Caring For Baby Bird

angel00079

We found a baby bird. It has most of it's feathers apart from on its back. We keep an eye on it but parents did not come for it so we have brought it inside. We gave it very small pieces of bread.

I have tried to get more info on how to look after it. I have read that you shouldn't give it milk or liquids are it is no good for their lungs. I also read that they need feeding every 15 minutes or they start to digest their own stomach. It didn't want the last bit of bread/milk, this was before I found out that it was no good for it.

Would mushed dried cat food be ok? Any sugestions where I could take it? I am guessing that as it is a wild bird the vets is not suitable.

meerkat2007

I would try the vets. Before now, I've taken a baby field mouse to the vets: they just took the mouse from me, and it didn't cost anything - I think my vets treat any wild animal for free.

On a recent visit to the vets, I overheard a conversation where it became apparent that someone had taken a baby bird in.

Froglet

Cat food would be much better than bread.Mealworms would be best,though you would have to cut them in half if the bird is small and that is not an easy thing to stomach.Can you identify the bird?

http://www.ehow.com/how_2057888_feed-orphaned-baby-bird.html

whereabouts are you? Can you google wildlife centres in your area and take it to one? they will have all the facilities and know how.

angel00079

The bird is a lot more perky. It is chirping and walking around.

The nearest wildlife is 20 miles away. We will speak to the vet and ask if we might be able to leave the bird in a safe place to see if parents turn up.

YorkiePud_3

I don't want to be the voice of doom, but please prepare yourself incase this little bird doesn't make it. Obviously, we all want it to, and you do too!
But I have rescued so many baby birds and it is only a few who make it ... they can look lively and fine one minute then you can go back to check on them and find they have passed away.

As I say, I don't want to upset you but I just wanted to say when they seem so well, it is a real shock to lose them so quickly like that so just be ready incase that happens here.

I feel awful saying that when it looks like things are going well, but I have been there and been heartbroken when I lost one so I just wanted to kind of prepare you for what could happen but fingers crossed this little one makes it!

If you use a syringe to give it water, please be careful because people have been known to give them too much and they can actually drown that way, too.

Likewise, mealworms can choke baby birds so I would totally avoid those.

I would get some Webbox dog food ... you know the sort that is in a sausage shape? I would cut some up and mush it up till it was almost like a smooth liquid pulp, then I would get a little bit on a spoon and put it under the bird's beak to try and prompt it to eat. If it doesn't take any then I would put a bit of it around its beak. All birds like to have a clean beak so it may lick it off its beak, thereby eating a bit. And, with Webbox having a high moisture content, it would help it get moisture without you having to syringe it any.

Best of luck!!

jen77_2

I would agree with Yorkie, a lot dont make it...........i saved a baby housemartin last year, it had been knocked out of nest during a storm and was wet through on patio.

I managed to feed it tiny pieces of cat food using tweezers..if you tapped side of its beak with the loaded tweezers, it would open its beak really wide so you could drop food in. I was feeding it every 2-3 hrs..not overnight though..it had last feed before bed and then as soon as i woke. It was feathered, it had been knocked out of nest a couple of days too soon i think.

I only had it 24hrs overnight by which time it had dried out and got plenty of food in belly...was lovely watching it fly off, had a little tear in my eye!

dianetheartist

I raised a baby chaffinch and some baby swallows using a mixture of raw mince meat mixed with hard boiled egg and water till sloppy.Looked and smelled revolting! That was recommended by a bird resucue centre.they also told us to use pointed twizzers to feed them with-every 20 minutes during daylight hours, as they would be fed by mum and dad.Definatly dont use meal worms-they will choke as yorkiepud says
Its hard work-the swallows were funny though-the nest fell off the wall, I had them in a pyrex bowl lined with kitchen towel--they used to make sure they pooed out of the ''nest'' by cocking their bums out and firing it out-i got covered a few times!
Dont be tempted to use worms or insects out of the garden--I had little chaffinch going well for a week until we chopped up a worm for him thinking that was more natural for him--am sure thats what killed him :-( he didnt seem to like it and he was dead next day.
We took them everywhere with us-craft fairs and everything.In the end the RSPB came for them as it was soooo time consuming to do all the time-

angel00079

Finally got around to going online.

The bird really wasn't happy inside. So before going to work on Saturday I put it outside. I left strict instuctions with my brother to keep an eye on it from a distance. It's parent appeared so a happy ending. I am not sure why they didn't appear on Friday as we waited ages.

Thanks for all your contributions. I hope that I will not need to use your advice but I will know what to do in the future if needs be. I was really worried about doing the wrong thing for the bird. I wasn't sure if it was poorly or just stranded in the sun.

Froglet

Well done,you have done brilliantly to keep it alive,they are quite hard to rear because of the stress of being anywhere near a human.Glad it is now back in the wild.

Busy-Bee_6

dianetheartist wrote: »

I raised a baby chaffinch and some baby swallows using a mixture of raw mince meat mixed with hard boiled egg and water till sloppy.Looked and smelled revolting! That was recommended by a bird resucue centre.they also told us to use pointed twizzers to feed them with-every 20 minutes during daylight hours, as they would be fed by mum and dad.Definatly dont use meal worms-they will choke as yorkiepud says
Its hard work-the swallows were funny though-the nest fell off the wall, I had them in a pyrex bowl lined with kitchen towel--they used to make sure they pooed out of the ''nest'' by cocking their bums out and firing it out-i got covered a few times!
Dont be tempted to use worms or insects out of the garden--I had little chaffinch going well for a week until we chopped up a worm for him thinking that was more natural for him--am sure thats what killed him :-( he didnt seem to like it and he was dead next day.
We took them everywhere with us-craft fairs and everything.In the end the RSPB came for them as it was soooo time consuming to do all the time-

I raised a baby chaffinch and some baby swallows

Ahhh more people who spend half thier lives helping baby birds. I'm glad I'm not alone. Just taken in an injured goldcrest.