Public warned NEVER to put water in mouth of bird as it could bring on 'a horrible death'

The social media post says: “IMPORTANT NOTICE

"Please - If you find a bird, NEVER put water in it's mouth.

"The little hole you can see at the back of this birds tongue is their airway. One wrong drop in there, and the bird aspirates, meaning it drowns.

"They can't cough the water back up, and it's a horrible death.”

The post adds: “Baby birds get all their moisture from the food the parents feed them.

"If you find an adult bird that is dehydrated, offer it some water to drink by itself, or you can dip a cotton bud in water, and wipe the tiniest bit down the side of their beak, making sure you avoid the nostrils.

"People are messaging me saying they've syringed water in to a birds mouth.

"This is usually a death sentence, and the bird goes downhill over the next few hours.

"If you find a baby bird, keep it warm. If they don't have full feathers, they need a gentle heat source.

"They can't make their own body heat.

"NEVER feed a cold bird. Their digestive system stops when cold, and this also results more often than not, in the bird dying slowly.

Warmth is key.”