Jacki Bricker wrote:

" But I digress... I have seen birds die from shock. Some species, such as the cardinal (one of my all-time favorites, as they are just *so* endearing) are so skittish that they can actually die of a HEART ATTACK due to stress at being around/handled by a human."

Jacki,

I have handled over 5,000 birds while banding, and have never seen a bird die from the "shock"
of being near people, and - frankly - consider this concept as an old-wives-tale. I have handled
several birds which have hit windows, and they have died from trauma. I once mist-netted a
golden-crowned sparrow which died because, when it was caught in the net, it had aspirated
some millet seed from a nearby feeder. But, in general, these birds are pretty tough - evidenced
by the numbers of birds which I handle several times a year during my banding operations
(some every year for over 5 years...).

Just to put in my tuppence, when I do get a bird that's hit a window, I place it on the back porch
(up where a cat, jay, eastern grey squirrel, etc. won't get to it) or some other location out of the
wind/weather in a shoebox-sized box placed on its side. I think that this provides the bird some
sense of cover until it either recovers or dies, but couldn't say whether this method is more or
less effective than any other. I do agree that any attempt to 'comfort' an injured bird by holding it
probably stresses it more than by letting it recover away from people, etc.

Jon. Anderson
Olympia, Washington
festuca at olywa.net