• Admissions & Booking
    • • Planning your visit
    • • Group Visits
    • • About your visit
    • • Meerkat Kastle
    • • Find Us
    • • Discovery Centre
    • • Download a map of S.O.S.
  • About S.O.S.
  • Making a Donation
  • Help for Injured Owls
    • * Avian Flu
    • • What to Do
    • • Injured Owls
    • • Orphaned Owls
    • • The S.O.S. Raptor Hospital
    • • Raptor Rescue Orgs.
    • • Help For Other Injured Wildlife
  • Adopt-an-Owl...
  • Saving Britain's Owls
    • • Overview
    • • Wild Owl Nestboxes
    • • Keeping Owls as Pets
    • • Owls & The Law
    • • Nest Box Scheme
  • Education at S.O.S.
    • • S.O.S. Education Department
    • • Education Visits to S.O.S.
    • • Outreach Visits
    • • Higher & Further Education
    • • School and Group Projects
    • • The SOS Shop
    • • "The Screecher" Newsletter
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  • Encounters & Experiences
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    • • Close Encounters
    • • Owl Encounters
    • • Meerkat Encounters
    • • Armadillo Encounters
    • • Porcupine Encounters
    • • Half Day Animal Keeper
    • • Half Day Bird Keeper
    • • Keeper for the Day
    • • The WILD Club 2025
  • Pellet Detectives
  • S.O.S. Events
  • We Are Hiring
  • Raptor Factors
  • Photography at S.O.S.
    • • 2024 Photo Competition Results
  • Home Fun For Kids!
  • The S.O.S. Blog
  • Volunteering at S.O.S.
    • • Help Us at S.O.S. H.Q.
    • • Volunteer Hosts
    • • Corporate Volunteers
    • • Join the Owl-Reach Team!
  • Hedgehog Care
  • Bees, Bugs & Butterflies
  • Suffolk's Endangered Wildlife
  • Newsletter Archive
  • Legacies & Donations
  • Local Events & Places to Stay
  • Our Sponsors
  • S.O.S. Privacy Policy
  • Use of CCTV at S.O.S.
  • S.O.S. Safeguarding Policy
  • Menu

Suffolk Owl Sanctuary

  • Admissions & Booking
    • • Planning your visit
    • • Group Visits
    • • About your visit
    • • Meerkat Kastle
    • • Find Us
    • • Discovery Centre
    • • Download a map of S.O.S.
  • About S.O.S.
  • Making a Donation
  • Help for Injured Owls
    • * Avian Flu
    • • What to Do
    • • Injured Owls
    • • Orphaned Owls
    • • The S.O.S. Raptor Hospital
    • • Raptor Rescue Orgs.
    • • Help For Other Injured Wildlife
  • Adopt-an-Owl...
  • Saving Britain's Owls
    • • Overview
    • • Wild Owl Nestboxes
    • • Keeping Owls as Pets
    • • Owls & The Law
    • • Nest Box Scheme
  • Education at S.O.S.
    • • S.O.S. Education Department
    • • Education Visits to S.O.S.
    • • Outreach Visits
    • • Higher & Further Education
    • • School and Group Projects
    • • The SOS Shop
    • • "The Screecher" Newsletter
    • • Group Talks
  • Encounters & Experiences
    • • Gift Passes
    • • Close Encounters
    • • Owl Encounters
    • • Meerkat Encounters
    • • Armadillo Encounters
    • • Porcupine Encounters
    • • Half Day Animal Keeper
    • • Half Day Bird Keeper
    • • Keeper for the Day
    • • The WILD Club 2025
  • Pellet Detectives
  • S.O.S. Events
  • We Are Hiring
  • Raptor Factors
  • Photography at S.O.S.
    • • 2024 Photo Competition Results
  • Home Fun For Kids!
  • The S.O.S. Blog
  • Volunteering at S.O.S.
    • • Help Us at S.O.S. H.Q.
    • • Volunteer Hosts
    • • Corporate Volunteers
    • • Join the Owl-Reach Team!
  • Hedgehog Care
  • Bees, Bugs & Butterflies
  • Suffolk's Endangered Wildlife
  • Newsletter Archive
  • Legacies & Donations
  • Local Events & Places to Stay
  • Our Sponsors
  • S.O.S. Privacy Policy
  • Use of CCTV at S.O.S.
  • S.O.S. Safeguarding Policy


The Suffolk Owl Sanctuary
Stonham Barns
Pettaugh Road
Stonham Aspal IP14 6AT
e-mail:
info@owlhelp.org.uk

Tel: 03456 807 897
Option 3: General information
+ Adoptions, Courses etc.
Option 5: If you need help with an injured bird of prey

Reg. Charity No. 1086565

25_02+Kestrel+in+hopsital+FB+Insta.jpg

Sparrowhawk suffers potentially fatal collision

February 21, 2020

A caring member of the public recently heard a rather loud bang on his window, and went outside to discover a concussed sparrowhawk laying on the ground.

Luckily he was extremely quick to act, and was kind enough to take the bird to his local vet for assessment. Although no broken bones were found, he is presenting some quite serious neurological symptoms which are preventing him from flying. This usually points to symptoms of concussion such as swelling of the brain, or in the worst case scenario, a spinal compression that will cause detrimental lasting effects. 

Although this bird is now safely in our care, we cannot currently predict the outcome of his injuries - we need time to monitor and assess the long term damage. Sadly, many impact cases end in euthanasia - especially if the symptoms are limiting the ability of flight, and therefore, survival.

Only time will tell with this particular case…however prevention is far better than cure, and there are a few things you can do at home to prevent situations such as this…

03_07 Window vinyls.jpg

Although some birds collide during a chase, most do so because they see a reflection of the sky and trees in the glass and it looks like an inviting place to fly into. Other times it may be because there is another window or mirror in the room making the bird think there is a way through.

If you have a particular window which is prone to attracting unwary birds, the hazard can be reduced in the following ways:

  • Bird deterrent tape
    Apply strips of tape to the outside of windows, spaced about 2.5cm apart.

  • Window silhouettes
    Place close together, about 1 hand’s distance apart. You could also use decals, stickers, sun catchers or old CDs to create a reflective deterrent. Remember: placing just one or two window stickers on a large window is not going to prevent collisions - they must cover most of the glass ensuring the spaces between are too narrow for birds to fly through.

  • Soap
    Apply a thin film to the outside of your windows.

  • Film
    There are window films available that are transparent on the inside but opaque on the outside.

  • No plants
    Move indoor plants away from the windows so birds are not attracted to perch on them. 

  • Tactical placement of bird feeders
    For predatory birds such as sparrowhawks, tactical placement of bird feeders (away from windows and near to cover such as trees or hedges) will greatly reduce the odds of small songbirds being chased into windows, giving them a chance of escape.

For more info click here


If you find an injured owl or bird of prey, call SOS for emergency advice on 03456 807 897 (opt 5)


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