Birds with injured or broken wings usually end up not being releasable. A vet should be the first port of call to ascertain the extent of the injury.
Sometimes injuries are just bruising, and with some time in care, a bird can be fully rehabilitated and released. Note where the bird is found so that it can go back – it may well have a partner or family waiting for it.
Depending upon the species, a broken leg is not the end of the world. Many birds survive with only a stump; as long as they can fly and hunt or find their own food. Birds hit by cars are often only stunned, and removing them from the road to the verge or surrounding bush gives them time to recuperate without being the next squashed animal on the road by the following car. Baby birds sitting on roads without parents in sight should be collected and taken to a vet for assessment.
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