On the reflector or flash..this all depends on how high the bird was.
I agree with the branch comment..you can't make out it's beak at all. I say try to lighten it in post, but I doubt that would help much. It might distort the image and add noise that wasn't there.
the original is better because it somewhat helps isolate the subject.... if you shot raw you can selective adjust the exposure on the bird to make it stand out a little more...