Video shows Tbilisi Zoo crew help injured bird fly

"The final scene of this video will put a smile on your face” – these words accompanied a video uploaded by Tbilisi Zoo on its Facebook page about the rescue of a small, apparently-injured bird.

The bird, a common swift, was discovered this morning by a Tbilisi resident on their balcony.

The resident did not know how to feed or care for the injured bird, so called Tbilisi Zoo for assistance.

"We asked the [person] to bring the bird to us because it is very difficult to find out at home if a bird has any injuries,” the Zoo administration said.

After being thoroughly examined, the bird was found to be in good health. Zoo staff trimmed the bird’s feathers and released it.

The Zoo specialists said these types of birds had very short legs which they used only for clinging to vertical surfaces. They rarely settled voluntarily on the ground, where they would be vulnerable to accidents and predation.

"If something happens to these birds while flying and they land, they are not capable of fly again on their own,” the Zoo administration said.

They said it was common to see injured common swift in streets or on balconies in spring.

"If we find them we should check them thoroughly, then trim their feathers and help them fly by throwing them from a high building or throwing them up,” Tbilisi Zoo said.

However, they advised people not to do this on their own and to bring such birds to the Zoo for a check-up and release by professionals.

Moreover, birds and their droppings could potentially carry diseases so people were not encouraged to handle them on their own.