Baby bird needs help!?

Question

My beeotch cat found a baby bird this morning and dropped it on my porch. I'm not sure what kind of bird it is, (i'm guessing a robin since there are a lot of those around here) but i'm not positive on what it is. It doesn't seem hurt at all, its VERY tiny, no feathers yet, just some like peachfur on its back. I put it in a hanging plant in my backyard where birds usually hang out when i found the poor guy hoping its mother would find him. When I came home from work (about 10 hours later) it was still there and alive. I fed it some milk through a straw (he seemed to like it) hoping to give it some nutrients and hydration. I looked around for the nest and cant find it anywhere. What should i do with the baby bird?! should i bring it inside tonight (nights usually drop to about 55 deg. here) or leave it out in the hanging plant in case the mother bird finds it early in the morning? and what should i feed it? I'm affraid to give it anything solid because i dont want it to choke!

Answer 1

Bring it inside immediately and put it in a warm but well-ventilated covered box to wait for treatment. Darkness reduces stress and is the best treatment for shock.

If you have a hot water bottle -- put a little hot -- but not scalding water in it -- put it in wrapped in a thick towel -- in one corner of a box, make sure the little one isnt going to overheat however you position him in there, but warmth is the key factor as he is probably in shock as well as being cold & hungry... Deal with the shock first.

With an eyedropper, drop 1 tiny drop of  water on its beak, as he will be dehydrated. Do not squirt water into it's mouth or force liquid into it... It could go into it's airways. By putting just a little drop on top of his beak - he will hopefully open his mouth and take it in -- and if thats the case - you could give another - as long as he keeps swallowing it himself.

He may have an injury from the cats teeth that you cant see & unfortunately - he may get infection, but he may be lucky... Lets hope the cat carried him nicely...  I think for this reason - you should take him to a vet clinic and ask them to check him over and then organise a carer for him.... Dont leave this until tomorrow  -- the longer you take to act - the less chance he has.

As far as feeding goes -- milk was an emmergency measure - sure - but it will be harmful if you continue to give that....

Robins have a normal diet of insects, fruits and seeds and should be fed an INSECT-EATER DIET (1 part meat to 2 parts grain), supplemented with mealworms, water-soaked currents, raisins, bits of non-citrus fruits and berries such as pyracantha. However ones so young - need to be handreared with a runny mixture from an eye dropper firstly

Nestlings require frequent feedings, perhaps every 30 minutes from dawn to dark. One person should take care of the bird to avoid excessive human contact, but don't tame the bird. Food should be at room temperature and of soft consistency. The bird shouldn't need water if the food is fairly moist. Begin feeding young birds with an eyedropper.

I've heard about using the moisened dog food too - it's a good emmergency food as it's high protein & will give him a quick hit of nutrition... If you manage to feed this - you wont need to give water aswell as it will get the moisture from that.

Why dont you call a wildlife carer or vet for advice or to get a carer to take the little one off your hands & take care of him. They have all the right gear & food supplies to hand rear young birds & give them a fighting chance..

Birds *especially hatchlings are very touchy little things -- they can die so easily if we don't know how to care for them properly.

My advice would be - It's a big job - you've taken the first step to save him by bringing him in and making him warm - If you're unexperienced - hand rearing is a tricky job especially with wild birds so young --  

Get the little guy to a carer or vet immediately.

Answer 2

i would take it in tonight, but if you could find a rescue place to take it to first thing in the morning. if there are any wounds on it then it needs medical attention VERY soon. feed it as soon as you can with some water soaked dog food. ( when it turns like mush.) then feed it with tweezers. it needs fed every 20 mins or half hour during the day. baby birds dont eat at night, but will wake you up at the crack of dawn. but really try to find a rescue place that takes baby birds ASAP. good luck ps. dont feed it any kind of straight liquids cuz it will suck it into its lungs. thats what the water soaked in the dog food does

Answer 3

The bird needs to be helped because the cat picked it up.  Cats have dangerous bacteria in their saliva and baby birds are very vulnerable to disease.  

The baby bird can be fed chopped worms mixed with water to make a formula of sorts.

This bird needs temperatures of about 90 degrees in order to stay warm.  Take the bird inside.

Answer 4

Ok number 1 thing. Needs to go to a vet that will accept injured wildlife. Just call and check with local vets. There is no charge for wildlife. Any bird that is caught by a cat needs meds because bacteria in cats mouth is deadly to birds. There might be puncture wounds you cannot see. Until you can bring it somewhere keep it warm. make a nest by lining a coolwhip bowl or something similar with tissue and placing the bird in the bowl. Then put bowl with the bird in it into a box of some sort in case it jumps out. Keep warm by placing heating pad on low under box. You can feed it when it gapes by placing cut up earthworms or mealworms in the back of its throat. You can also feed it Kaytee handfeeding formula for a short time. Just be careful. Do not offer it water at all. If you are 100% sure it is not injured make a nest like I told you with the bowl and tissue and try to put it as close to the nest it came from. Then hide and watch for a hour or so to see if the parents return to feed it. If not on your way to vet or rehabber. Thanks for caring for this little critter. :)

Answer 5

If it has any wounds from your cat it needs to go to a wildlife rehab as cats carry a lot of bacteria in their saliva and infection will set in quickly.  If no wounds follow this advice:

If the bird is fully feathered, it is most likely a fledgling and has left the nest on it's own and it's parents are caring for it. It is normal for birds to leave the nest before they can fly.   You need to replace it where you found it..preferably in a scrub or tree so it is relatively safe from predators, and the parents should come back to feed it. You can watch from afar continually to see if the parents are feeding..if you are too close they will not come, and they have no means to move their chick.  Just because the chick is still there does not necessarily mean no one is caring for it.  You'll have to watch to know for sure.  Also, your cat could have carried it from far away and the parents cannot find it. If you are SURE no one is feeding it, get it to a rehab.    If it is unfeathered...then look for a nest and if you can find it...replace it into the nest.  Do not worry about your scent being on the chick..birds have a very poorly developed sense of smell and will NOT reject a baby that has been touched.  If you cannot find a nest, get the bird to a local wildlife rehab for it's best chance of survival.  Also, keep in mind, it is illegal for you to try and raise this bird on your own.  Look for a rehab here:

http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contactA...

Answer 6

I agree that you should bring it inside and feed it chopped up worms and formula make it a warm bed in a box and maybe if it's ever strong enough let it go if not idk.

hope this helped!

Answer 7

Well the mother Deff. WONT every come back for it. just because thats not the way birds are.

But u should probly bring it inside and just continue to feed it i gues....im not really sure but i know it will die a cold death if u just leave it.