The Mercy Kill That Would've Been Murder

While eating breakfast yesterday, we heard a nasty THUD.

Looking out onto the deck, the girls screeched at the sight of a beautiful robin writhing in pain, poop and feathers. 

Poor darlin' hit our window hard, and as his companion robin pranced hopefully by his side, the victim bird twitched in agony.

Image Credit

With ruined appetites, we watched the tragic scene unfold.

The companion hopped to and fro, waiting for her friend to revive, and we scrambled to figure out how to end victim bird's misery.

What to do?

As we tossed around ideas for a humane mercy killing, I shuddered and cringed. 

I honestly didn't think I could do it. 

But the scene on the deck was so desperate, so grim—I grappled.

Fifteen minutes later, when I figured that both the bird and I had suffered enough, I was about to make a move when...

BOI-YOY-YOING!

Homeboy sprung up and shook his head, took another massive poop, and began to teeter over to the side of the deck.

A recovery like no other!

And in the nick of time...

To think of what almost transpired!

After some research, I learned that birds often go into a state of shock after hitting windows that can last anywhere from 15 minutes to over an hour. 

This poor robin hung around on the deck for about an hour before hopping down onto a beam, where he sat to regain his bearings for another hour before flying back into the mix.

Lesson after research? Three steps.

1. When a bird collides with a window, gently place it in a shoebox (with a lid with holes poked in it) to protect it from predators while it recovers.

2. Keep the box in a warm, dark, quiet place to keep the bird calm during revival.

3. After about an hour, open the lid and hope the bird flies off into the wild.

Put the mercy kill on hold and keep your fingers crossed, friends.
That was a close one.

XOXO From My Hearth to Yours

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