Umm.... Help? Fast!

[MontanaMomma]

I just found a small wild bird flopping around in my backyard. I think it must be a baby since it allowed me to catch it without much protest. We have had very high winds... no mamma bird to be seen around the yard. I'm thinking it is a warbler. It is all feathered out by can't fly well and opens its mouth at me like I'm supposed to feed it! What can I feed it??

 

[Funky Feathers]

regurgitated earthworms. You have to eat the worms, then throw them up and let the baby bird eat the vomit out of your mouth.

 

[MontanaMomma]

Okay... I'll give it a try...

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

No, no, no! You definitely don't have to do that. Just get some hard dog food and soak it in water. Try feeding that until you can find a rehabber or let the bird go. If it has feathers, chances are it's ready to fly soon. I'd put it in a cage outside during the day. Put the food on a dish and hand feed it when you can. Then start opening the door of the cage. The bird will probably come back the first few nights. Shortly after it will stay out on it's own and learn fromt he older birds how and what to eat.

Let me know if you have any other questions. I've raised my share of baby birds!

 

[MontanaMomma]

I think it is a Waxwing. It has a bandit mask, two tiny red dots on its wing tips and a yellow stripe on the end of tail feathers. It pooped and it appears to be eating berries (it's poop was purple and solid?). I will keep it inside until the wind dies down and offer it choke cherries and a strawberry. It is pretty mature, but is winded after flying a short bit. I will put it outside in an open shoe box when the weather improves and keep an eye on it and cats in. let me know if any of this sounds like a terrible idea.

 

[BlackBrookPoultry]

The recipe I use when rehabbing birds is:

Cat or dog food soaked in water
Hard boiled eggs
apple sauce
Reptile calcium powder

Put in blender till thick and smooth. Roll it into tiny balls and pop it into the baby's mouth when it opens up!

Edited to say: you posted the waxwing response while I was typing mine. My recipe probably wouldn't be appropriate in this case.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Quote:
That sounds like a good idea to me.

If it has feathers, it was most likely just practicing it's flying skills. Babies tire out so quickly!