baby bird ?'s

[MomLovesClassics]

We found an orphaned bluebird. It is between 1-2 weeks old. we have been feeding it moistened cat food. Also, was planning to feed it soaked raisins, and boiled egg mashed with milk. I was wondering about grains, like soaked bread, cooked soft oatmeal, and such. This bird does not chirp yet. When should we start feeding it worms? Any pointers?

[Nestof3]

Well, we've always taken our injured birds to the "bird lady" down the street. We found her through the local animal shelter.

 

But, this should help:

 

I Found a Baby Bird! Now What?

If you're outside during May, June, and July, sooner or later you're probably going to find a baby bird. Look it over. If it's injured and needs medical attention, take it to your local veterinarian or a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. Call your local game warden for the name and phone number of the nearest wildlife rehabilitator.

 

 

 

If the bird is uninjured you should ask yourself, "Is it really an orphan?" Nine times out of ten the answer is no! Look for nests in nearby trees and shrubs. They are usually well hidden and hard to get to. If you can find the nest, simply put the bird back in it. It's a myth that the parents will not care for young birds that have been touched by humans. In fact, birds have a poor sense of smell. Great horned owls kill and eat skunks without even noticing their overpowering stench.

 

 

If you can't find the nest, put the baby bird in a shrub or tree - somewhere up off the ground. You can even provide a substitute nest by tying a berry basket (with drainage) up in a tree. Most often this is all the help a baby bird needs. As soon as you leave, the parents, who were probably watching you the whole time, will return and continue to feed the fledgling. If you want to be sure the parents are still around, observe the baby bird from a distance, preferably with binoculars. If the parents don't return to an undisturbed nestling in two hours, something may be wrong. The parents may have been killed by predators or hit by a car. Don't worry if you only see one parent. A single parent can raise the young alone.

 

Hand Raising Baby Birds

 

If you decide to try raising a baby bird yourself, here's what you're in for:

 

• nestling must be fed every 14­20 minutes from sunrise to sunset
  
• an adult robin makes about 400 trips every day to feed its young
  
• if the nestling is a few days old, it will take several weeks before it can be released
  
• adult birds teach their young where to look for food and how to
  avoid predators - things impossible for humans to do.
  

You will need to provide a proper diet, clean suitable living quarters, and fresh water every day. Still, despite your best efforts, most hand-raised birds will die. This is the fate of most young birds in the natural world, where 90-95% perish before they're old enough to breed themselves. Call your local vet with bird experience for advice.

Despite the fact that different birds eat different foods, the diet of the young is remarkably standard. Like human babies, birds need protein and lots of it to help them grow at such an incredibly fast rate. For most land birds (robins, cardinals, bluejays, swallows, and woodpeckers) the basic food is meat. Raw kidney, liver, or canned dog food have been used with good results.

 

Preparation of the meat depends somewhat upon the size of the bird - if it is very small, then the pieces of the meat must also be small. As the bird grows the size of the pieces can be increased. You may cut the meat into strips when fresh and place it in small packages in the freezer to be thawed and used as needed.

 

Vary this diet with the white of hard-boiled egg cut into strips; and mash the yolk with milk to a thin paste. Raisins soaked in water and drained when plump or dog biscuits soaked in milk may be given to young birds.

 

Another excellent diet can be provided by mixing the following formula:

1/4 cup lean ground beef 1 teaspoon cottage cheese 1/4 cup canned dog food 1/4 hard-boiled egg yolk 1 teaspoon sand or fine dirt 1 teaspoon dried turtle food

 

Keep out enough of the mixture at room temperature for a couple of feedings, refrigerate enough for the day. The remainder can be frozen for later use. As the bird grows, gradually add finely cut worms, grasshoppers, crickets, and other insects. A good source of insect can be obtained by collecting the insects beneath an electronic "bug zapper." Fruit-eating birds can be fed grapes and berries.

 

Feeding Baby Birds

The food should be at room temperature and fed to the bird by hand or with dull tweezers or forceps. Place one hand over the bird's back and wings, raise the head into an erect position, and tap the base of the bill lightly to signal that it's time for feeding. Drop a small amount of food into the gaping mouth. If the bird will not open its mouth, gently force it open. Drop the food well into the throat, being careful not to puncture skin in the throat. Do not force feed liquids. Feed the bird until it's full and no longer gapes. Keep handling to a minimum.

 

Housing Your Charge

Nestling should be kept in a warm shoe box. Line the box with paper towels that can be changed frequently, and place in a warm place. Keep the bird out of drafts to avoid respiratory infections. Sick or injured birds should be taken to a veterinarian. As the bird grows, a larger cage will be needed. Old window screens can be fashioned into an aviary.

 

Releasing the Baby Bird

Test fly your bird indoors; a screened-in porch is ideal. As soon as the bird can fly and gain altitude it can be released back to the wild. The shorter the bird is in captivity, the better. Release your bird in an area with abundant natural food where you've seen other birds of the same species.

[Jane in NC]

My first bit of advice is to place the bird in a hanging basket in a tree near where you found it. Mom may be looking for it.

 

If you continue to feed it, you might want to add crickets to its diet. (You can buy a can of crickets at a bait shop.) Keep the bird warm.

 

I volunteer with a bird rehabber. We feed orphans a cat food mix and crickets, primarily. The cat food mix is modified to incorporate typical dietary elements of the species. Bluebirds eat fruit so you could add a bit of strawberry or another berry to the mix.

[MomLovesClassics]

We would never have got this bird if it had a mother. If we would have left it, the cat would have made a meal of it. So far it seems to be doing well. This is the 2nd day.

[KristenS]

FWIW, it's technically illegal to keep wild birds, orphaned or not. That's why they so often advise you to find a local wildlife rehabber. You have to be certified to do that work.

 

But that's just FYI. I'd probably try to help the bird too. :) We don't have enough rehabbers around here (I haven't yet had time for the training or anything myself) and I'm a sucker for baby birds. Don't find many though.

 

Lots of luck! Baby critters are so cute.

[RoughCollie]

My mother used to try to save baby birds that had fallen out of their nests. One time, she saved a robin, which we named Petey. I will never forget Mom teaching Petey to fly. He actually learned that, but he would not leave. Now I think he thought Mom was his mother, because he was a basically featherless newborn bird when he fell out of the the nest. He lived with us for his entire life. Every morning at the crack of dawn he would sing so loudly that he woke up the entire family.

[Jane in NC]

FWIW, it's technically illegal to keep wild birds, orphaned or not. That's why they so often advise you to find a local wildlife rehabber. You have to be certified to do that work.

 

But that's just FYI. I'd probably try to help the bird too. :) We don't have enough rehabbers around here (I haven't yet had time for the training or anything myself) and I'm a sucker for baby birds. Don't find many though.

 

Lots of luck! Baby critters are so cute.

 

I believe that it is illegal by federal law to keep migratory birds and raptors without a permit. Perhaps states dictate laws concerning non-migratory birds? (The person with whom I volunteer has a federal permit so I have not had to worry about technicality.)

[KristenS]

Good question. The law I'm familiar with mentioned songbirds specifically, and I don't know of too many non-migratory species. I was pretty sure it was a federal type law (since it was back in my pre-baby animal nut days and it was a Yahoo search collection of sites where I got the info). But I could be wrong.

 

I only mentioned it so people don't accidentally get in 'trouble' for helping birds. Me, I'm all for going ahead and trying anyway, as long as you get realllllly good advice or already know what you're doing. :) The last one we had was a dying baby mockingbird (didn't last the night, it was sick and I don't think even a rehabber could've helped, but I couldn't find one anyway). That was a good five years ago or more though. I admit to not being totally current here.

[MomLovesClassics]

Strange thing, in the past when we found birds this was our experience. Called vet after vet, none would accept the birds. Called animal control, the one in control of local animal problems, they would not take it. Asked them all who do we call, they all said animal control. Called wildlife services, they didn't want bird either, said do whatever. Took several days, to get turned down by them all, I get tired of running in circles like that. I didn't expect this little bird to last this long, but it appears fine. It is growing, chirping, and eating. My kids are really enjoying it, they are learning a lot.

[Nestof3]

Strange thing, in the past when we found birds this was our experience. Called vet after vet, none would accept the birds. Called animal control, the one in control of local animal problems, they would not take it. Asked them all who do we call, they all said animal control. Called wildlife services, they didn't want bird either, said do whatever. Took several days, to get turned down by them all, I get tired of running in circles like that. I didn't expect this little bird to last this long, but it appears fine. It is growing, chirping, and eating. My kids are really enjoying it, they are learning a lot.

 

Sounds like a blast!

 

I have kept the number to the bird lady down the street. We've only found injured birds, though. In the same week, one baby black bird had what we think was a broken neck and another (from the same nest) was found dead on the ground. We were sad.