Renate and All:
The best thing to do is to avoid the temptation of opening the bag.
Just bring the bird in here. We can check the species ID, check for
injuries and give the bird a dose of an anti-inflammatory medication.

The bird could have a fractured mandible, injured eye, broken leg,
etc. and still be able to flutter in the bag.

If a bird is fluttering quite a bit in a paper bag, use a towel or
sheet to cover the bag -- sometimes a reduction in light will help
calm the bird.

Thanks!

Scott

--- In WHSWIngs@yahoogroups.com, "rwitt6" <rwitt6@...> wrote:
>
> I picked up a bird yesterday morning which wasn't moving, but was
still
> alive (I assume it was stunned). I put it in a paper grocery bag
and
> did not hear any sounds until right before I got to the WHS parking
> lot. Then the bird started fluttering. I waited several minutes
in
> the parking lot, but the bird kept moving in the bag. I was
concerned
> that it might injure itself in the bag, so I took it outside my car
and
> opened the bag (I figured if the bird was injured, it wouldn't be
able
> to fly away). The second I opened the bag, it zipped up into the
sky
> and flew away. If I have this situation again in the future, is it
> okay to release birds which seem to have recovered, or would you
like
> to examine all birds before they are released? I arrived at WHS at
> 7:30am, so would have had to leave this bird at the back door until
> someone arrived.
>