Chucky Mama Posted May 20, 2010 Share Posted May 20, 2010 If your garden is anything like mine you will be aware of nests full of baby birds. Unfortunately is wont be long before we start finding the odd little one that has fallen from a nest or seeing fledglings looking lost and helpless I thought it would be useful to provide some advice on how to deal with these birds. It is so important not to leap in and try to foster these little ones. An enormous percentage of 'hand reared' baby birds die. Most of those taken to the vets die or are put to sleep. Those that survive for a week or so often die suddenly despite appearing to thrive initially. Nature to a degree is about the survival of the fittest and often the weakly birds that have 'fallen' from the nest have done so for a reason. If you find a little one with very few feathers they can be popped back into the nest. Mum will not abandon it because you have handled they wont be able to smell that you have handled it contrary to popular belief. She may however abandon the nest if you pay it too much attention and frighten her off. If you find a fledgling that can fly a short distance it will have left the nest and will be fed on the ground by the parent. It may look abandoned but it will be fed at intervals on the ground. They very quickly get the hang of flying and will be gone in a few days. It will be at risk from cats so the best that you can do is to keep a watch out for cats or perhaps move it to somewhere close by that is slightly higher up but where parents can still see/hear it. The sad fact is that some will be taken by cats or similar but you are almost certainly condemning it to death by trying to hand rear it. As a last resort you can take them to a vet or animal rescue. Of course any vet will see an injured bird - baby or otherwise free of charge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raina Posted May 20, 2010 Share Posted May 20, 2010 I wish i had of read this sooner A young bird fell out our Ivy today and landed on our Bedlington Terriers Head.My sister came down to help it and it took what felt like forever to get Bedley to drop it (He kept prodding the bird with his foot & nose,Biting it & picking it up)My sister then put it on one of our fence posts but it fell off and landed in a bush behind the house It's Mother/Father was watching the whole time calling for it. We haven't let any of the dogs out since just incase any more fall out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raina Posted May 20, 2010 Share Posted May 20, 2010 UPDATE: We found the chick again 10 minutes ago (Well our Bedlington did) we can't reach the ivy it fell out of (10 - 12 feet high) so we put it in a pet carrier,My mum said if it's still alive in the morning she'll ring my uncle up and ask him to bring his ladders to put it back into it's nest Sorry for Raiding your thread Chucky Mama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coco Posted May 23, 2010 Share Posted May 23, 2010 Very good advice. We rescued a young thrush from the cat last weekend, it was on the ground and the cat was just about to grab it. We only found it because its parents were making such a noise. It couldn't fly so we put in the conifers so the cat wouldn't find it. A few hours later it was recovered from its ordeal and flew off which was lovely to see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted May 23, 2010 Share Posted May 23, 2010 I found a baby magpie in the middle of the drive at around 1pm. It was sitting in the full sun. I moved it onto the grass, into a bit of shade, and he is still there. His parents have been swooping and chak chakking all afternoon, but he hasn't summoned the strength to fly away. Am keeping an eye on him, but am a bit worried about what will happen over night. should I pop him in a cat carrier, and then l put him back out first thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted May 23, 2010 Author Share Posted May 23, 2010 Am keeping an eye on him, but am a bit worried about what will happen over night. hould I pop him in a cat carrier, and then l put him back out first thing> I wouldn't as the parent may well loose contact with him. They will be chatting to him and may not stick around if they don't get a response from him. He may well be good enough to fly off in a day or so, it happens very quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted May 23, 2010 Share Posted May 23, 2010 Right you are. Many thanks. Am around tomorrow morning so will keep an eye. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted May 24, 2010 Share Posted May 24, 2010 Got up at 5am to make sure he was OK. To my horror, there was no sign. The adults were still swooping and chak chakking though. He had wandered down the drive and was on the pavement outside the house. Not a good place to be, busy A road etc, so I have put him back on the lawn in a bit of shade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted May 24, 2010 Author Share Posted May 24, 2010 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted May 24, 2010 Share Posted May 24, 2010 Sad update. Just come back home, to find the poor little mite dead on the lawn. The parents are still swooping and carrying on. Am wondering if a cat did for him in the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted May 25, 2010 Author Share Posted May 25, 2010 Oh no, that is sad. Still best that you left him though. If you do take them in and release them when they are stronger the other birds tend to kill them. Still sad watching nature at work though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 If you find a fledgling that can fly a short distance it will have left the nest and will be fed on the ground by the parent. It may look abandoned but the best that you can do is to keep a watch out for cats or perhaps move it to somewhere close by that is slightly higher up but where parents can still see/hear it. I totally agree I lost count of the number of birds that I saw in the spring that should have been left alone but instead perished under human hands. The only caveat I would suggest is that if you find a raptor fledgeling do take it to your vets. They usually do very well when cared for by specialists. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted May 25, 2010 Author Share Posted May 25, 2010 I lost count of the number of birds that I saw in the spring that should have been left alone but instead perished under human hands. The only caveat I would suggest is that if you find a raptor fledgeling do take it to your vets. They usually do very well when cared for by specialists. Very good point OSH - they certainly are an exception. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grracee Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 There is a sparrow that i think has nested in our hedge & over the last few days she has been bringing her baby bird out to teach it to fly etc. I haven't seen a sparrow this colour before though.... Mum is half way up the fence and baby down on the grass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 We used to have a pied blackbird who visited the garden and there is a rook in our rookery with a white tail. That's Dad up the fence, by the way. It's lovely watching the newly fledged baby birds begging for food and being fed by the parents. The Sparrow pair should have another brood so you can watch out for them as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grracee Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 Oh right sorry, i dont really know much about wild birds I just guessed it was mum, I think I saw another young sparrow in the garden the other day. There are loads about. It's nice to watch them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 Oh no I didn't mean to make you sorry. I have a nest box with a camera and the four babies fledged on Sunday. I got some nice pictures Just waiting for the next brood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grracee Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 Haha, dont worry about it! Ahhh, sounds nice. I'd love to get some nice pictures of the birds in the garden, not very sucessful at the moment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoriabunny Posted June 4, 2010 Share Posted June 4, 2010 That's Dad on the fence! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoriabunny Posted June 4, 2010 Share Posted June 4, 2010 D'oh! Sorry, didn't realise someone had already said that. We have great tits in one box this year and blue tits in another...the babies are hatched and making a right racket in both boxes. Their poor parents are working so hard bringing them goodies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted May 14, 2011 Author Share Posted May 14, 2011 Just resurrecting this thread for the fledgling season Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffin Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 I found a baby boy sparrow in my feed bucket by the back door last week I guessed that wasn't where he intended to be, mum and dad were frantic, so I tipped him out onto the grass so they could take care of him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffin Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 Just found another one caught in the netting. Freed it then what did it do? Headed straight for the netting and got stuck again I have suicidal sparrows Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 get a shallow cardboard box, pop a little straw in it and put the baby bird in it. Mum and dad may feed it there and it will be safer than on the floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerryegg Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 Hard though it is I think baby birds are best ignored. Last year I put a half grown blue tit back in the box twice. I then saw it fall out again and get carried off by a jackdaw. Tthe noise was quiet upsetting. I wondered afterwards if the parents had rejected it for some reason. This year I will leave well alone. My only help will be to let my dogs chase the cats out of the garden, usually forbidden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
