Found a baby bird. Any help would be appreciated.

[Becci]

Alright, so this morning my cousin brought me this little bird ... apparently two of her youngest siblings (8 and 10) found the bird laying on the ground screaming, so I'm guessing it fell out of it's nest. It had to of been there at least 3 hours because they found it when they went outside at 8 am, but didn't tell anyone until around 11 am. My cousin said there's no way she was leaving that baby, so she brought it to me. She also said that the lowest branch was very high and the nest was not visible, so there was no returning it.

I put him in a cardboard box with a heating pad (our house is freezing) and two wash cloths on top of that. It's warm, but not hot where he is laying. He's in my bedroom which I've kept fairly dark and as quiet as possible since he's been here. When I tap the box he gets vocal and goes straight into feeding position. If there's no movement around him he's sleeping.

His skin was extremely wrinkled, and his droppings were extremely gooey, I read this meant he was dehydrated, and I know they have to eat often so I gave him the first thing that came to mind - banana puree. I fed him with an extra tiny syringe. After he got hungry again I figured boiled egg yolk w/ water would probably be a better idea.

He's got grey downy type feathers, and the inside of his mouth is a reddish/purple color. His eyes are open, but one of them (the right, I believe) Is a cloudy grey color and he doesn't really respond from that side. He otherwise seems unhurt from the fall. I'm most likely going to end up taking him to a wildlife rehabilitation center (if I can find one) especially if caring for him is illegal.

My questions:

What would be best to feed him?

How do I determine his age and what type of bird he is?

What do I keep him in, and does he even need heat?

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Its super late here so i apolgize for the short answer but i wanted to type something so youd have some sort of guide till tomorrow!

Keep him on the heat pad turned on low. Feed him hard dog food soaked until soft in water. Make a new batch daily and rip little pieces off and feed him with your hands (Popsicle sticks work well too if you are not comfortable with your hands). Be careful not to over stuff the bird. Generally they stop asking for food when full. I tried to feed every couple of hours but you will know when they are hungry!

Try to find a rehabbed ASAP. Raising a single baby causes them to become attached to you and makes it difficult to release. For now, try not to hold him or talk to him. Try not to go near him except to feed. This will help when it comes time to release.

 

[birdlover15]

The only thing I know is that he does need heat because in the wild he gets his warmth from his siblings and mother

 

[LovedMyAlydar]

The best thing to feed orphaned baby birds is the following:

jar of meat baby food - the really small kinds that are starter food for babies. I usually use chicken or veal as they are mild.

Take a small amount of the meat, mix with a little water and some dirt. A consistency that will go through an eye dropper is what you want. Once they get the hang of it, they will go nuts when they smell this stuff. I would also make sure the babies don't have mites, which alot of baby birds do. I give them a quick bath with some dish soap and warm water and then blow dry them off and put in a warm area. The heating pad is great. Once they begin feathering out I move them to a bird cage or a dog crate. Also make sure they are pooping and their butts stay clean.

I have raised robins, blue jays, etc. using this method. I was told this by an old country vetranarian many years ago. Never had a problem raising them and releasing them into the wild when grown. They will hang around for a few days but after that they move on.

Good luck.