Bird Emergencies

While CCAS does not have the resources to support or rehabilitate birds, we can help you find the resources you need. In the Central Illinois area, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Wildlife Medical Clinic and the Illinois Raptor Center are the foremost in helping injured animals.

Injured Animal Encounters

Have you found a bird that appears to have collided with a window?
Check out this resource from the National Audubon Society that explains how to care for a stricken bird, and how to prevent future window strikes.

Have you found an animal that seems to need help, but you’re not sure?
Check out this decision guide from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Veterinary Medicine; it will walk you step-by-step through what to do.

This info-packed guide from the Illinois Raptor Center describes how to help animals without hurting them, with special attention given to applicable laws, animal rescue dos and don’ts, and specific information related to songbirds, raptors, mammals in general, ducks, bats, deer, rabbits, raccoons, opossums, squirrels, flying squirrels, skunks, and turtles.

Remember, sometimes, doing nothing is the best thing you can do. This essay posted on the Illinois Raptor Center website describes one person’s encounter with a young American Kestrel just learning to fly. By calling the Illinois Raptor Center to ask about the bird’s apparently strange behavior, David Staff learned that leaving the bird alone was the right move. “Sometimes we try to do too much,” David writes. “I made some phone calls, and found that this bird's actions were normal.”

Who to Call for Help 

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Wildlife Medical Clinic offers 24/7 emergency care for wildlife with the goal of re-release into the wild. 

The Illinois Raptor Center in Decatur, IL, is a clinic and rehabilitation center for birds and wildlife. Their website has information about their programs as well as how to care for wildlife and find local help.