Free Wings
Found a bird?

Found an injured bird?
Here is exactly what to do

Please stay calm. Measured, quick action on your part can save the bird’s life. Read the instructions below before you do anything.

Hotline (08:00 – 22:00)

+380 67 948 45 51

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Free Wings Center

5 simple steps to a rescue

Follow these safety rules to protect yourself and avoid harming the bird.

  1. Assess the situation and your safety

    Make sure the bird really does need help. Are there visible injuries or blood, is a wing hanging unnaturally? Remember your own safety, especially with a large raptor and its sharp talons and beak.

  2. Restrain the bird safely

    Put on thick work or leather gloves. Throw a jacket, towel or blanket over the bird to cover its eyes - that calms it down. Gently press the wings against the body and pick the bird up.

  3. Temporary housing

    Put the bird in a cardboard box of a suitable size with air holes punched in it. Do NOT use metal cages - the bird can damage its feathers and injure itself further. Place the box somewhere quiet and warm.

  4. Contact our specialists

    Call the hotline or write to us in chat. Take a photo or a short video of the bird so an ornithologist can assess the injuries remotely and give you the first emergency instructions.

  5. Transport to the centre

    Hand the bird to volunteers, send it on a regional bus, or bring it to our centre in Kozhychi yourself (12 km from Lviv). We will talk you through how to make the journey as stress-free as possible.

Quick memo: what to do and what to avoid

Take note of these critical mistakes, the ones people most often make while helping wild birds.

Do this:

  • Use only cardboard boxes with air holes
  • Protect your eyes and hands from talons and beak
  • Keep the bird in complete darkness and absolute quiet
  • Call the rehabilitation centre’s specialists straight away

Strictly forbidden:

  • Do NOT feed bread, milk or salty food
  • Do NOT force water into the beak (risk of choking)
  • Do NOT put the bird in a metal cage or a glass jar
  • Do NOT try to straighten a wing yourself or apply a splint

Answers to common questions

Can I feed a bird I have found myself?

We strongly recommend holding off on feeding until you have spoken to a specialist. A bird’s metabolism is extremely fast, and the wrong kind of food (bread or sausage, for example) can cause fatal toxicosis or block the digestion of an injured animal.

What should I do about a chick (a fledgling) on the ground?

In spring and summer, chicks on the ground are usually fledglings learning to fly. The parents are always nearby and feeding them. Pick a chick up ONLY if it has visible injuries, if cats or dogs are attacking it, or if it is on a dangerous roadway.

Which birds need immediate hospitalisation?

Help is needed by birds with visible open or closed fractures, bleeding, birds that are completely limp and do not react to a person approaching, and swifts that have ended up on the ground (they physically cannot take off by themselves).

How long does a bird’s rehabilitation usually take?

It depends on the injury. Simple bruising and concussion need 5 to 14 days of rest. Complex shattered wing fractures, after surgical osteosynthesis, need a long period of exercise in the aviaries - from 1.5 to 3 months.

Can I visit the bird I rescued?

Yes, our centre is open to visitors at weekends by prior arrangement. Birds in intensive care and in quarantine are closed to visitors, though, so that we do not add harmful stress on top of their treatment.

What if I am in another region of Ukraine?

Call us! Even if you are far from Lviv, we have a broad nationwide network of friendly ornithologists, volunteers and partner shelters in Kyiv, Dnipro, Odesa and Kharkiv, and we can redirect you promptly.