What do you do about a baby bird that fell out of a tree?

Question

I live in rural North Carolina and we had a nasty storm today that blew down a lot of tree limbs and apparently dislocated a few baby birds from their nests. We managed to save one, what looks like a sparrow. It has most of its adult feathers and can fly (learned that the hard way) but didn't seem to be able to fly when we found it, so we brought it in to keep it safe from our dogs. One baby robin wasn't so fortunate and was killed by our lab before we could help it. It ate some mushy cat food/water and is now asleep in a shoe box in my little bathroom. I don't plan on keeping the bird, that would be wrong, but I want to help it. My dad won't take it to a vet or rescue group because he thinks it will cost us money, even though I've told him it won't, but it's like arguing with a brick wall. He says keep it for a couple of days, tie the dogs up and let him loose outside to see if he can fly away. hopefully he won't go up a tree where we can't keep an eye on him or feed him. Not sure what to do. Open to any suggestions. Just don't tell me to take him to a rescue, I know that already, but I'm only seventeen and I can't take him there w/out permission.

Answer 1

Call a group anyway because many times someone willpickup a bird for a situation like the one you are in.  Who knows a rehabilitator might live near you.  I thinkyou will find most of them love animals and will try to help do the best thing for the bird.

Baby birds need special diets and must be raised with there own kind to be sucessfully released back into the wild. The parents feed their babies every 20 minutes from sun up to sundown. It is important you get the bird to a rehabber or back to its mom early in the morning. There might be as many four other little babies hiding in the yard so keep your dog in the house or on the leash for a few days.   You can put in a shrub or bush near the place where it was found.  Then stay away so mom and dad will not frightened and ignore it. Watch from a window to see if they return and feed it. They have up to five babies and will quickly fly to a baby, feed it, and leave to find insects to feed the next baby, You have to watch non-stop to see this. Before you put it out in the morning you can soak some more dry dog or cat food in hot water and when it is soft feed the baby a few bites if he begs. A drop of water off your finger tip is ok too. No dropers because you can easily kill a baby bird with too much water. The best solution is to find a rehabilitator.

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....

If you don't drive, then get your parents to take the bird to a rehab or ask the rehab if they are able to pick up the bird.