How to care for a bird with a broken leg is one of the questions readers are asking.

It can be distressing to see a bird hobbling on one leg, whether the other leg is missing or only the foot is amputation, and many compassionate birders wonder, can birds survive with one limb?Understanding injuries can help birders understand how birds react.

Depending on the extent of the injury, it is not always possible to tell if a bird has a leg or foot amputation.

It is important to know that birds can often appear to have lost a leg without actually missing a limb.Many birds tuck one leg into their feathers to keep it from getting hot during the summer, or to warm it up on cool days.Any bird species could be missing a leg now and then, and this is a common form of temperature regulation.Birders will notice that the birds will shift their balance to the other leg occasionally.

If a bird has one leg, watch for movement.A one-legged bird can hop or bounce.It may seem unbalanced without putting down that missing leg, and it may have more difficulty landing or perching.A one-legged bird will show only one leg after takeoff, as they gain altitude.

When a bird is injured or disabled, it will not survive.Other consequences of the injury, such as weakness or infection, may take a toll, but some birds adapt amazingly well to being one-legged.Birds don't suffer the psychological trauma of a lost limb as humans would, but they do adapt their behavior to compensate.