It was late Saturday evening when the text came through: A crow with a broken wing, a couple miles away. Nobody there knew quite what to do. I shoved my dinner in the fridge, grabbed a cat carrier and a baby blanket, jumped in the car, and was there in ten minutes.

This video was sent to me by fellow crow appreciator @robvector. Don't be afraid to send him some coffee or pizza or beer or luv for giving me the tip off that likely saved this crow's life!

The sun had already set when I got down there, and the light was not great, but as I got closer I could see that the bird had pinkish corners to their mouth, indicating they were still a fledgling (young bird). With the help of another good samaritan I was able to get the baby into a bush and throw a blanket over them. Keeping the blanket over their head, I wrapped them up and gently scooped them off the ground, talking softly the whole time. Once a bird cannot see their surroundings, they tend not to struggle, at least for a few minutes. This gave me time to get the baby into the carrier and home to my apartment.

For the health and comfort of injured animals, it is important to keep them in a dark, warm place until they can be taken to the vet or wildlife rescue. It is also recommended that no food or water be given, but since it has been hot and the bird is very young and still developing, I gave them some water and diluted canned pet food. They ate and drank a little.

Such a beautiful baby. You can see how the wing is hanging down on the other side, an indication that it is likely broken. Fledgling crows of this size are able to fly short distances on their own, but still rely heavily on their parents for protection and most of their feeding.

I kept the crate covered and called the Audubon Wildlife Center of Portland to make sure that they were open the next day, since it was Independence Day, a national holiday in the US. They were, from 9am-5pm.
I did my best not to disturb the baby for the rest of the night, but I did take a few quick cell phone pictures and added more paper towel layers to cover up any poops so the bird wouldn't get messy. And even though I kept them in the dark, I still spoke sweetly to the crow whenever I was in the same space (I live in a very small apartment). I even sang them silly songs. Crows are very social, very family-oriented animals, and I can only imagine that being separated from other crows is extremely unsettling and lonely. From my experience interacting with crows, I have learned that a kind voice has a positive impact on a crow's comfort level.

In the morning I took the crate, still covered, out to the car, and Pilot and I headed to the wildlife rescue.

After a twenty-minute drive, we arrived at the center.

Pilot had to stay in the car. He was disappointed that he couldn't "help" and go meet all the other people that like crows as much as we do. He's usually a very quiet dog, but he was whining at me from all the way across the parking lot.

At the center they ask you to place the box or carrier on a table and then call one of the rescue technicians to come and collect the animal.
It usually takes a few minutes because they are working with a lot of animals.

While you wait, you fill out a form describing how and where you found the injured animal. Especially with family-oriented animals like crows, it is important to know where to return the animals so they can be reunited with their families. The information provided also helps the wildlife rehabbers and veterinarians get a better idea of the injury and what kind of treatment the animal might need.

While I was filling out the form I could hear the hungry squawk of another fledgling crow inside. The person at the counter said that they currently had twelve fledgling crows in their care. They get a lot this time of year. I was glad to hear that the little one wouldn't be the only crow there. And grateful for the facility and staff for all they do. Once they returned my empty carrier I thanked them a bunch before heading back to my poor neglected dog who had to miss all the fun.

I really feel for this little baby, and for the parents. In the video you can hear how scared and upset they were. I hope that this young crow is able to heal properly and be released quickly. I have read that it can sometimes take as little as three weeks for a broken bird wing to heal. That's a long time in the life of a fledgling, when there is so much to be learned, but when the family is reunited, the parents will no doubt be happy to catch up.

Good Luck, Little Crow!

This is the fourth crow I have had in my apartment since I started socializing with crows in the fall of 2020. Three of them have been injured, but one of them was my crow friend Bo, who came in voluntarily to eat. (You can see a video here.)
Thanks for reading!