Q. Help! A bird got into my house! How do I get it out?
A. I’m assuming this is a songbird and not a larger bird of prey. If it is a bird of prey, make sure it can’t make its way into another room and call a local rehabilitation centre for advice.
If it is a songbird, take a couple deep breaths – you can do this!
First things first:
⦁ If you have pets and children remove them from the room that the bird is in. This will help keep the bird safe and reduce the amount of commotion in the room.
⦁ Close the door to the room to keep the bird confined to one area.
⦁ Turn off ceiling fans.
⦁ If the bird is in the kitchen and you’re making a meal, be sure to cover pots and pans. ⦁ Close closet doors.
⦁ While you may be tempted, don’t talk to the bird, try not to make any sudden movements, and try and stay calm.
⦁ Can you tell if the bird is injured? If it is, contact your local wild bird rehabilitation centre.
If the bird isn’t injured, help the bird find its way out of your house:
⦁ Open the largest window or door in the room that leads outside. Remove the screen.
⦁ Make sure the rest of the windows/doors are closed and that curtains/blinds are also pulled shut.
⦁ Turn off all the lights in the room. The idea is that the bird should be attracted to the light from the open window.
⦁ Leave the room and the bird should make its way out.
If the bird still hasn’t made its way outside:
⦁ You can further encourage the bird to leave by using a bed sheet. To guide the bird outside, hold the sheet up high and slowly walk towards the bird and the open window/door. The bird should see its escape route and leave.
TIP! This works for bats too!
