Ridiculous pathetic Q: there's a bird dying outside my house, should I kill it?

[Myrddraal]

I must admit that didn't even occur to me. Where the do you find such a place? I've been trawling the net, google maps hasn't helped, even the RSPCB website hasn't helped... I found a website for a place, but it's over an hour's drive away. I tried ringing them and all you get is a recorded message.

The bird is still there. It hasn't moved from the spot where it was sat earlier. It's not really moving, only occasionally.

[Myrddraal]

I found this website:
http://www.rspca.org.uk/inyourarea?p..._p_col_count=2

But even if I put "up to 50 miles" nothing comes up in my area for emergency wildlife care

[Whacker]

As was said, you need to decide what you are comfortable with. My personal opinion is I would have done the same you did in the first instance, and put a suffering animal out of it's misery. If the other animal isn't wounded, then it's arguably not suffering. However, the odds of it surviving are essentially zero. Some predator like a cat will most likely get it. If that happens, then again my opinion is... so be it. Cats need food, and the chick wasn't going to survive outside of the next as less than a fledgling anyway. The bird that you euthanized will become food for other creatures, such as ants and other "recyclers". And with that the circle starts all over again.

[Myrddraal]

Well I can't say the moment I realised the bird wasn't dead after the first blow was the nicest feeling ever, but I think that ultimately it was a mercy. With this second bird I don't think so. I'm inclined to agree with you though, nature will take its course and a cat probably will get the chick, but for now I think the best I can do is leave it be.

[Fragony]

Hmmm my last post didn't make it. If its on the ground it was ready to fly off but was too weak. Put it in a box with some straw, and put a lamp on it to keep it warm. Dig up some worms, if it eats it's 50/50.

[rajpoot]

^^^
What he said.
If the second chick isn't wounded, and you're ready to make an effort, might as well make it a small nest in a box insted of killing it.

[caravel]

Hand rearing of wild birds is next to impossible - avoid it at all costs.

It depends on the maturity of the chick, but if it's reasonably matured (i.e. eyes eyes open and downed or feathered) then it's parents may come down to feed it so long as you leave it be. If you touch it, they will definitely abandon it for good. If it's a newborn chick, then it will probably die on the ground.