How do I care for baby bird found on road?

Question

When I came home from school this afternoon, I figured out my sisters found a baby bird on the side of the road all wet after it rained. they said they dried it off and put it in an old "butterfly habitat" we had laying around with sticks, twigs, flowers, and a bowl of grown up bird food inside. I keep on wondering if they did it right. So here's a bunch of questions that come to mind:

What do we really need to feed it?

How do we feed it?

Should we supply water?

How do we supply water?

When do we let it go?

If you can answers any of these questions please do. We are aware that his mother will never come back. He is a little brown bird with mussy fur/feathers. And he keeps on squawking and looking around as if he's calling his mother. Any information is gladly appreciated.

Answer 1

Ok. First of all need to warm this baby up. Put in makeshift nest by using a coolwhip bowl with tissues in it. Put him in box in case jumps out. Then put heating pad set on low under box. Feed him every 30 mins from light until dark. Feed mealworms and can soak dog food and cat food in water an mush up or cut in small pieces. If this bird is feathered once he is dry and warm he needs to be put back where you found him asap. He is a fledgling it is normal for him to be out of nest and hopping and flopping and falling trying to learn how to fly. His mom and dad bird will come feed him no matter where he goes. You taking him was nice but to the parent birds it is cruel and called kidnapping. They will not reject him because you have touched him as they have bad sense of smell. He will cry adn they will respond as they will recognize his cries and he will theirs. Put him up on a branch or a bush or something safe near where he was. Baby birds get wet all the time. He is probably more afraid than anything as they see us as predators. Can die from shock. If none of these options are good for you then you need to call a vet that can refer you to a local wildlife rehabber asap who will raise it and let it go into the wild where it belongs when it is ready. It is calling for its mamma thought and that is the best option. Good luck and nice you cared for it.  

Answer 2

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.  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/contact....

Answer 3

it depends on what type of bird it is.  if it's a robin or a bird that eat's some sort of meat, then feed it meat baby food.  if it's adove or something that eats corn and things like that, go to a local pet shop and find parrot weaning formula.  if it's too young it won't drink water even if you put it in, it'ss get all it's water from it's food.  if you want to, put water in something shallow, like a plastic lid or something.  let it go when it has all of it's feathers and it can fly.  from the sounds of it he's probably some sort of black bird.  you might want to keep him outside in an open box or something, that way he doesn't get too used to being inside and isn't afraid when you release him.

you should feed him until he stops squaking for food and he might not accept eating out am eye dropper at first but if you force it into his mouth and dribble a little bit in at a time, he'll realize it's food and he'll hopefully accept it

Answer 4

GET some baby food (meat ) and water it down and then using a dropper feed it.  it already has water so that is all you need to give it.

Not fruit at this time..

You are going to have to feed it often...(every hour or so)  so if you leave for the day you must take it with you..or have someone else feed it.

You let it go when it can fly (or the cats will get it)

He is sqawking because he is hungry.

'good luck >^..^<