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How To Help a Drunk?? |
by Pam Kallies
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You’d think with all of the attention that’s been paid to the evils of alcohol, every creature great and small would have gotten the message by now. Sadly however, one group refuses to get on board – birds. |
Many of our winged friends are busy migrating at this time, which builds up quite an appetite. Rejecting all semblance of decorum and moderation, they wolf down great quantities of brightly colored autumn berries, such as those of the hawthorn, holly, firethorn and viburnum.
The problem is that these fruits contain sugars that slowly ferment on the plant to create alcohol. Birds that consume too many spiked fruits get wasted. They sing boorishly at all hours, weave in and out of the flock, fail to signal before changing trees, and pose a hazard to themselves and others. It’s time we say to the birds, enough is enough. Don’t eat and soar. Don’t give berries to underage birds. And if you’re going to be out late partying with friends, pick a designated flier. © 2007 Southern Living. Reprinted with permission.
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The above article, published in November, was cleverly written, and it certainly gave me a chuckle. However, it inspired me to read up on fermenting berries and what we could do to help birds that partake of the spiked fruit.
It is true, autumn berries can ferment, and our unsuspecting flying friends may overindulge and become intoxicated in late fall, winter, or even early spring, depending on the weather. The fermenting process comes about when the berries ripen, freeze, and then thaw, thereby causing the sugars to turn into alcohol.
So, how can you help an intoxicated bird? You can enroll it in BA (Birds Anonymous) or you may choose to help it through its stupor. A bird showing signs of over indulging on berries may stagger, be unable to fly, fall for no apparent reason, and even fly into objects. Assess the situation. Can it fall behind a bush and sleep it off? Is it in danger of being attacked by a predator or hit by a car? Might it fall in water and drown? If it is in danger, you could carefully place a laundry basket over it, put something heavy on top, and let the poor thing sober up. Watch the basket, and once the bird appears to be acting normally, remove the basket and release. No laundry basket? Any comparable ventilated container that allows room for the bird to move about when it awakens will do. Use caution when removing the container, the sobered bird will be anxious to leave. Contact the DFW Wildlife Coalition if the bird has incurred an injury or does not show signs of sobriety.
Birds may also appear drunk if they have eaten ant killer like AMDRO. If you or any of your neighbors have recently used this product, or similar ones, call the DFW Wildlife Hot Line immediately as it will need to treated by a professional bird rehabber. |
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