Found Baby Bird

[jaimmorr]

Okay, so I didn't find it. My friend called me and said her little sister saved it from a cat... I asked her if she could please find the nest and put it back. She said she had no clue where her sister even got it from. She refused to take care of it, and I have raised one robin before. So, I guess I have him now.

He's very tiny. About the size of a quarter and a half? He has no feathers at all and his eyes are definitely not open. I have him in a 10 gallon tank with a towel, then a heating pad on low, then a blanket bunched up like a nest. I also have a small heater on the side of the tank, made for reptiles. I have hand feeding formula and have been feeding him, but I don't have a syringe, only a baby spoon. That's how I fed the robin I raised, and he did great. Flew away when he was old enough. Anyway, I have fed him twice, once every hour... Is this enough? His crop doesn't seem to be getting full, but he starts to refuse the food, so I stop and put him back. He hasn't stopped peeping since I got him.

Should I feed him more? More often? What about when I'm sleeping? I need to go to bed, like, half an hour ago. Lol. So, should I just set my alarm for every 2 hours or let him go for the night? I want to do my best to try and keep him alive, but he's sooo small.

 

[stephend]

He sounds a bit large for such a young robin. Other than that all I can suggest is checking for a local wild bird rescue, or possibly a zoo.

 

[Al_96789]

My wife takes care of wild birds, but she's not here right now. Wild birds sleep when the sun goes down so let it sleep. Keep it warm as you are doing and keep it hydrated. Depending on the bird, it may not have a crop. Here in Hawaii there are fruit eaters that don't have a crop such as Mejiros or Bulbuls. If it is peeping that usually means it is hungry. Baby Mejiros eat every 15 minutes.

Good luck.

 

[mcw009]

I agree with the above. It needs to be fed dawn til dusk, but should be left alone overnight. It sounds to me that he should be getting fed every 15 minutes or half hour right now. He might be dehydrated- who knows how long he's been out of the nest. You can check for dehydration by looking at his belly- if it's wrinkly, he's dehydrated. The skin should be nice and smooth.

It would probably be best to get him to a licensed rehabber. Here's a directory to help you find one:
FIND A REHABILITATOR

Either way, good luck

 

[jaimmorr]

Thanks so much, everyone!

Well, he survived the night, to my surprise. I woke up expecting a little, dead bird, but instead I heard "PEEP PEEP PEEP" lol.

I just fed him and he ate quite well. His belly is very round and his skin is smooth. His skin looks a darker red on one side than the other, makes me wonder if he has internal bleeding? Not sure...

I just checked that website, there are no wildlife rehabilitators near me... So now what?? I guess I will continue doing what I'm doing but I have to go to work on Monday! :/

 

[mcw009]

It's probably just his internal organs you're seeing. Here's a picture of a healthy baby bird tummy to help you compare and decide if it's normal or if it looks like a hemorrhage:
http://www.sialis.org/images/series/gbb1firstgape.jpg

One of my main concerns is that a cat found him. A rehabber would automatically put this little fellow on a course of antibiotics because of that, even if there are no visible wounds. Obviously no wounds means there's less chance of him getting an infection, but it's still definitely there- cat saliva is some truly nasty stuff.

I'm not sure what to tell you if you can't find a nearby rehabber. You could try calling ones closest to you and asking if they know anyone nearby, or try a local vet (both to ask if they know any rehabbers or would be willing to take the bird).

I'm glad he survived the night! That's often the biggest hurdle

 

[jaimmorr]

Thanks, mcw009.

I am sad to report that little bird has passed away. I am not sure what happened... It could have been many things, but he did have 2 tiny open wounds, probably cat punctures. Makes me think that's what did it...

Thanks for the support while he was here <3

 

[IcyWolf]

I'm so sorry to hear that It's always hard to loose a baby, you did the best you could though, at least he was in a nice, warm, loving home and not outside alone somewhere. Thank you for trying.

 

[mcw009]

Aww, I'm sorry about that. He probably wouldn't have made it even if you got him to a professional. It was just too much for a little bird to handle =(