I want to keep this bird alive!?

Question

i recently found a baby bird on the ground near the streets! its mom is nowhere around and it seems hurt so i took it home and bathe it. it still hasnt grown any feathers and it doesnt have any sign of opening its eyes, but its chirping and moving (NOT alot of movement). How would i take care of it? like till it can go free? how would I feed it and nurture it?

Answer 1

I agree with cap. Find  a wildlife bird specialist to take care of it asap.

Answer 2

Feed it with a mixture of 5 parts earthworms (bought from the Wal-Mart sporting goods section, they keep them there for fishing men) and one part your saliva. Mix it up real good like it had been partially digested in a bird's stomach. Add just a little bit of dirt because a bird needs it to digest the worms. Put this mixture in a big syringe, and feed the bird. It also helps to have a bird sock puppet on your hand holding the syringe. The sock puppet doesn't have to be anything fancy, just a black sock with some glue on eyes. Good luck.

Answer 3

Keep it warm is a major deal.  We don't want the poor bird freezing.  Humidity is also necessary for feather growth (at least in baby parrots)

Answer 4

If you truly want it to survive, the best thing you can do is find a wildlife rehabilitator in your area and bring the bird to them (ASAP).  Without being able to identify what species it is (and not knowing where you are, we have no chance of guessing what it is), you won't know the proper diet to feed it and it's not likely to survive long.  Baby birds can't go more than a few hours without food, so you can't wait.

Answer 5

Most hand-raised birds will die. Therefore you should do your best to return it to the wild, unless it is seriously injured (then you should take it to a vet or licensed wildlife rehabilitator, as soon as possible).

Did you try looking around the original area to locate its nest in nearby trees and shrubs? If it does NOT have feathers, you should return it to its nest. Try to do that & return it to its mother. If it DOES have feathers yet was unable to fly, just return it to the general location, preferably near the trees. The bird parents will still care for young birds that have been touched by humans.

It is very difficult to raise a baby bird, considering the following:

    *  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.

If the bird is injured and needs medical attention, take it to your local veterinarian or a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.

In the meantime, you can feed it raw kidney, liver, or canned dog food. Chop these in small enough pieces. Don't provide water or liquids. Put  it near a warm (NOT hot) place, like on a heating pad set on the "LOW" setting. There is more detailed information on the websites below.

Answer 6

If your serious about keeping the bird alive follow my below advice. If you can't do this then PLEASE call your local animal shelter and they should be able to put you through to someone who is trained at taking care of wildlife.

Please do not bathe it again. It's far too young to be getting wet (then getting a cold)  it's immune system is weak as it is so young, probably hungry and possibly already sick. What you need to do is go to your local petshop and buy some baby bird handrearing mix. You'll need to make the mix several times a day/night depending on how young the bird is. Feeding temperature can be measured by a thermometer and should be fed between 36°C - 40°C (no hotter or you'll burn the babies insides and no cooler or you risk the chick getting a "slow crop" which can cause death if left untreated). Use warm boiled water with the above temperatures instead of tap water when making the mix.

DO NOT feed it bread or anything with wheat/yeast in it at this early age because it can cause a yeast infection. If that happens you'll need to go to the vet and have it put on medication, so it's better to avoid those foods at this stage.

Here is a feeding timetable from my local vet :

Chicks 1-5 days old SIX to TEN feedings per day

Chicks with eyes closed SIX times per day

Chicks with eyes opened  THREE to FOUR times

Chicks with feathers emerging (starting to grow) TWO to THREE times.

You can feed the handrearing mix through a syringe or spoon.  I prefer a syringe because it's less messy. You can pick one up at your local pharmacy/chemist for no more than $1.

Use the syringe to measure and feed the RIGHT amount which is between 10ml to 15ml per feeding.

Handrearing mix is all this bird requires to eat right now. As it's feathers start growing you can offer it seeds along with the syringe feeding.

You'll need to keep the chick warm at all times. The correct temperature for a baby bird that young is no less than 32°C (possibly more depending on how young the bird is).

If you need anymore help e-mail me

Answer 7

Give it a warm and comfortable home such as a box filled with tissues or something of that sort. Since it seems young. try feeding it soft food like saltine crackers soaked in milk. Also, encourage it to drink water by filling some up in  a small dropped and slowly emptiying it into the bird's mouth.

Make sure you keep it warm - that is the key. When it opens it eyes and gets a little older, you can buy some worms at any local store (that sells them) and cut them up (careful! not too big) and feed them to the bird.

An appropiate to let it go would be when it shows sign of flying.

Answer 8

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/contactA...