Found a bird?
Work out who to contact and what to do next. Start with the questions, or go straight to the guidance below.
Little Beaks is closed to all intakes. For urgent help, contact a vet or wildlife service directly.
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The found-bird guide
Urgent help and local contacts
If the bird may be sick wildlife, avoid contact, keep people and pets away, and follow the sick or dead wildlife precautions and reporting advice. Explain any uncertainty when you call for help.
Contact a nearby vet for an injured pet bird. Find veterinary care. For wildlife in WA, call Wildcare Helpline: 08 9474 9055. It provides advice and referrals, rather than attending rescues, and does not cover domestic birds.
Elsewhere in Australia, use IFAW’s Wildlife Rescue app or RSPCA’s state and territory contacts. Outside Australia, contact your local vet or wildlife service.
If nobody answers, try another local vet or wildlife service. Call before travelling to confirm they can receive the bird, and ask what to do while waiting. Do not attempt an unsafe capture.
Sick or dead wild birds
WA disease-reporting advice checked 9 October 2026: H5 bird flu has been detected in wild birds in WA. Avoid contact with sick or dead wildlife, keep people and pets away, and record the location and what you saw from a safe distance. Do not collect or transport the bird yourself. Call the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline: 1800 675 888 for suspected disease in Australia. This applies to a single sick or dead wild bird as well as several birds. Follow the WA Government’s current bird-flu instructions; outbreak information can change.
Found a bird that may be someone's pet?
For a bird you think may be a pet. If you are unsure, ask a vet or wildlife service to help identify it. Sick or dead wild birds need current official disease advice instead.
If the bird is injured, unwell, or has been caught by a cat or dog, contact a vet now. Do not wait to find its owner. If you are unsure about its condition, ask for urgent advice.
Do not attempt an unsafe capture. Tell the vet if the bird is not contained and ask how to proceed.
Little Beaks is closed to all intakes, including emergencies. Contact an appropriate service directly.
Tell nearby veterinary clinics and check Parrot Alert and local lost-and-found bird groups. You can use existing listings without waiting for Little Beaks to respond.
If the bird is already contained, keep it separate from your own birds and ask a vet about safe temporary care.
Keep a private record of the location and time found. Ask someone claiming the bird for evidence, such as earlier photographs or recorded band details. A vet can advise about identification. This guide cannot determine ownership.
Record when and where you found it. Keep some identifying details private so a claimant can provide earlier photographs or other evidence. Avoid publishing your home address.
If you cannot continue caring for the bird, tell the vet or relevant local animal service that you need another arrangement. Call before travelling to check they can receive it.
Lost and found pet birds: community links
For Perth and Western Australia, try these Facebook communities alongside contacting local vets and your council:
- Lost and Found Birds of Western Australia — Facebook group
- Lost and Found Birds WA — Facebook group
- Pets of Perth – Lost & Found — Facebook page
Also check your suburb’s and neighbouring suburbs’ community groups. Outside WA, look for a lost-and-found pet group covering your area. Facebook may require login or group approval; read the group’s posting rules.
Do not wait for a post to be approved or answered if a bird needs urgent care. These are independent community listings, not emergency services operated by Little Beaks.
No Facebook? Search or report a bird on Parrot Alert, and contact nearby veterinary clinics and your local council. You can also ask someone you trust to share a notice for you.
For a notice, include a clear photo, the suburb and when the bird was lost or found. Avoid publishing your home address or full identification numbers. If you have found a bird, keep some identifying details private so a claimant can provide evidence of ownership.
Guidance 1.0.0. Sources checked 2026-10-05. Human veterinary review pending. Review due 2026-11-05.
A baby wild bird
A feathered youngster may be learning to fly while its parents remain nearby. Observe from a distance and keep pets away. If the bird has few feathers, is injured, or you are unsure, contact a wildlife service for advice specific to that bird and location.
Use RSPCA’s baby-bird guide to understand the different situations. Do not assume that being alone means it has been abandoned.
An adult wild bird
Tell a wildlife service about any difficulty flying, injury or unusual behaviour. Mention any cat or dog contact, even without a visible wound. Ask for safe handling instructions before intervening; large birds and birds of prey need trained handlers.
See DBCA’s wildlife-help guidance. For sick or dead birds, use the current disease advice above first.
Not sure? Pigeons and banded birds
You do not need to decide alone. Share a photograph and the location with a vet or wildlife service. A band does not always mean a pet: wild birds can carry research bands, and racing pigeons have their own identification systems.
Read the Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme’s reporting guidance or ask a vet to direct you. Do not remove a band.
About this guidance
This page helps you find appropriate assistance; it cannot assess an individual bird. General sources checked 5 October 2026; disease-reporting guidance checked 9 October 2026. Human veterinary and wildlife-professional review pending. Sources include DBCA, the WA Government, RSPCA, IFAW and Wildcare Australia’s bird guidance. Follow the advice of the professional handling your case.