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Raising
A Wild Baby Bird |
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This
site is family safe. However, the information herein is intended
for adult use.
Perhaps you have
found a chick that has fallen out of its nest in the past. Or
maybe you will in the future. Do you know what you are supposed
to do in such a situation? I myself have raised a baby house
sparrow that fell out of its nest. Things turned out alright
despite some major mistakes that I had made. I am no expert
whatsoever, but given that information is hard to obtain, I will
relay my experiences and what I have learned in order that
certain errors are not repeated by other care takers. These pages
are quite long since I want to be absolutely clear and as
detailed as possible.
No matter what, it
is very strongly advised that you seek
professional help by contacting a professional wildlife
rehabilitation center. In North America, it is against the law to
hold wild birds for any length of time, and for any reason. Use
this link to find a rehabilitator in or near your community:
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contact.htm This link does not contain all
professional rehabilitation centers though. Check your local
yellow pages, or ask a veterinarian, animal shelter, or wildlife
officer, to see if they may know of a center near you.
Be aware that for
the non-professional, the chances of survival for the chick are
extremely low. On top of this, there are other
benefits that a professional bird rehabilitator can offer that
cannot be offered in the home: Complete nutrition, medical
assistance, proper housing, and proper pre-release care. My
intention in offering this site is to help those who simply have
no other choice but to care for the birds themselves, and to
provide emergency instructions for those who have just rescued a
young orphan. It is not a replacement for the expert care that
would be given at a wildlife rehabilitation center.
As stated above,
my own experience is with a European House Sparrow, but I have
received much information regarding other species, so most, if
not all of the information is applicable to the smaller species
of birds (songbirds, also known as Passerines).
For ducks, grouse,
partridge, shore birds such as killdeer, sand pipers, etc., and
other wild fowl, whose young are able to see, walk, and feed
themselves immediately after hatching, please refer to the 'Precocial
Chicks' page.
The information on
this site is totally unsuitable for raising owls, raptors, herons
and egrets, gulls, terns, etc. They have different and much more
specific care needs, and you should call ANYONE that could help
(Rehabilitator, Vet, Wildlife Officer, even the zoo!)
I also want to
mention that this site is for the benefit of people who are
capable of following instructions, and have at least a general
sense of a wild animals needs. In offering this site, I have
unfortunately dealt with some people that thought that
"their way" was better, though the unfortunate bird
died in the end. If you are confident that you can do this, and
have patience and a willingness to learn, then by all means use
this site as necessary. If you cannot follow the directions of
this site, then please admit this to yourself, and ask a friend,
family member, or anyone else that may be capable to care for the
bird for you. Of course, in either respect, I'll expect that you
looked into finding a professional rehabilitator around you.
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| Select
the appropriate subject below. |
| (Keep in
mind that the pages are listed by order of importance.) |
Before
continuing onto the rest of this site, here are some golden rules about dealing with baby birds. Click on
the sentences to go to the page that explains the rule more
thoroughly.
- Before rescuing a bird, evaluate the situation
to see if he really needs rescuing.
- No water should ever be given to nestlings.
- Using gloves and/or washing hands thoroughly
before and after dealing with wild birds is a must.
- Any food offered to the bird should be warm,
not hot or cold, and should have a good consistency, not too firm
or runny.
- Do not feed earthworms to young birds.
- Parent birds will not abandon their chicks
because you touched them.
-
Do not overly fuss with the bird. See to their needs, feed them,
but let them have plenty of rest in a quiet stress free area. (no
link for this rule)
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| "He who saves a life becomes
responsible for that life." - Chinese proverb |
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This web site is not
intended to replace the expert care that is only available by
professional rehabilitators. The use of this web site is only
intended for those where the option of bringing an orphaned bird
to a rehabilitator is not possible. By raising a wild bird
yourself, you greatly diminish it's chances for survival. Please
check this link for a rehabilitation center in your community:
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contact.htm. If none are listed
near you, call a local animal shelter, veterinarian, or wildlife
office/agent for information on local rescue centers. Thank you.
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Last updated:05/10/2006