Raising A Baby Sparrow - Urgent!

[jourdain2]

Help! About 45 mins. ago our cat brought in a baby sparrow. I've looked at pictures and it seems to be about 8/9 days old. Whilst shocked and wing at an awkward angle, it has since folded the wing. I've popped it in a small box on the windowcill in peace and quiet and am hoping it's parents will find it.

If not, what do we do, please? I think it is getting over the shock and it is sitting quietly, dozing occasionally now. I have some dried cat-food soaking (read that up) and other half is grinding grains down in pestle and mortar.

[woofgang]

have you phoned your vet to see if there is a local bird sanctuary that will take it?

[jourdain2]

Thanks for the idea Woofgang, but I live in mid-France and such things are unknown. I think I'll also put this question onto the 'twitching' section. I've managed to get 1 beakful of moist can croquettes (recommended on site I looked up) inside it.

[2sp_]

The big thing is keeping it warm. Ideally you would use a heat lamp, but an aga or airing cupboard (with a boiler in it) would be better than nothing.

[jourdain2]

Thanks 2sp, will do our best, have a nice, warm conservatory (cat loves it but deserves to be ejected). Do you know how often I should be feeding it?

[ladybirder]

Its parents would be feeding it every few minutes from dawn to dusk. You should get some LIVE mealworms and feed it these from a pair of tweezers. Ideally it should be in an incubator at a wildlife rescue centre being looked after by people who know what they are doing. Have the cat's claws punctured it at all? If so it will require an injection against infection from a vet. It has a very small chance of survival as it is I'm afraid jourdain.

[mallyh]

don't know about these things but could you put it back in the nest ?

[jourdain2]

Thanks Ladybirder, no, it is unharmed. There simply is not a bird refuge anywhere in the Vienne, I've been searching frantically on the net. I know the outlook is bleak, but I'll do my best.

[jourdain2]

Mallyh -thanks, but I have no idea where the nest is. Well wrapped up in shredded newspapers and tissues, I'm hoping the parents will find it - they can't be far away, but we live in the country with lots of hedges - full of sparrows!

[ladybirder]

jourdain are you going to get some live mealworms as I suggested? Please don't let it linger and starve to death.

[jourdain2]

Ladybirder - other half is off to supermarket now (that's where they sell fishing stuff).

[ladybirder]

Oh that's a good idea. Well done. Let us know if she gets some and if the bird takes them. Are you going to chew them up and regurgitate them into the sparrow's mouth? LOL.

[237SJ]

Unfortunately, the more you handle the bird, the less likely the chance of the parents taking it back. It`s probably best to just leave it where it is and see what happens. It`s a full time job feeding a small bird - I did that with a crow once but it was in my school holidays and I had all the time in the world. You won`t be able to release it into the wild even if you do save it because the parents are the ones who teach it how to survive and a human can`t do that.

[jourdain2]

Thank you all. I've got some more beakfuls of catfood down it and mealworms have arrived so they're next. No I am not going to chew them up! Think it is a bit of a hopeless case, though, thought it was uninjured, but have found bits of blood on tissues lining box. It is comfortable, warm and being force-fed - lifts head to ask for food still - but it is so young - eyes not even really open yet.

[wolf63]

It's very possible that there is a puncture wound under the feathers. Cat bites are nasty - as most cat slaves will know.

It probably won't last the night (Wolf the pessimist) but you are trying to help it. Good luck with your nursing. Don't be too hard on puss. The baby sparrow was a gift for you.

[jomifl]

Not all birds eat earthworms including sparrows.. When I raised a baby crow I found the simplest and easiest food was coddled egg. Break an egg, scramble it, put t in a small polybag and dip it in boiling water 'til cooked. Cut it up into small pieces and feed.

[ladybirder]

I thought the cat's claws would have punctured it that is why I said it would need an injection from the vet. I agree with wolf I'm sorry to say. As I said, please don't let it suffer jourdain.

[boxtops]

I was going to say the same earlier, but didn't want to be a wet blanket - I'm afraid its chances of survival are very slim.