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In need of help and advice for caring for a baby bird

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In need of help and advice for caring for a baby bird

Postby Leozumi » Sat Oct 26, 2019 12:48 pm

we found a baby bird two days ago on a hike. i looked around for nests and couldn’t find any, and it was starting to storm, so we took it home. per the instructions of a wildlife center nearby, we put it in a box with a towel in the warmest, darkest, and quietest part of the house without food or water.

the next morning, we took it to the center, but unfortunately, they were full. they gave us a list of other possible centers that could take the bird in, but i called the closest ones, and have not received a call back, or was told they did not have any room. the rest of the options are hours away, and unfortunately everyone in my household works during the week.

the person that helped us at the initial wildlife center gave us a can of cat food that she said would sustain the bird nutritionally for two days, but now those two days are almost up.

it might be possible for us to make the drive this weekend, but, it seems i’ll be taking care of it for the time being. we were told taking it back and building it a makeshift nest for the mom to find it could work, but since it’s on a hiking trail and not somewhere we could check on it, i fear that could put it in a worse situation.

does anyone have any advice? i know that many baby birds unfortunately don’t make it, but i couldn’t walk away from it without trying to help. if cat food will no longer provide it with the necessary nutrients, what else could i start to feed it? does it need to be fed every 30 minutes? i’ve heard holding it close can calm it, so i’ve been doing that at night before bed. is there anything else i should be doing? i have a shift at work tomorrow and am nervous about leaving it for that long. any help is much appreciated. hope y’all are having a great day.
Leozumi
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Re: In need of help and advice for caring for a baby bird

Postby Pajarita » Sun Oct 27, 2019 9:22 am

You did not say what species and that makes a big difference in the type of food you should be feeding it. The best solution is to find somebody who has experience raising wild birds because they need to be in an environment that keeps a strict solar schedule and it's also safe for it not to be in a cage (you can't cage a baby bird that is going to be released into the wild and no, you can't keep it as a pet UNLESS it's an invasive species).

Yes, you do have to feed it very often (how often depends on the age and species). You need to keep it in a little 'nest' (so the legs don't get all splayed out because the edge of the nest helps hold it upright) with a heating pad under it (the kind that does not turn off automatically after a couple of hours). You can feed it baby bird formula either by itself (if it's very young) or with a bit of dog or cat food (the pate kind in cans) mixed in.

Where are you located? If you are in the NY area, I can take it in.
Pajarita
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