"I just picked up this bird...

... it is tame, look it is sitting on my hand!"

How often have I heard this sentence, and how often, just looking at the picture, did I shake my head in disbelief. Fluffed up feathers, head tilted to the side, eyes closed. "It's just tired", is usually the reply I get.

But it is not. Never, ever, will you pick up a wild bird, that enjoys just casually hanging out on your arm. Wild birds are exactly that, wild. They don't want to have anything to do with you, they don't want to be near you, in fact, they'd like to get as far away from you as they possibly can.

If you pick up a wild bird, and it does not seem to resist much, or it is quiet, it is either in shock or seriously ill. Both of these are generally life-threatening conditions in these tiny organisms. Both of these are not helped at all, if the bird is handled to much.

The rule is simple, if you pick up a wild bird, keep it (1) Warm, (2) Dark, and (3) Quiet. It never hurts to put a water dish in with it, but don't try to feed it, don't try to pick it up, don't talk to it. Bring it to the nearest bird vet or an experienced wildlife carer who knows what to look out for.

This is not just with the welfare of the bird in mind. Just the other day, I received a crimson rosella with psittacosis. I was told it's probably an escapee because it is so tame and "oh look, it just bites a little bit, when it sits on my hand." Psittacosis is a zoonosis. This means, it can be transferred to humans. And there is no gain in us getting ill just in solidarity with the bird. Take caution for your own well-being as well.