Help with baby bird

[pibbleb]

My kids have just found a baby bird which looks just a few days old, looking at the remains around it the nest must been attacked. The RSPCA are not interested. Now I suspect it may not last long, but for the benefit of my kids any suggestions?

Pib

 

[led]

I was advised to put them back near where you found them, preferably near some cover. The parents would likely be close by to try to help when it's all clear.

 

[pibbleb]

Yeah we had the same advise but sadly I fear the parents are no longer, I also believe that the local cats are starting to close in.

Pib

 

[Wayne]

The general view is to leave them near the place found for their parents to sort it.

have a look at birdforum

 

[anthonyyy]

Try feeding tinned cat food

 

[fred gordon]

Try this website www.sttiggywinkles.org.uk Honest! They also produce a book and I've used it lots over the years. Good luck.

 

[shona]

pibbleb

I've had to deal with this on several occasions, having both children and cats. (although it's not just the cats that do damage, last year we had a survivor from a sparrow nest that had been attacked by magpies). Sadly, every time the chick has died, despite our best efforts.

I think if you are absolutely certain the parents are dead, you can keep the chick in a box with holes for air, padded with tissue. If it's tiny, it needs heat, eg a warm hot water bottle. If the bird opens it's mouth you can feed mashed up cat food, or mashed up worms from the end of a teaspoon handle, or better still a syringe (no needle obviously). This provides food and water for the bird. You can encourage it to open it's beak by lightly tapping on the side of the beak.

But I would prepare your children for it not to pull through - survival rate for hand reared wild chicks is very low, even if you are experienced. And they need fed every couple of hours

best of luck to you

 

[dommyracer]

Are the RSPB not interested?

 

[pibbleb]

Hi guys.

Just an update but first a note of thanks to those guys who responded quickly.

My little girl was beside herself when the bird was found and she has found the whole experience heartbreaking, and if I'm honest, through her eyes, I think we have a little despite being something of a realist.

Her only experience of wildlife before now has been hugely positives the 'oooohs theres a deer', 'arrrrrr there's a fox' etc this was a bit of a surprise and I'm starting to wish we'd thought of how to approach this kind of situation if and when it ever came up.

Anyway we've spoken to a few people, including our child minder its amazing what she knows. The initial advise from everyone including the RSPCA was the same, leave it where it is and mum will come back.

This was tough as mum, I assume, was clearly the pile of feathers next to baby and his/her dead sibling. We did this for about an hour additionally tough due to the cats circling. After the hour we called back to the RSPCA and they said the best thing to do is put it in a box and make it comfortable and take it to a vet tomorrow and they'll 'take care of it' .

He's hanging on but on closer inspection he has teeth marks on his back and possibly a broken leg. Funny though, I just can't bring myself to do the business despite being a roughty toughty type.

The RSPB don't provide any assistance with injured birds and direct you to the RSPCA.

Finally, we've prepared the kids for the worst, but being 3 and 6 they are struggling with this so the fairy who lives behind Mollie's skirting board my be coming to take him away and look after him, if you get my drift.

Cheers for your advise guys.

Paul

 

[scanker]

Sorry to hear that, but in my experience if he's got those injuries, you won't need the trip to the vet in the morning.

 

[falling rain]

Harsh as it sounds pibbleb kids need to get used to death too. there'll be pets that die like hamsters etc it's all part of the game. If you're religious you can of course tell them it's gone to heaven, but I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that. My James was in a right state when his hamster got in behind the gas fire and got burnt to death. I'm not looking forward to when my Lily (whippet) go's. I've done so much and been to so many places with her, and she's made me laugh till I've cried. I once had to jump in the river fully clothed to rescue her because she'd got tangled up in weeds and started to go under. Then there was the time she dug up the pristine lawn at the beetle and wedge (very posh pub) while I was getting my pint. I replaced the turf as best I could drank my pint in record time and made a sharp exit before the gardener got hold of us. she's like my best mate, and she's 14 now, and I'm going to be completely gutted when she goes

 

[belto]

Have faith in the little mite! My experience has shown they are tougher than they look. If it pulls through the day i would take it to the vets tommorrow, a lot of the problem for the bird will probably be shock. I couldn't bring myself to put it out of it's misery - you never know if the mum or dad is watching from a far.

 

[pibbleb]

The little fella didn't make it, but thanks for all the suggestions.

The kids do need to get used to death but I think the harshness of the whole find through them a curve ball.

Pib

 

[fred gordon]

Really sorry to hear about the bird and I hope your kids took it OK. St Tiggywinkles produce a great book with masses of information about looking after all sorts of native and other species. Worth a look. I've used mine several times. Some areas also have local vets who are prepared to look at wild animals. We have a couple here who have become very good at it.

 

[pibbleb]

Fred thanks for that, it's just the way these things go.

I had meant to say I was really impressed with the tiggywinkles site which has now been saved as a frave. Top link

Pib

 

[wanderinstar]

This brings back memories of a few years ago.
We had a blackbird build a nest on top of a security light under our carport. In time the chicks got larger until eventually one fell out of the nest. This was early one Sunday morning. SWMBO said we had better catch it and put it back in nest. have you ever tried catching a near fledged blackbird chick. There was me, the missus and the 2 lads, all in dressinggowns running up and down the backstreet, in and out of backyards trying to catch this chick. After about 30 minutes of this, we eventually caught it. Got the steps out, climbed up to nest to put it back with all its little brothers and sisters. You guessed it, they saw 2 huge hands coming into the nest with the runaway and hey presto they all flew out of nest.
My language was not repeatable. We finally did what we should have done in first place, left them to there own devices, The parents did come back and feed them.
I could just imagine them saying, " What burk frightened all our babies out of there home".
Guilty as charged.

I look back now and think what a sight we all must have looked.

Hope this little story brought a smile to your faces. It certainly did to mine.

Ian.

 

[pibbleb]

It certainly did mine.

Cheers

Pib