Expert: Roger Lederer - 2/6/2009

Question
A few hours ago my husband came home with a small adult woodpecker which he had found on the sidewalk. It cannot seem to get it's balance and keeps flopping onto it's left side. It clings to things well for awhile and is eating and drinking, and is able to crawl. It does not really seem to be afraid.

We gave it water and offered a branch smeared with honey, and it was quite eager about both eating and drinking. Our hope was to give it a quiet, safe place to die, but that was before we saw how full of life it was.

I have no idea how to care for this little guy.

Answer
The best thing to do is contact your local wildlife or bird rehabilitation center for help and advice. It sounds like it has a coordination problem which might be caused by pesticides or some other toxin. You can go to www.ornithology.com/rehab.html for more information on caring for injured birds, but getting expert advice/help is your best bet.