Found baby bird (robin) just hatched. Advice.

[joyfulhomeschooler]

My son found a bird that had most likely fallen from the nest when it hatched. We looked for a nest, but couldn't find one. So we have it in a box with a towel and a heating pad on med under the box. It is doing really well. We've been feeding it watered down cat food. It is starting to get stronger already and opening it's own beak to eat and chirps when hungry. I know there isn't much chance of it living, but we are trying.

 

My question is, does it need to eat throughout the night? Or can it wait until the morning? If so how long can it go without food. Is it worth it to get up at night to feed it?

[Tap]

http://www.wildbirdcarecentre.org/english/rescuer.html#What

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Edited June 13, 2012 by Tap, tap, tap

[Donna]

I raised a baby robin while in college. My cat had gotten hold of it but hadn't yet injured it and we couldn't find the nest or put it back in a tree to wait for its mom without the cat getting it again. I made it a nest in a box and dug worms out of my dad's compost pile every other day. I kept them in a can, chopped one every 3 hours and mixed with egg (if I remember correctly), then cleaned out the "nest" after it had eaten.

 

It lived and I taught it to fly in the yard. Once it could fly well, it lived outside on its own and whenever I wanted to feed it I banged on that can of worms and it would fly down and land on my shoulder to eat or follow me out to the strawberry patch for a treat. Friends thought it was the coolest thing to have a robin come down and land. Sometimes I would find it coming out of the strawberries with its little beak covered in them. I taught it to find its own worms in the compost pile so he would "dig" when I dug. When it was fully grown the cat got a couple of its tail feathers and it would not come to me after that.

[Jane in NC]

I raised a baby robin while in college. My cat had gotten hold of it but hadn't yet injured it and we couldn't find the nest or put it back in a tree to wait for its mom without the cat getting it again. I made it a nest in a box and dug worms out of my dad's compost pile every other day. I kept them in a can, chopped one every 3 hours and mixed with egg (if I remember correctly), then cleaned out the "nest" after it had eaten.

 

It lived and I taught it to fly in the yard. Once it could fly well, it lived outside on its own and whenever I wanted to feed it I banged on that can of worms and it would fly down and land on my shoulder to eat or follow me out to the strawberry patch for a treat. Friends thought it was the coolest thing to have a robin come down and land. Sometimes I would find it coming out of the strawberries with its little beak covered in them. I taught it to find its own worms in the compost pile so he would "dig" when I dug. When it was fully grown the cat got a couple of its tail feathers and it would not come to me after that.

 

I would discourage anyone from attempting what you did as it violates the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (unless you had a permit).

 

To the OP: Your local law enforcement office should be able to direct you to a federally licensed rabber. Baby birds eat almost constantly during daylight hours but settle down for the night. Not sure if cat food is the way to go. Baby robins usually eat a combination of meal worms and fruits.

[hsmamainva]

Do you have a wildlife sanctuary / bird sanctuary, etc. near you?

 

This happened to us years ago and there was a wildlife / bird sanctuary about 45 minutes from our house. We found them in the phone book. Your local animal shelter may have a phone number for one nearby, too.

 

We wrapped the bird up in a towel and drove it up there and they raised it and set it free when it was old enough to learn to fly.

 

My oldest son still remembers this! He was 4 years old and he was the one who found it on the ground. He named him "Fluffer". :D

[Laurie4b]

Next time, leave it where it is. The parents usually will take care of a baby even on the ground. Since it may be too late for that, I would call around to find the local wildlife rescue and take it there.

[Geo]

I raised a baby robin while in college. My cat had gotten hold of it but hadn't yet injured it and we couldn't find the nest or put it back in a tree to wait for its mom without the cat getting it again. I made it a nest in a box and dug worms out of my dad's compost pile every other day. I kept them in a can, chopped one every 3 hours and mixed with egg (if I remember correctly), then cleaned out the "nest" after it had eaten.

 

It lived and I taught it to fly in the yard. Once it could fly well, it lived outside on its own and whenever I wanted to feed it I banged on that can of worms and it would fly down and land on my shoulder to eat or follow me out to the strawberry patch for a treat. Friends thought it was the coolest thing to have a robin come down and land. Sometimes I would find it coming out of the strawberries with its little beak covered in them. I taught it to find its own worms in the compost pile so he would "dig" when I dug. When it was fully grown the cat got a couple of its tail feathers and it would not come to me after that.

 

 

How beautiful. I raised a sparrow in my teens. We weren't nearly as adoreable though. :D

[Starr]

I was told to put them on a branch and the mother will take care of them.

[DianeW88]

Call County Animal Services or the Department of Wildlife in your area. They will give you the number for someone who is trained and licensed to care for them. We have a wild bird sanctuary here, and they will take care of all the orphans or cat victims. They're wonderful and they know what they're doing. If this bird has no feathers and its eyes are not yet opened...they are very difficult to care for on your own, and he will most likely not make it.

[Amy in NH]

A brood parasite will push the eggs and/or hatchlings of its host out of the nest. They are usually so much bigger than the host hatchlings that they will require all of the parents' time, leaving no time to care for the supplanted chicks on the ground.

 

I've not had luck keeping them alive for more than a couple of days. I've also heard/read to feed cat or dog food with tweezers. Hopefully you'll have better luck than I have...

[joyfulhomeschooler]

Thanks for all your help and advice. If it ever happens again we will do as directed and put it in a bush or tree. I couldn't just leave it though as our dog or cat would have gotten it I'm sure... or maybe even the chickens.

 

I found a number for our local wildlife bird rescue just now and will give them a call here shortly. It is doing amazingly well so far and I don't want to see it start declining and I don't want my son seeing that either... so we will hand it over to the experts.

 

Thanks again :)

[hsmamainva]

Thanks for all your help and advice. If it ever happens again we will do as directed and put it in a bush or tree. I couldn't just leave it though as our dog or cat would have gotten it I'm sure... or maybe even the chickens.

 

I found a number for our local wildlife bird rescue just now and will give them a call here shortly. It is doing amazingly well so far and I don't want to see it start declining and I don't want my son seeing that either... so we will hand it over to the experts.

 

Thanks again :)

 

Cool beans!

 

You did a nice thing rescuing the bird. Make sure you take pictures of your son with the bird so he can remember the experience. :)

[Donna]

I would discourage anyone from attempting what you did as it violates the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (unless you had a permit).

 

To the OP: Your local law enforcement office should be able to direct you to a federally licensed rabber. Baby birds eat almost constantly during daylight hours but settle down for the night. Not sure if cat food is the way to go. Baby robins usually eat a combination of meal worms and fruits.

 

Was that in effect 25 years ago?

 

We do take all our found critters to a wildlife rehabber now. We've saved a baby squirrel and a couple bunnies the neighbor's cat was after a couple years ago.

[Jane in NC]

Was that in effect 25 years ago?

 

We do take all our found critters to a wildlife rehabber now. We've saved a baby squirrel and a couple bunnies the neighbor's cat was after a couple years ago.

 

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act went into effect in 1918--but honestly I have no clue when the permitting process began.

 

I sit on the board of directors of a non-profit, federally permitted bird shelter. Thus I have seen too many cases of people who want to raise "baby owls" only to learn that their bird is not a baby but a full grown Eastern Screech Owl. Sigh.

 

But we love our volunteers and transporters!