By Cheryl and Tom Millham

What should you do when a bird hits a window? The first thing to do is to place the bird into a brown paper sack or shoe box and close the container securely.

Get the bird in its container to some place warm and dark. If you have a heating pad, place the container half on and half off of the heating pad and set the heat on low.

After two or three hours, take the bird (and the bag or box) into a bathroom in your house, shut the door and the toilet lid and open the bag or box.

If the bird flies out and around the room, catch it again, take it outside and release it. If it is past 7pm, keep it in the bag (or box) until morning.

If, in the morning, the bird still shows signs of not wanting to fly, hopping around, is holding its head at an angle, or its second eye lid is rapidly opening and closing, then call Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care (530.577.2273) because the bird needs additional help — and soon.

Orphaned baby steller's jays brought to LTWC and raised by volunteers. Photo/LTWC

A bird has a high normal temperature. Robins are 106 degrees, hummingbirds are 115 and most raptors (hawks, owls, falcons, etc.) are 104 to 108 degrees. If the bird is allowed to sit in the snow or on the ground for any amount of time, its body heat will drop rapidly.

Birds hide their illness and injuries well. They can appear normal, even with a slight concussion. If you have a window that birds hit regularly, put up a flag or a pretty swirly decoration that twists and turns in the wind.

As always, should you have any questions when dealing with wild birds and animals, please feel free to give us a call at Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care (530.577.CARE).

Cheryl and Tom Millham run Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care on the outskirts of South Lake Tahoe.