Can you help with birds, too?

[lillythesquirrel]

I walked outside after a large storm here in Louisiana and happened upon a baby bird who looks as though it fell from it's nest. At first, it was very cold, very stiff, and barely breathing. I picked him up and did what I would do for him if he were a squirrel. I put him on a warm heating pad, wrapped in a blanket, and in a dark, quiet room.

I immediately noticed an improvement in his breathing once it was warm and dry. The trouble is that now I have no idea what to do with him now! Do you guys have any advice on how to care for him until I can release him?

I think he is a BlueJay. Here is a picture of him.

[Legomom]

Awww, what a cutie!! I don't know anything about birds but some of our TSBers have done birds so I'm sure they'll be along soon. In the meantime, I re-sized your pics so that everyone can see this little sweetie! Hope your storms have passed. :thankyou for taking this little one in. :grouphug

[lillythesquirrel]

Thank you so much for resizing the pics for me! I couldn't figure it out!!

[island rehabber]

Sure looks like a Blue Jay...too little to be a fledgling, though so he will need help. I am avian-ignorant but I'll PM some of our members who are not...BRB!!

[lillythesquirrel]

Thanks so much!!

[Nancy in New York]

First off no water. You can feed him dry cat food soaked in water, and I mean soaked so that it is soft. Or if you have canned cat food, you can use that. You can put a little on a tweezer and get it way back in their throat, careful not to puncture. OR for the time being you can get nestling food, I believe the name is Kaydee, not quite sure. It is sold in pet stores. I will be back in one minute.

[lillythesquirrel]

So should I feed him right now? And how much? I have some dry cat food...I'll start soaking it.

[Nancy in New York]

With the nestling food, if you have a 1 cc syringe, fill that and again, put it way back in their throat and gently squirt it in...At this age, he could also eat meal worms if you happen to have them...or you most likely could purchase them at a reptile type pet store. If you can see on the side of the neck, there is the crop and you can see when you feed that it is expanding. Most times with birds, I believe they do not overeat, so if he continues to open his mouth, you may want to give more. They do need to eat quite often, approximately every 1/2 hour but not through the night.
Also, has he tried any kind of jumping or anything? You may want to keep some sort of a top on him, as he looks to be the size that may try jumping...perhaps a screen or something...

[Nancy in New York]

I'm sorry, this computer is giving me a hard time...If you have some kind of fruit, grapes perhaps, you can dice them into really small pieces and feed him the same way as the other food I suggested. No skin. Currants is also good, again with those if you can soak them for a little while in hot water, that works better. I will be back in a little while, I just want to check something.
He is definitely a little blue jay, they are adorable too when they are young.

[island rehabber]

Nancy....:thankyou:bowdown

[Nancy in New York]

This appears to be a good site where you can actually get answers to your questions:
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=36502
See what you think, and I will keep checking back in...

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

Your little guy is definetely a blue jay and is fledgling. Is the weather cleared up now? You could try putting him back out if it has and see if his mommy and daddy come to take care of him. They should if you just found him recently.

If not, you need to feed the baby bird mix every hour or 2 and he is old enough to get a big boy diet (seeds, bil-jac moist high protein dog food, mealworms, etc.). You can hand feed the diet to him if he isn't eating well. Baby blue jays are big babies and require hand feeding for sooooooooooooooooo long. I saw a baby with its mom once when I was bird watching and had to laugh because the baby was as big as the mom and the mom was still feeding it!

[Nancy in New York]

Here is another site that may help you too:
FYI this site suggested in this one, not to feed mealworms, I know the rehabbers up here do with their little ones, but this suggests not too. Yours does appear to be the size that can handle them, but since you probably don't have them, I wouldn't run out and buy them...
http://community.discovery.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/4741058/m/4831970928

[Nancy in New York]

Here is a list of rehabbers you may want to consider...

Quick Clicks
Locate Your Wildlife Rehabilitator
What you should know about Rabies Prevention
What You Should Know About Keeping Reptiles as Pets
Avian Flu Latest Information
LAWRA Site Menu
Home
About Us
Getting Involved
Training & Certification
Locate A Rehabilitator
Donate
Newsroom
Our Background
Board of Directors
Frequent Questions
LAWRA Policies
Contact LAWRA
Join LAWRA!
Message Boards
Manage My Account
Member Polls
Member Links
Our Links
Join Our Myspace
Join LAWRA!
LAWRA Training
Permitted List
Got Myspace? Add LAWRA!
Have you added us to your Myspace account yet? If not click here to do so!
Permitted Rehabilitators List
Wednesday, 10 October 2007
The following individuals and Wildlife Rehabilitation Centers are permitted by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Not all members of this list are members of LAWRA. We strongly encourage you to ask what professional memberships each individual has, and what classes and training they have had in the species you are bringing them. If you have any questions please feel free to contact us!

2007 Wildlife Rehabilitators

First Name Last Name Parish City Authorized to Rehabilitate Phone

225 Debbie Harris East Baton Rouge Baton Rouge mammals and reptiles (225) 752-2674
Jamie DiBenedetto West Baton Rouge Port Allen small mammals (225) 343-4922
Leslie Lattimore Livingston Livingston reptiles, turtles, birds and mammals (225) 698-3168
Robert R. Zinn East Baton Rouge Baton Rouge turtles (225) 336-4040
Jan Cook East Baton Rouge Greenwell Springs birds, small mammals (225) 262-7040


318 Larry R. Raymond Caddo Shreveport birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians (318) 929-2806
Mistie Hogan Bossier Bossier City squirrels (318) 742-2424
Sandy Knoll Rapides Deville small mammals (318) 466-3173
Tami Benson Bossier Benton mammals, birds, turtles (318) 965-4223
Kathy Wilson DeSoto Gloster squirrels, raccoons, coyotes, foxes (318) 933-1166
Laura Yerby Rapides Alexandria small mammals (318) 561-2623
Jennifer Elaine Peterson Lincoln Arcadia native mammals (318) 395-2045
Faith Fabre Avoyelles Simmesport birds and mammals (318) 941-2259
Emily Winners Rapides Lecompte small mammals (318) 776-5356
Carmon Hill-James Ouachita Monroe small mammals (318) 322-8144
Alona Waldrop Lincoln Ruston small mammals (318) 255-5573
Dr. Gia C. Morgan, DVM Bossier Benton birds and mammals (318) 965-2371
Joanne Luebbert De Soto Grand Cane Wild Birds (318) 858-1119
James Bragg Caddo Keithville native birds and mammals (deer) (318) 925-2257
First Name Last Name Parish City Authorized to Rehabilitate Phone
318 Gwen R. Sexton Lincoln Choudrant reptiles and mammals (318) 768-2456
David Daniels Richland Hebert Waterfowl, Shorebirds, and Wading Birds (318) 248-2780
Martha Ann Messinger George M. Patton Morehouse Bastrop turtles and tortoises (318) 281-0113
Sandra Miletello Ouachita West Monroe mammals, non-poisonous snakes and reptiles (318) 396-0485
Mary Nesom Desoto Mansfield small mammals
Keith Cascio Ouachita Monroe mammals (318) 343-4045


337 Lisa M. Reed Cameron Hackberry birds and mammals (337) 762-4757
Suzy Heck Calcasieu Lake Charles birds and mammals (337) 477-6129
Valerie Jagneaux St. Martin Breaux Bridge all mammals and reptiles (337) 326-4122
Noel Ann Thistlethwaite St. Landry Washington mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians (337) 945-1461
Cindy Ransonet Iberia New Iberia mammals (raccoons and squirrels (337) 365-7239
Janel Bernard Acadia Church Point mammals(raccoons and squirrels) (337) 873-0057
Alfreda "Cissi" Davey Iberia New Iberia mammals (337) 560-5566


504 Louise Walzer Jefferson Kenner squirrels (504) 455-2167
Sarah Farrell Orleans New Orleans birds (504) 866-7260
Cindy DiMaggio Orleans Metairie small mammals (504) 733-5143
Robert MacLean Orleans New Orleans amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals (504) 212-5489
John Hewitt, Elizabeth Hayes Michelle Kelley Orleans New Orleans Sea turtles and marine mammals (504) 378-2573

First Name Last Name Parish City Authorized to Rehabilitate Phone
504 Deborah Cole Orleans New Orleans small mammals (504) 486-5929


985 Margaret B. Chancey Terrebonne Houma small mammals (985) 851-7585
Alexandrea Weis St. Tammany Covington Gray squirrel, fox squirrel, and red squirrel (985) 867-8874
Nancy Torcson St. Tammany Covington mammals, birds and reptiles-no alligators or bats (985) 892-2500
Sid Galloway St. Tammany Covington mammals (985) 285-4630

[lillythesquirrel]

Ok. I just put him outside to see if Mom would come to his rescue and she did!!! Woohoo!! Here are some pictures!! Someone may have to resize them for me! I have no idea how to do that. Can you suggest that I do anything else to help this birdie? I have all of my cats locked up tight!

[punkin'smama]

I have had success many times getting babies back with parents by hanging a basket in a small tree or bush near the nest. Fill it with pine straw or something like that. Wait just a little while to see if they show up. May be too late for that by now.

[punkin'smama]

Great!

[punkin'smama]

The thing is, he is too small to fly, needs to be off the ground so he won't be prey.

[Mrs Skul]

Did you put him up in the tree high. Then mom can help him get to go higher. So sweet

[lillythesquirrel]

Ok. What should I do? I just put him back where I found him - which, obviously, was on the ground. I have some hanging flower baskets on my fence. Should I try to put him in one of those? I'm just not sure whether I should move him since the Mom is coming to feed him.

[lillythesquirrel]

So I should go out there and move him? Onto a tree limb?

[punkin'smama]

I see that tree in the picture. Can you get one of you flower pots and hang it in the tree? Under cover of some limbs would be good.

[punkin'smama]

It would be good if you could make it more of like a nest instead of with dirt.

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

:wahooHis mom should encourage him to hop into a bush or somewhere safe. He will be flying in about 2 days. For now, I would keep an eye on him and get him into the bushes instead of the middle of the yard. His mom will continue to feed as long as you do not move him too far.

If she doesn't get him into the bushes by dark, I would recommend bringing him in for the night and then putting him back out when it gets light out. Do NOT feed him if you do this. Birds do not eat at night and do not digest after dark, so if you feed him it will give him diarrhea. His mom and dad will continue caring for him even if you bring him in at night because they wouldn't feed him then anyways and won't even know he is gone.

Good luck, I hope the little guy starts flying soon. The fledgling age is the most dangerous time in a birds life. luckilly, it is pretty short (usually 2-3 days).

[4skwerlz]

:wahooHis mom should encourage him to hop into a bush or somewhere safe. He will be flying in about 2 days. For now, I would keep an eye on him and get him into the bushes instead of the middle of the yard. His mom will continue to feed as long as you do not move him too far.

If she doesn't get him into the bushes by dark, I would recommend bringing him in for the night and then putting him back out when it gets light out. Do NOT feed him if you do this. Birds do not eat at night and do not digest after dark, so if you feed him it will give him diarrhea. His mom and dad will continue caring for him even if you bring him in at night because they wouldn't feed him then anyways and won't even know he is gone.

Good luck, I hope the little guy starts flying soon. The fledgling age is the most dangerous time in a birds life. luckilly, it is pretty short (usually 2-3 days).

What SR&BT describes has worked for me too with fledglings. Put him in a tall cardboard box with an old t-shirt swirled into a nest. Keep him inside after dusk, in a warm quiet place with the flaps of the box closed loosely. Then in the early morning place the box near where the mama bird found him this evening, and his parents will feed him throughout the day. Then bring him in again at dusk. Once he's old enough to fly to a nearby bush, mom and dad can take it from there.:thumbsup

I've found that once they fall from the nest at this age, they won't stay in any kind of makeshift nest or in a bush but will keep hopping out and end up on the ground where a predator can get them. So the tall cardboard box is safer until he's ready to fly.

[lillythesquirrel]

Thank you guys so much!! I will keep an eye on the little one and if Mom and Dad don't push it into the bushes, either I will or I will bring him back inside with me for the night.

[4skwerlz]

He will probably run into the bushes, but if he's on the ground, he's still at risk.

[Nancy in New York]

So sorry I missed most of this, computer causing me many headaches today. Please let us know what is happening. I hope that you got him in for the night...keep us posted. If you work and cannot be with him through the day, if you just put him near where you got him under some bushes, most likely mama and papa will find him. Good luck.

[Mrs Skul]

When my baby wrens fledge last year they could not fly.I Finley put them in a 10 Gal aqua. with heat. and make shift nest. The next morning at sun rise, I took them out in a Bird cage. Mom and Dad fed for a day through the bares. then one morning they tried to fly. I released them. Mom took them to the woods and 3 days later they were flying. Good luck.:)

[Legomom]

Sorry I missed all the excitement! :wahoo Momma!!
Here's your pics re-sized. Please, keep us posted! :thumbsup

[Nancy in New York]

Keep us posted please. What a great person to try to get help for this little one...sometimes can be a little overwhelming trying to help out with a little critter and run back and forth to the computer to see the suggestions...you did excellent...:thumbsup :thumbsup :thumbsup

[Ontario Rehabber]

Missed all the Blue Jay excitement. How is he today? Do you still have him, or did Mom and Dad come to get him?

I've done as others have said, taken him out first thing in morning, let mom and dad feed him and bring him in at night until he was able to fly. I put him in a cat carrier so parents could feed through the holes, but could not be preyed upon.

[tree-queen]

if the motheoes not return for him, then you need to feed him. In the wild, blue jays eat insects, fruit and berries. You should take some dog food, and blend it with water until it becomes a paste. Then feed it to him through a syringeKeep him warm, and safe from cats. Wishing the best of luck!

[Mrs Skul]

:wave123 Lilly the Squirrel How is your little Blue J to day? Hope you have a wonderful day.:flash3