“Birds are like relationships, if you hold tightly,

they die. If you hold loosely, they fly, but if you

Bird hold with care, they remain with you until

release  ”

Handling
Useful variety of techniques
to handle different bird
species
Please communicate to your
hospital manager if you have
never handled certain bird
or feel unsure.
 General
Pinch a towel appropriate for the size of the
bird between your pointer fingers and
thumbs.

Wrap the towel around your hands so that

the bird cannot see your hands.

Unlatch the cage door. Using your body as a

barrier so the bird cannot fly out, open the
cage door fully and quickly but gently place
the towel over the bird.

Try to cover the whole bird with the towel

and secure the body with a firm but gentle
hold.
 General cont…

Try to cover the whole bird with the towel

and secure the body with a firm but
gentle hold.

Use the bottom of the towel to hold the

legs if necessary, eg when handling long‐
legged birds such as pukeko, herons

Place the towel over the bird’s head,

covering the eyes. This reduces the stress Never use a
on the bird. hard
surface or a
bench
Ensure you place your bird on a padded without
well supported base or container. any
padding.
In the example pictures we do not cover the face of the
bird so that we can illustrate it better.
Raptors Use your PPE!
These guys have
Always use a towel sharp talons
Alert your hospital manager if you are unsure about
how to handle the bird.
Body wrap Angel wrap
Ensure your palms wrap around Body wrap
the wings of the raptor. ALWAYS
EXTEND LEGS. Hold legs
extended away from body so
the claws cannot grip you.

Do not put pressure on the chest

(thorax). Never put the bird upside
down or on his back.

Even though it is unlikely, raptors

do bite! So handle with care.
Note no hold on thorax Towel goes around inside
Note no hold on thorax and
and bird’s position legs down so talons are the closed wings. With the
closed remaining towel wrap legs
and talons.
Birds with sharp beaks Wrap your bird in a towel.
Like shags, black backed gulls, gannets, pukekos, giant petrels
and any other bird whose defence mechanism is their beak

Hold the head of the bird

gently but firmly with
one hand behind the eye
area.
•This will help control the head and
that sharp beak! You should feel
the hard skull bone behind the eye.

Always Gather the bird under your

use your free arm.
PPE and
ask for
help if
Hold the legs with your
you other hand or wrap the legs
unsure with the Bottom of the
16/07/2021 www.BirdCareAotearoa.org.nz towel. 5
Passerines or small birds
such as tuis, myna doves, sparrows, finches, ducklings

Hold the head between the

first and second finger gently
but firmly.

Wrap your fingers around the

body of the bird.
• You can hold the legs of the bird
between your little and ring finger.

For birds like Tui, make sure

you hold the legs between
your little finger and ring
finger or wrap legs in a hand
towel.
• They have really sharp claws

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 PPE
(personal protection
We don’t want you to get hurt!
equipment) Please take all precautions.

Always use gloves when Remember we are working with

handling birds and wild birds. They are unpredictable
wash/change them between and can cause harm.
patients
Wear googles when
handling species like herons,
shags ect..
Wear protection gloves
when handle Tuis,
moreporks, shags, gannets
ect….
 Patient
Paperwork
How to read and filled the
patient's paperwork.
Daily evaluation sheet (General section)Fill the corresponding
Date
It refers to the mental
Has the bid
activity in general of the
urinate/defecate? Yes or
patient.
no
BAR (bright alert
responsive) How does the feces look
BARF (bright alert feisty) like? watery (diarrhea),
green (biliary), with
blood (Melena). If you
How much did it eat? unsure, please ask you
Or what he eat? Just manager.
a little, or was hand
feed, or loves corn or Did the bird eat?
If the bird needs assist
only live meal worms Your initials
feeding. This tell you
etc.
what, and how much it
should have. Also(freq)
how often

DO NOT copy the

You need to fill the If you have never tube
previous evaluation. This
evaluation sheet in the feed or Hand feed please
is YOUR perspective of
morning and afternoon. ask you manager.
the patient.

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 Rate at which the
Treatment section dose has been
Name of medication. calculated at.
flagyl, noroclav, YOU DON’T
meloxicam (loxicam, HAVE TO WORRY
metacam) etc.. ABOUT THAT
How often has to
Amount of the
medication that be given. Once a
needs to be given to day (SID) twice a
the patient. Tick day (BID) Three
•Make sure you Area times a day (TID)
know how to read a Four times a day
syringe (look at (QID)
next section or ask
your manager) The amount of
•If the amount days the
ends in ml means Route of administrations. Oral medications
that is a suspension (PO), subcutaneous (SQ),
Intramuscular(IM). Note that any
needs to be given
if it ends in “tab:
means is the injectable medications needs to for. Please always
amount of a tablet. be administered by the manager. Medication count from when
Your
start date the medications
initials
was started.
Make sure you tick
You need to fill the If you have never Make sure the dose the medication area
evaluation sheet in administer you are to show that has
the morning and medications please administrating is been given and the
afternoon.
16/07/2021 ask your manager.
www.BirdCareAotearoa.org.nz correct. initials from10whoever
has done it.