URGENT!!! Help with baby bird!!!

StarSapphire22

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Its too little to process solids. You can grind seeds, and a little bit of water. If you use a rounded chopstick to feed it, you'll be fine. Or a dropper like Yvonne said.

If he ate two worms is he gonna be ok if he can't process solids? They were very small worms. :/ I have feeding tweezers, but no dropper.

Keep him warm. That's the biggest worry a heating mat under a bowl of nesting would be good.
When I madea nest for my baby doves, I used hay, and one pulled apart cotton ball in the very bottom where they sat. Hay is kind of hard, and could break its skin.

He has a cotton nest/bed thing. I think technically it's for small animals like hamsters, but he seems to like it. For heat I have regular/black light bulbs. Will these work?
 

T33's Torts

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I think it'll work. Once in a while, with a warm damp paper towel, kind of wipe him off. The bedding probably gives off dust, which most likely irritates him. Maybe he'll settle down after.
 

StarSapphire22

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I think it'll work. Once in a while, with a warm damp paper towel, kind of wipe him off. The bedding probably gives off dust, which most likely irritates him. Maybe he'll settle down after.

I had him on dry sphagnum moss (what I had on hand, lol). It's like he's part tortoise, he keeps burrowing down in it like a little goofball. I think I'm going to take it out. I'm worried he'll strangle himself. I may have some cottonballs to put in his nest though. I will check.
 

StarSapphire22

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Just checked on him...he pooped! Does it look normal? You can see his "nest" too.
 

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T33's Torts

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Looks like normal baby birdie poop to me. You may want to add some soft stuff too. Paper towels, rags, whatever. Birds are pretty easy. :p
 

T33's Torts

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My main concern would be releasing him into the wild. He's going to lack a lot of skills he would've learned from mom. Like flying.

Wait.

Jessica, can you fly?!?! Ask Taylor if he can fly! Maybe you can teach the chick!

Anyways, you may have a new pet now!
 

T33's Torts

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I'm thinking he's buring himself trying to feel covered. Like how his mom would've compressed him. Maybe a damp paper towel draped over the nest will kill the urge.
 

StarSapphire22

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We added some paper towels and took out the moss. I have a 50watt heating pad for humans (just remembered, derp)...so I have that going on medium right now. We'll see how that does at keeping him warm. I can always add lights or crank it up to high if I need to.

I think you're right on the covered thing. He is going under the edges of the nest too.

I can't fly. :( :( :( The site I am getting my info from says "Baby birds do not need to be taught how to fly, but after they are flying it is important to give them a large area to practice in and lots of free flight time so that they can build up the muscles needed for a successful release into the wild." HOPEFULLY though, we will get a call from the wildlife rehabber and she can take him and this is all temporary. :)
 

Kim444

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I just wanted to let you know that it is not true that the momma bird won't come back after you have touched the baby bird. Normally you just place the nest in a nearby tree and mommy bird will hear baby bird and come as long as nobody is around anymore.
 

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I had baby doves for a while. They fell and the mom was MIA. So I set them up for a month. Mom came back and they couldn't freakin' fly. She took them back in! It was awesome.
 

mike taylor

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You can buy chicken scratch grind it up and feed it . You dont have to teach the bird to fly he will do that on his own . You are looking at feeding him every two hours . His mom eats then up chucks it to feed them . I found one stuck in a barrel and had to step up like a few weeks ago . The good thing is they grow fast . Yours alread has some feathers .
 

StarSapphire22

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I fed Royal Canin kitten food (it had an appropriate fat/protein ration that I found recommended), unsweetened applesauce, mealworms, and water with a little calcium powder that I put through the food processor. It's kinda like oatmeal. I modified it with some stuff I had on hand/could easily get from a recipe on the starling/sparrow rehab site I linked earlier. Fed off the end of a chopstick and he ate like a champ...but I think he might be choking now! Or have food stuck. He has a small lump in his throat and seems kinda miserable and uncomfortable.

Wait, now he's up and cheeping again. The sparrow rehab site I found recommends feeding every 45 minutes-2 hours, but I don't know how MUCH to feed in each sitting. Should I just let him eat until he stops begging? I feel like if I let him eat as much as he wants he'll explode!
 

StarSapphire22

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Here's his throat lump...is he ok? Sorry best picture I could get.
 

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turtlelou

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Oh my. One year I found a baby bird. The mother never came back, so I took care of it. Lol it grew to be a starling. I feed it wet dog food from a dropper. It was such a task. They are hungry like every hour! You will have to have someone desensitize it, as it will be too used to humans. I think you can take care of this little fellow until you find a wildlife rescue who can help you.
 

parrotlady

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That throat lump, is his crop. When it is empty he needs to be fed. I have never raised baby wild birds but have had a huge aviary for over 20 years so I know just a little bit about exotic birds. If you can't take care of it, you can find a wildlife rescue and often they have volunteers who raise orphan baby birds yearly. Good luck keep us posted!
 

StarSapphire22

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He made it through the night and has had a couple feedings. He's eating and pooping well, and we filled his nest with some cotton balls to make it more snug. I think he's doing just fine! We're feeding every hour or so. I realized what the crop was, haha...my family kept birds when I was little but it looks so much more pronounced without feathers covering it up! He seems pretty happy and healthy, considering. Hoping the rehabber returns our calls soon...feeding every hour is definitely a task.
 

parrotlady

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Feeding every hour is a drag, remember momma bird doesn't feed during the night. There might be an exception but I haven't found it yet.
 

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