Help with abandoned baby bird

Carolina Chicken Man

Songster
11 Years
Mar 29, 2008
229
3
134
Raleigh, NC
We are going to the lake this weekend, and I was taking the cover off of my boat. I've been busy and I have not used the boat this year. When I pulled the cover off of the corner, something starting floping around, and when I pulled it back, it was a baby bird. The birds had built a nest under the corner, and I completely destroyed it when I pulled the corner off.

There was only one baby, and I scooped the nest up, and wedged it into a sapling, and put the baby in it. I saw the parents a pair of finches in the area. I saw them land on the corner of my boat, but it's obvious they are not coming back now. I went out later, and the nest had fallen out of the sapling and the baby was on the ground chirping for it's parents.

I have a bluebird house, that no birds have ever nested in. I put the nest and the baby in the blue bird house, I didn't know what else to do, because I knew he would not make it on the ground.

I took some home made bread and wet it , and he will eat food that I feed him.

What should I do. I know some will suggest calling a wildlife rehabilitator, but I'm on a local poultry group here in NC, and I have seen posts, that there is a serious shortage of rehabilitators in the area, and they will not respond to common animals like finches, squirells etc.

What should I feed him other than bread, and if I can catch some bugs, worms, etc. Would chicken feed be good?

He's fairly well feathered, and I think he will be able to leave the nest in a couple weeks.
 
it will need some protein. Try some thinned peanut butter with water and the bread. If it can eat mealworms, that would be good. A meat and fruit baby food would be good, also. Canned cat food if you have it. Trying to throw out some cheap and easy ideas for you!
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If you are by a petshop or vet, some have fledgling food you can buy, but peanut butter and baby food are really good.


Oh, I would also bring him in so something doesn't get him. I know a lot of snakes like to crawl into bluebird boxes.

Good luck!

Shelly
 
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I have a house finch that I've been raising for a few weeks now that fell out of a nest too soon, right where my cats like to hang out.

I use dry Cat Chow and add enough warm water to get it good and moist. Then I use tweezers to offer bite sized pieces to "Chirpy" I've used wet food also, but I like the moistened dry food for neatness and ease of feeding with the tweezers.

I also used a heat lamp for the few week but not anymore.

My problem now is that Chirpy thinks I'm mamma - he's more tame than any of my other birds, chickens, parakeets, etc.

I'm trying to 'wean' him from being hand fed - he's well old enough now. He knows a good thing though and is reluctant to feed himself. A little tough love the last couple days has helped 'make' him feed himself some.
 
Ok I emailed a local wildlife rehabber when I found some baby sparrows. These things were still featherless and had their eyes closed. Here's what she told me to feed them:

"A mush of canned cat food, applesauce, eggs, ground up Tums, and bird vitamins."

She recommended feeding them the mixture every 20 minutes during the daylight hours and nothing at night. I worked my way up to to every 45, then 60 minutes, etc during the day and nothing at night.

My little guys fledged and flew away a few weeks after I found them.

I also kept them in an old 10 gallon aquarium with a red heat bulb aimed at one corner. I used paper towels as substrate at first and moved to shavings.

Good luck with your little one. It's a great feeling when they make it against the odds.
 

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