Wildlife Rescue
You found an injured wild bird
Macau's wild birds, including protected herons, egrets, raptors and kingfishers
An adult wild bird that lets you walk right up to it is almost always sick, injured or stunned. The goal is to contain it calmly, keep it warm, dark and quiet, and get it to professional care. It is not to treat the injury yourself.
What to do
- Approach slowly and gently drop a towel or light cloth over the bird to cover its eyes and calm it.
- Scoop it into a ventilated cardboard box lined with a towel, with a lid or cloth over the top to keep it dark.
- Keep the box warm, dark and quiet, away from children, pets and noise.
- Do not offer food or water, as a stressed or injured bird can inhale it.
- Note exactly where you found it, since birds are usually released near their own territory.
- Call IAM or Royal Veterinary Centre straight away for the next steps.
What NOT to do
- ×Do not try to set a wing or leg yourself, or give any medication.
- ×Do not feed it or force water.
- ×Do not handle a large bird such as a heron, egret or bird of prey near its beak or talons, cover it and call for help instead.
- ×Do not keep it, as wild birds decline fast in captivity without proper care.
When to step in
Any bird that cannot fly away, has an obvious wound or broken wing, was caught by a cat or dog, or is fluffed up, cold and unresponsive needs help now. A bird that flies off strongly does not.
See a vet urgently if...
- !Cannot fly, or one wing hangs lower than the other
- !Bleeding or an open wound, or was caught by a cat (cat bites are quickly fatal to birds without antibiotics)
- !Sits fluffed up with eyes closing and does not flee when approached
- !Blood or fluid at the beak, or laboured, open-mouthed breathing
Who to call
IAM (Municipal Affairs Bureau) is the Macau wildlife authority, Civic Service Hotline (853) 2833 7676. Royal Veterinary Centre can stabilise or advise on injured birds 24/7 at +853 6677 6611.
Legal note
Many of Macau's wild birds are legally protected, so they cannot be kept, sold or hand-reared privately, and rehabilitation must be arranged through IAM.
In Macau
Window and glass-facade collisions are common in Macau's dense districts, so a bird that hit a window may just be stunned. Keep it boxed and quiet for an hour, and if it perks up you can release it, but any bird still down after that needs a vet.
Cat saliva carries bacteria that are deadly to birds, so even a bird with no obvious wound needs antibiotics within hours if a cat has had it in its mouth.
Related care sheets
General guidance reviewed by the Royal Veterinary Center team. Not a substitute for a veterinary examination. Always confirm species-specific and legal requirements for Macau.