I found a baby bird

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birdlover2

Crowing
Jan 28, 2019
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Ohio
So I don't know if this is where to post this, but it is a chick and it doesn't fit squarely into any other category.

I found a baby bird on my patio. It's not a chicken, I'm not sure what sort it is. It probably fell from the broken light that birds have tried to make nests for in the past. We are thinking of taping the hole up in hopes it will discourage them. It was alive though, even after making the fall. I took it in, put it in a cardboard box, and gave it some washcloths for warmth. I heated up a water bottle and put that in the box too. I left it alone for a while and looked up stuff trying to figure what I should do. The bird sanctuary is closed on Mondays of all days so it will have to last the night.

I did try and feed it something multiple websites agree is safe, dry cat food dissolved into water at oatmeal or yogurt consistency. It started breathing more heavily afterwards and moving alot more so I don't know if I got it down the wrong hole or not. I only gave it a couple drops before giving up and putting it back in the box. It's still alive about an hour later so I think that's a good sign. It's tried moving in a caterpillar fashion using it's neck which scares me, but eventually curled up into a ball with its head face-down. The websites I looked at say baby birds can survive 24 hours without food, but the bird rehabilitation center opens at 10 AM according to the website, not exactly first thing in the morning, and I don't know how long it's been since the bird ate or if it ever even has.

I've been in this rodeo before, trying to rescue a bird in the same situation. It died overnight last time and I'm worried I'll make the same mistakes. I think last time that bird either died of wrong temperature or food down the wrong hole, or of internal injuries.

Should I try and feed it? And how do I manage to keep it the right temperature overnight? I'm obviously not good at this, I just want to get it to the professionals without it dying.
 
So I don't know if this is where to post this, but it is a chick and it doesn't fit squarely into any other category.

I found a baby bird on my patio. It's not a chicken, I'm not sure what sort it is. It probably fell from the broken light that birds have tried to make nests for in the past. We are thinking of taping the hole up in hopes it will discourage them. It was alive though, even after making the fall. I took it in, put it in a cardboard box, and gave it some washcloths for warmth. I heated up a water bottle and put that in the box too. I left it alone for a while and looked up stuff trying to figure what I should do. The bird sanctuary is closed on Mondays of all days so it will have to last the night.

I did try and feed it something multiple websites agree is safe, dry cat food dissolved into water at oatmeal or yogurt consistency. It started breathing more heavily afterwards and moving alot more so I don't know if I got it down the wrong hole or not. I only gave it a couple drops before giving up and putting it back in the box. It's still alive about an hour later so I think that's a good sign. It's tried moving in a caterpillar fashion using it's neck which scares me, but eventually curled up into a ball with its head face-down. The websites I looked at say baby birds can survive 24 hours without food, but the bird rehabilitation center opens at 10 AM according to the website, not exactly first thing in the morning, and I don't know how long it's been since the bird ate or if it ever even has.

I've been in this rodeo before, trying to rescue a bird in the same situation. It died overnight last time and I'm worried I'll make the same mistakes. I think last time that bird either died of wrong temperature or food down the wrong hole, or of internal injuries.

Should I try and feed it? And how do I manage to keep it the right temperature overnight? I'm obviously not good at this, I just want to get it to the professionals without it dying.
If you are going to keep it overnight, try to wake up every 1-2 hours to feed it. It might be sleeping but wake it up. They need food every so often even during the night. I lost an abandoned baby cardinal by not waking up to feed it last year. If you have dog food, warm water, and then dissolve the food into the water until its a paste, that works too. Do you have any pictures?
 
Depending on the type of bird, many parents will care for young that fall from the tree on the ground. However what you are describing sounds like a very young bird. I would set the box on the porch and watch to see if the parents are looking for it.
Well it was right on our patio and the mother wasn't anywhere around. Putting it back in the nest isn't an option seeing as the nest is too far deep in the hole in the light to reach. If I put it back it will probably be eaten by our dog when they go out to the bathroom or one of the neighborhood cats. Or another bird. I think the mother figured out it wasn't the best place to nest belatedly and abandoned the nest.
 
Hi birdlover2, do you have a picture of the little one?
You can give single drops of liquid at the side of the closed beak, so you can prevent inhalation of liquid into lungs.
That's great you put in washclothes and a warm waterbottel - they need about 95 - 100,4 °F, perhaps you have a thermometer to check the temperature.
 
Well it was right on our patio and the mother wasn't anywhere around. Putting it back in the nest isn't an option seeing as the nest is too far deep in the hole in the light to reach. If I put it back it will probably be eaten by our dog when they go out to the bathroom or one of the neighborhood cats. Or another bird. I think the mother figured out it wasn't the best place to nest belatedly and abandoned the nest.
That's why I said to watch it. Your looking to see if the chick calling brings the parents back. You can't assume it abandoned the nest. Parents leave the nest off and on all day to bring food back for the baby. Considering you cannot contact the rescue services and will have to improvised heating and feed, it's best to give the parents a chance to reclaim the bird. This is the advice I was given by the bird refuge on my area, they do not take in feathered birds here at all because fledglings are often cared for on the ground. However your situation is different, I'm sure they will take it if you can keep it alive until they can.
 
If you are going to keep it overnight, try to wake up every 1-2 hours to feed it. It might be sleeping but wake it up. They need food every so often even during the night. I lost an abandoned baby cardinal by not waking up to feed it last year. If you have dog food, warm water, and then dissolve the food into the water until its a paste, that works too. Do you have any pictures?
Here is the bird and the paste I made. Not all the cat food dissolved into the water but it seemed to be the right consistency. I fed it like 2 drops. How much is usually enough? Also it seemed to maybe be choking afterwards but seems fine now so I don't know.
 

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Hi birdlover2, do you have a picture of the little one?
You can give single drops of liquid at the side of the closed beak, so you can prevent inhalation of liquid into lungs.
That's great you put in washclothes and a warm waterbottel - they need about 95 - 100,4 °F, perhaps you have a thermometer to check the temperature.
Thanks for some advice on how to prevent the food going down the wrong hole! I don't know where out thermometer is but if I can find it I'll use it. How do you suggest using it to get the correct reading?
 
That's why I said to watch it. Your looking to see if the chick calling brings the parents back. You can't assume it abandoned the nest. Parents leave the nest off and on all day to bring food back for the baby. Considering you cannot contact the rescue services and will have to improvised heating and feed, it's best to give the parents a chance to reclaim the bird. This is the advice I was given by the bird refuge on my area, they do not take in feathered birds here at all because fledglings are often cared for on the ground. However your situation is different, I'm sure they will take it if you can keep it alive until they can.
Yeah, if it was a fledgling or hadn't fallen so far I would just leave it.
 

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