Emergency baby bird help, please

Barmaid | 18:45 Thu 24th May 2012 | Animals & Nature

18 Answers

The baby blackbirds fledged yesterday. I found one dead on the front lawn today. I just heard an almighty racket outside and saw next doors cat tripping over the garden with a baby in its mouth. After much persuasion(!) next door's cat dropped said bird so I grabbed it and legged it upstairs and put it back near the nest (nest is almost accessible from our first floor window). Bird flew down straight into the mouth of one of my cats. I legged it downstairs and "persuaded" said cat to drop it. Bird seems unharmed but wing is a little cock eyed - not sure if it is damaged or not since I didn't want ot handle it. I've put it in an inaccessible bush but it hasn't moved. I can hear its mum calling for it and its dad going nuts.

What else can I do for it? I've protected these little ones as much as humanely possible over the last few days. I really want to help it on its way. Should I bring it in and feed it and keep it safe? Should I let nature take its course? I can't sit here and guard it all fekkin night.

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Nosha123

Ouch, I feel your pain. Can you leave it where it is and shut cats in overnight? If its stupid... Then I guess that is mother natures way of getting rid of stupid birds! Natural elimination! It's wing may be damaged... You can feed em scrambled egg... Then take to a wildlife place in morning but don't fancy it's chances too much! Lot of work to hand rear it!

jomifl

I've raised starlings, magpies and crows, It isn't difficult but it is a lot of work. Blackbirds eat worms amongst other things so they are easy to feed. you could just let nature take it's course and let natural selection operate.

Barmaid

Question Author

I can shut mine in (as I have been doing this week), I can't do anything about the other cats in the neighbourhood though. I do have a room where I could isolate it from the rest of the house, but I worry that the shock will kill it (if the shock doesn't kill it anyway). Jeez you've never seen anyone run so fast.

jomifl

Agree with Nosha re. the eggs, I used to beat the egg put it in a poly bag and dip it in boiling water to coddle it. By far the easiest way to feed baby birds of a carnivorous disposition.

Barmaid

Question Author

Worms are no problem - I either move a pot in the garden to harvest or go down to the lake. I can also provide copious amounts of scrambled egg. I think this bird just hasn't got its wings yet and was an easy target for a cat (who at the moment I could happily drop kick into the lake, but I won't).

So do I leave well alone and let mum and dad (who are excellent parents, you should have seen the fight they put up yesterday when one of mine had a pop) deal with it, or do I bring her in and try and give her a fighting chance?

Eve

Difficult one as cats can get in all kinds of places and the more the parents shout the more they will attract the cats.

Could you put it in a largish box near the nest (maybe with some next like material) and water so it is more protected from flying down and the parents could get to it to feed it if they can and you can feed it there too if they don't and it survives, shock may kill the poor thing anyway.

I've rescued ones from cats before and had the odd survivor but usually not the case.

Barmaid

Question Author

I've just offered it up some worms but it's too terrified. I fear that this one is gone for shock.

Barmaid

Question Author

Update: Dad just landed in the bush about 6 inches away from the little one. Has now flown off, but little one is looking slightly perkier. Praying mum and dad do their thing.............. (I can hear dad singing his normal evensong so he's nearby).

Nosha123

Keep us posted BM. Hope little fella makes it! I rescued a baby robin earlier in yr. popped it in small Tupperware and wedged it in between branches up a tree. Parents new it was there. Locked cats in. Sadly I think another cat or fox climbed tree as in morning Tupperware was on lawn and baby gone. Hopefully parents will breed again next year!!

Barmaid

Question Author

Having watched said baby for about 2 hours, I left it for 2 minutes to put the rubbish out. In that time in fell into my neighbour's garden (although not sure which one because I am abutted by 2). Both appeared to be in bed so it was too late to disturb them (one is on weird shifts, the other elderly). I then heard poor birdy tweeting behind the fence. I fear a cat got there before mum and dad did. My OH came home to find a very upset BM that she hadn't rescued poor baby. However, mum and dad are still tending the nest.

chaptazbru

Poor birds, beats me how any ever survive !

237SJ

It`s a difficult one. There is no point putting it back in the nest. It`s a fledgeling - it won`t want to stay in the nest. It will fly down but the problem is, it can`t fly up (to the trees) for protection so it`s condemned to staying hidden (hopefully) on the ground until morning. You could try taking it indoors for the night (to protect it from cats). The parents aren`t nocturnal and won`t be around at this time of night so it`s on it`s own until morning. If it`s injured it won`t survive anyway so your best bet is to contact your local vets surgery and see if they know a rescue centre for birds. Blackbirds raise more than one clutch of eggs per summer so they`ll soon clear off and breed again.

hc4361

This is nature. Not all (or every) chick gets to independence.

wildwood

They do seem to leave the nest too early and rarely stay in the nest when put back. It is the natural 'nest explosion' thingy. I have in the past saved the odd one by putting it in a parrot cage with cover over it for rain. If the youngster is not badly wounded the parents will feed it through the wire and when you consider it old enough you can open the cage door. A cage should have 1" space between the wires so the feeding can be done easily. I've also used a old canary cage and removed every second wire on one side to provide the feeding space.

This works with thrushes too.