- Mar 30, 2015
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Hey everyone,
Before i begin, let me say that i have read all the aviary sites advising against trying to help wild baby birds and to go to the local wildlife office or call... and where i am, that isn't an option, they don't take or care for birds here and i can't drive all the way to the city just to have them put the poor baby down. I have been caring for actual orphaned or injured babies sense i was 14 and had many many sucesses but this is something i wanna ask about because i've not faced it before.
I was walking with my family up on a wooded property my husbands family owns and we heard a peep. looked down and realized just what was making the noise was a little baby bird. long story short, he took a nasty 30ft drop to the ground from his nest during the wind today and was so hungry he started presenting his open mouth as soon as i approached him. I realized he was hurt and didn't have the heart to just leave him there to die, because lets be honest here... even if mom fed him, he couldn't walk or hop to get away from the snakes, fox's, hawks and other numerous predators out there that would take a quick snack... so we brought him home.
now i can already see so many of you getting antsy and i understand why but let me reassure you this is not my first baby and surely won't be my last. I pride myself in the several babies i managed to raise to flying age and release with no issues at all. This little one tho.. i just wanna be sure.
Took me half the afternoon to figure out he is a baby flycatcher bird. He is not that far from fledgling stage, he's started to get his big bird feathers, still has some bald patches, no tail feathers and some down around his head, so he's young but not super young. I have fed him five times, he has been sleeping well, shows no sign of dehydration, and has no issues going potty at all. He does however have a bruise at the base of his body where his leg joint starts. That being said, he still moves his leg, he doesn't act hurt when i move it, (he gets it caught in his wing) but i imagine its uncomfortable, but nothing is broken, its just this bruise. He still has proper blood flow to his leg though guys, its not lost color, its not cold, but he limps, and you can tell he's new to this whole walking concept so that doesn't help. I just wanted to ask and see if this could kill him. the bruise is black in color, and i honestly don't know how long he was out there on the ground and hurt for.
Any info will help me with him, thank you so much!
UPDATE: He did indeed have a break but luckily it was a clean one, and i got it in place easy, and got a splint on him. Needless to say the extra support must have done a great deal for him because he was trying to hop! tough little guy! I removed the scabs on his back, properly cleaned the area with alcohol and then put an anti bacterial ointment on the spot to keep an infection from happening. He must of got nicked on the way down because they weren't deep wounds just little ones but i know how fast bacteria can wreak havoc on a babies body so i wanted to be sure to get it cleaned up! all in all i think he's got a really good chance of making it. he's eating beautifully, still hydrated and his little peeps got stronger
Before i begin, let me say that i have read all the aviary sites advising against trying to help wild baby birds and to go to the local wildlife office or call... and where i am, that isn't an option, they don't take or care for birds here and i can't drive all the way to the city just to have them put the poor baby down. I have been caring for actual orphaned or injured babies sense i was 14 and had many many sucesses but this is something i wanna ask about because i've not faced it before.
I was walking with my family up on a wooded property my husbands family owns and we heard a peep. looked down and realized just what was making the noise was a little baby bird. long story short, he took a nasty 30ft drop to the ground from his nest during the wind today and was so hungry he started presenting his open mouth as soon as i approached him. I realized he was hurt and didn't have the heart to just leave him there to die, because lets be honest here... even if mom fed him, he couldn't walk or hop to get away from the snakes, fox's, hawks and other numerous predators out there that would take a quick snack... so we brought him home.
now i can already see so many of you getting antsy and i understand why but let me reassure you this is not my first baby and surely won't be my last. I pride myself in the several babies i managed to raise to flying age and release with no issues at all. This little one tho.. i just wanna be sure.
Took me half the afternoon to figure out he is a baby flycatcher bird. He is not that far from fledgling stage, he's started to get his big bird feathers, still has some bald patches, no tail feathers and some down around his head, so he's young but not super young. I have fed him five times, he has been sleeping well, shows no sign of dehydration, and has no issues going potty at all. He does however have a bruise at the base of his body where his leg joint starts. That being said, he still moves his leg, he doesn't act hurt when i move it, (he gets it caught in his wing) but i imagine its uncomfortable, but nothing is broken, its just this bruise. He still has proper blood flow to his leg though guys, its not lost color, its not cold, but he limps, and you can tell he's new to this whole walking concept so that doesn't help. I just wanted to ask and see if this could kill him. the bruise is black in color, and i honestly don't know how long he was out there on the ground and hurt for.
Any info will help me with him, thank you so much!
UPDATE: He did indeed have a break but luckily it was a clean one, and i got it in place easy, and got a splint on him. Needless to say the extra support must have done a great deal for him because he was trying to hop! tough little guy! I removed the scabs on his back, properly cleaned the area with alcohol and then put an anti bacterial ointment on the spot to keep an infection from happening. He must of got nicked on the way down because they weren't deep wounds just little ones but i know how fast bacteria can wreak havoc on a babies body so i wanted to be sure to get it cleaned up! all in all i think he's got a really good chance of making it. he's eating beautifully, still hydrated and his little peeps got stronger
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