An increasingly common situation is to find in the garden or on the pavement a grounded swift, that can be an adult bird or a fledgling that has fallen out of the nest before they is ready to fly. Adults may collide with something when trying to access the nest and fall dazed to the ground. Some chicks, motivated by curiosity and imprudence, sneak excessively out of the nest and end up falling. The fledglings can also fall when they are forced to leave the nest due to the suffocating heat of the hottest days of the year. Grounded birds are condemned to death, so it is urgent to help them.​

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Catch and Diagnose​

Handle the bird carefully but firmly, leaving no "room" for it to struggle in your hand, as they may damage the feathers. Do not be afraid! It will cling tightly to your hand using its nails. Check if what you have found is a stunned adult bird, an injured bird or a fledgling. The way to tell if the bird in your hand can fly (unhurt adult) or not is simple. Place the hand holding the bird at face height in a place where the bird has room to fly (ample space, as it may be difficult for it to gain height), and simply open your hand. A healthy adult bird will fly away, an injured adult will probably try to fly away unsuccessfully, and if it is a chick it will cling to your hand to keep from falling. Under no circumstances make the bird fly by throwing it up or dropping it. If it is a chick or a bird unable to fly, the bird should be handed over to SEPNA or transported to the nearest Wildlife Recovery Centre as soon as possible, in order to receive professional care.

WARNING: If you find a bird that needs help, the best option is always to take it to a Wild Animal Recovery Centre. The keeping and breeding of wild birds is not permitted by current legislation and you can be penalized if you try to recover it at home. You should always notify SEPNA immediately (by contacting 217 503 080) so that they can take charge of transport.

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Accommodate​

When you find an injured bird the ideal is not to hold it too long. You should place the bird in a calm environment so that it does not struggle and thus aggravate its injuries or damage its feathers. The feathers of the fledglings, which are in full development, are extremely fragile and if they are not in perfect condition at the end of the summer, the birds will never be able to make the migration they depend on to survive.

To keep the bird comfortable and safe, keep it in an airy box (a shoe box with holes works perfectly) with absorbent paper at the bottom and try to keep the box in a quiet place. As the authorities (SEPNA) are not always willing to transport the bird immediately, the box should be kept in a closed room, with little noise and out of the reach of domestic animals such as dogs and cats.​