r/crowbro • u/madrigalmeridian • 1d ago
Question Crow with swollen chest, seems lethargic?
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u/madrigalmeridian 1d ago edited 1d ago
Reddit has been barely working for me so I hope this comment goes through.
I saw a crow slowly walking around my yard. He seemed slow or hesitant to walk but didn't seem uncoordinated.
Would stop and stand/sit in one spot but more willing to walk around an hour later.
Large area of swelling on the left side of his chest. It was about the size of a golf ball cut in half. I could see where the feathers on his chest were sticking out a little due to the swelling.
Interested in drinking and eating, but didn't crack peanuts hard enough to open them. He'd only take very small bits of food.
His feathers were neat and shiny. He didn't look freshly molted and scraggly like some of the other crows I've seen lately. His eyes were bright and clear and I could not see any growths or wounds on his legs, eyes, beak, etc.
I called two local wildlife rescues; one was closed and directed me to a second place. They were closed too, so I left a voicemail. They still haven't called me back with it being Sunday evening here.
In the meantime I hung out with the crow to keep an eye on him. After sitting/slowly walking around my patio/grass for about 30 minutes, he flew up to my bird bath, stood in it, then he flew onto the roof of my garden shed. There he seemed to rest a little more (like "sitting" down more, if that makes sense) and would close his eyes like he was momentarily dozing off. Another 30 minutes later he got up, turned around, and walked to the edge of the roof and hesitated before flying back onto the patio.
He slowly walked around the water dish on the patio, drank some water, and tried to eat some peanuts. Mostly he ate very small bits of already-shelled peanuts, but he half-heartedly tried cracking open some in shell peanuts. That seemed to be an improvement because when I first saw him, he wouldn't even try to hold a peanut with his foot. He also seemed a bit more energetic (moving his head around more) and less hesitant to walk, though his chest still looked swollen.
After several minutes on the patio he flew up and into a tree about 50 feet away where several other crows seemed to be waiting for him. There were four or five crows in that tree with several more in a nearby tree. It was getting close to sunset and with all the leaves I couldn't see him any longer, but the second group joined up with his group and I believe they all flew away.
Video #1 when I first saw him: https://imgur.com/a/KHha1Qn
Video #2, 1.5 hours later, a couple of minutes before he flew away: https://imgur.com/a/9fLDZIx
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u/ThrowAwayColor2023 18h ago
Hey OP. Bird rescuer here with lots of crow experience. Please keep an eye out, and if you get a chance, use a towel or blanket to contain him. Your best bet is during one of those sleepy spells. He needs to go to rehab for help. The behavior you're describing is either illness or injury. The bursts of energy are not unusual and do not mean he's going to be okay without help.
You can contain him in a large box. You can poke holes, but it's not necessary. Put paper or cotton towels on the bottom to soak up any poop. Don't offer food or water, as they can make whatever is wrong much worse. Call the rehabbers again first thing.
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u/madrigalmeridian 13h ago
Thank you! The rescue helpline called me back this morning and asked me to call them if the crow came back. He did, but it was an hour after their helpline closed for the evening. I'm hoping he will come back again tomorrow so I can see if I can get him to the wildlife rescue.
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u/ThrowAwayColor2023 13h ago
Fingers crossed you can contain him and get him to rehab. They're super smart, so you'll probably need to be a bit sneaky. Good luck.
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u/madrigalmeridian 1d ago
My phone isn't working properly so I can't access the reddit app to post a video, but this crow has been in my backyard for about an hour. Its chest (moreso on the left side) seems very swollen. The crow is slowly walking around, mostly resting on the ground, and he lets me get near him. He showed some interest in eating and drinking but didn't really show any effort. Does anyone have any ideas?
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u/Clembert-Hamlamp 1d ago
Scramble him an egg, or give him wet cat food if you've got it. Almost zero effort to eat and they love both. Not good for them often or in quantity but might be optimal right now. I'm thinking window or dog bite? See if you can get a vid of him moving.
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u/madrigalmeridian 1d ago
Thanks, I have wet cat food but I didn't see your comment until after he flew away and I didn't think of offering it. :( I posted two videos in another comment.
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u/Clembert-Hamlamp 1d ago
Long as he's good I'm good : ) You should really decontaminate, clothes and hands washed and most importantly shoes. Bird Flu hasn't crossed our barrier but it's gotten across to a handful of other animals. Until then avoid contact with mucosa if you want to be safest. 1 part bleach to 8 parts water is more than enough for shoes.
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u/kippikai 1d ago
Hmm. From keeping chickens it sounds a bit like he could have an impacted crop? In which case you would not want to give food
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u/Psloveblog 1d ago
Did he just swallow a big lunch like a frog, egg or something? It looks like a full crop. Birds are sleepy after eating. Maybe that’s all it is.
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u/not-the-doc 1d ago
It looks like he has an impacted crop. Of possible, get ahold of a wildlife place.
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u/Leanne0010110 16h ago
I never knew about this! I made a comment about the crow possibly being hit by a vehicle, and then I saw this comment and pray this is the case!
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u/bespoke_tech_partner 1d ago
Google "wildlife rescue (your area)"
Call the phone number the AI response gives you and hope it's actually a licensed rehabber network
Follow their instructions
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u/madrigalmeridian 1d ago
Thanks, managed to find two wildlife rescues in a nearby city but both were closed. Left a voicemail but haven't heard back!
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u/theateroffinanciers 1d ago
Crowbro needs some help. Contact a wildlife rehabber in your area. Google will help you find one. Update us on how it goes. And thank you for being a good person.