One day, a man named Sammy saw a ‘little lump’ on the sidewalk. Sammy stopped to investigate, and he was shocked when he realized the lump was a baby hummingbird.
It was clear the hummingbird wasn’t going to make it on her own. And so, Sammy scooped the bird up and brought her home.
He named her Flit.
Kindhearted Sammy was an animal lover, and he’d helped rescue dogs before. But Flit was the first bird he’d ever rescued, and so he had to create a makeshift habitat for her.
“For a perch, I had a popsicle stick and duct-taped that to the side,” Sammy told The Dodo.
When Sammy first brought Flit home, he realized she couldn’t fly.
Sammy wasn’t sure if she lacked the strength to fly or simply lacked the confidence — his guess was it was a bit of both.
“There were a couple times she started flapping her wings really fast,” Sammy said. But still, she wasn’t able to get airborne.
Sammy made it his mission to help her use her wings. First, he fed her to help her build up strength.
“I found, like most other animals, Flit here is motivated by food,” Sammy said.
Sammy used food to motivate Flit, and eventually, she was able to fly up to the syringe he used to give her nectar! Sammy was so excited to see her flying.
Sammy also set up branches around his home to mimic Flit’s natural environment. As she got stronger, she was able to fly onto the branches.
Eventually, Sammy realized that Flit was strong enough to go back to the wild. And so, once he was sure she would be able to survive on her own, he took her into his backyard and released her.
“She went straight to her food source,” Sammy said. “That gave me a lot of relief and security in the fact that she was going to be okay.”
Sammy documented his journey with Flit on TikTok.
Millions of people watched as the kindhearted man took care of this tiny bird. Everyone was so touched by his dedication and thrilled to see Flit successfully return to the wild.
@samd0331The day I found Flit
After hearing Sammy’s story, you may be wondering, what should you do if you encounter a hummingbird in need?
According to Hummingbird Guide, there are a few steps you should take. The website says:
“In all situations, we always recommend contacting a Wildlife Rehabilitator. Hummingbirds are different than other birds. They live on the edge of survival and have special complex requirements. For example a hummingbird needs to eat constantly due to an exceptionally fast metabolism. Your timeline for rescue is as short as several hours.
A Wildlife Rehabilitator can help in several ways. You may be able to transport the little bird to the facility where trained professionals have equipment, special cages and food to rehabilitate the hummingbird. If you use a cell phone, they can often offer help in a conversation. We advise that you take a picture to aide them even further. You know the old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words.”
The website also has recommendations for what to do if you encounter an injured, freezing, or stunned hummingbird.
Sammy did such a great job taking care of Flit, and we’re so glad she’s back in the wild where she belongs! Hopefully, she’ll come back and visit Sammy one day.
Check out the video about Flit and Sammy below.
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