (PDF), written by Wisconsin DNR, describes how to prevent stress and further injury when transporting wild animals, including birds.
Read more:
Threats to birds (Bird City Wisconsin).
Ten ways to help birds (Bird City Wisconsin).
Photo: American Robin fledgling by Galawebdesign, CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0).