fledgling bird help

[kristen]

I know this is a squirrel board, but I also know there are some rehabbers out there who may be able to help me. I found a fledgling in the park this morning walking my dogs. It was hopping around in the tall grass. When I got home from work it was still there. I think it is a female redwing blackbird. It looks healthy enough but it has a lot of crud hanging from it's behind. Is that normal? I have it in a big cage now with water and bird food. I back onto the park so it is not a big deal to put her back if she is okay. I was afraid she would be food if I left her.
Any ideas?

[Loopy Squirrel]

Many fladgling birds will hide in bushes at night and their parents will still feed them when they are on the ground. Did you see any adults fluttering around? Does the bird gape for you? Are there sticky strings of saliva in the birds mouth. If so this is a good sign of dehydration and maybe the parents are not around. The messy rear end worried me a little too.

[kristen]

it's not gaping, and I didn't see any adults around. If it weren't for the shape of its backside I wouldn't be so worried.

[Loopy Squirrel]

Yeah I worry about infecion with diarrhea. A healthy fledgling should be having a nice solid stool. What color is the poop?

[kristen]

not really sure. looks like bird poop. black and white. I don't think its that runny but she hasn't really pooped much yet.

[Loopy Squirrel]

Well since he is fully feathered he really doesn't need heat unless he is sick. Usually a bird will looked "puffed" up when not feeling well. You can try to offer the bird some water in a shallow dish. If you have a small syringe or a paint brush you can put a little drop water on the tip of the birds beak and if thirsty they'll let it roll into their mouth.

[Loopy Squirrel]

I really don't think it is normal for any bird to have poop on their bottom. Usually it is a very formed poop and they will hike their butt way up in the air so that the poop is way away from them. If it's on the butt either they have diarrhea or they are too weak to stand up and are leaning in it. Are there any rehabbers in your area?

[Nancy in New York]

Just wondering if what you saw is that she was laying in her poop and that is why it is on her back side...Also, if she isn't pooping much that may mean that she hasn't been fed for a while, maybe no parents. If you have or can get nestling food, try giving that to her from a syringe.

[kristen]

I don't know. There used to be but they closed a couple of years ago. I'm doing web searches now

[kristen]

I just put a call into Toronto wildlife. They supposidly will get back to me in the morning.

[kristen]

What is nestling food?

[Loopy Squirrel]

Nancy is right, if the bird isn't pooping much now it hasn't been fed and is probably dehydrated. You can pry open his mouth if he won't gape andlook inside for the tacky strings. If he is dehydrated you can do the paint brush thing with water until he starts to lose the tackyness. I would offer water every 20-30 minutes until hydrated. Then you can soften some dry dog/cat kibble in water and try offering this to the bird. He may be too scared to gape because he is at an age when they are very scared of humans. You may have to force feed. Birds can go down quickly if not cared for.

[Nancy in New York]

I believe that is something that people that raise birds feed to their little ones. You just mix it with water and you can syringe feed a bird. Are you feeding anything to her now?

[Nancy in New York]

Here's something I just found on the internet...
Nestling Food Recipes

These recipes have been acquired from a variety of sources. Where their origins are known, I have noted them.

(The terms egg food, nestling food, and soft food are used interchangeably.)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Commercial Nestling Foods



Commercial nestling foods provide breeding birds with nutritious food and save the busy breeder time, but they can be expensive and are sometimes rejected by birds. Many breeders mix the commercial preparations with boiled egg, soak seed or grated carrots to make them more palatable and nutritionally complete.



Care must be taken with some of these foods as they are made from bakery products which contain a great deal of sugar, something chicks are reportedly not able to process well for the first three days of life.



A large number of different brands are available and each has its own fan base. I have used nearly every brand at one time or another and personally prefer Witte Molen because it’s one of the best of the commercial products I have used- it is not as dry as many nestling foods, nor is it overly sweet. It is readily accepted by the birds and one formulation includes herbs as well.



I use commercial nestling food daily when the birds are breeding - the birds receive moistened homemade egg food once in the morning and once in the early afternoon and then only seed and dry Witte Molen egg food for the late afternoon until the lights shut off...then the birds have it available as soon as the lights turn on in the morning. This way I don't have to worry about food spoilage or that the birds will have no nestling food to feed if I happen to sleep in a little late.




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Traditional "One Cup" Nestling Food

Some form of this recipe has been in use for decades... It is not nutritionally complete, but thousands upon thousands of birds have been bred using it! It is the food I began breeding with (my first trio of canaries came with this recipe), although the one I currently use does not include powdered milk or gelatin.

1 c. dry bread crumbs

1 c. high protein baby cereal

1 c. corn grits

1 c. quick oats

1 c. powdered milk

1 c. shredded wheat cereal

1/4 c. raw wheat germ

3 tbsp poppy seed

1 tsp plain gelatin

1/2 tsp avian vitamin powder



Directions:

Mix all ingredients together; add 1 to 3 rounded tablespoons to one mashed large

hard boiled egg along with one shredded carrot.

[Nancy in New York]

Nancy is right, if the bird isn't pooping much now it hasn't been fed and is probably dehydrated. You can pry open his mouth if he won't gape andlook inside for the tacky strings. If he is dehydrated you can do the paint brush thing with water until he starts to lose the tackyness. I would offer water every 20-30 minutes until hydrated. Then you can soften some dry dog/cat kibble in water and try offering this to the bird. He may be too scared to gape because he is at an age when they are very scared of humans. You may have to force feed. Birds can go down quickly if not cared for.

Loopy, I totally forgot about this using cat food or dog food soaked in water and I have used this 100 times myself in a pinch...just drew a blank. Glad someone is thinking...:thumbsup

[Loopy Squirrel]

They sell it at pet stores. The soaked kibble will work if you are in a pinch though. I wouldn't recommend it long term because there are other things I add to my mix but it will get you through the night. The most important thing though is to make sure the bird is hydrated before starting any food. Thanks Nancy... I add a lot of stuff to my mix as well.

[kristen]

this is great. Thank you all. I will try the water right now.

[Loopy Squirrel]

If the little guy looks puffed up or chilled in any way you can give him a warm rice buddy or put him in a container half on a heating pad on low.

[kristen]

I pried it's mouth open. no strings. It let me pick it up no problem so I got a good look at its backside. It looked like dried mud. Chunks of it, all over her. My neighbour is doing major renovations so she could have fallen in something. I took her to my laundry room and rinsed as much off as I could with warm water. No soap, don't want to wash off any of her natural oils. Now she is wrapped in a towel in my lap. I will put a heating pad under the cage I have her in when she is dry. She isn't puffed up though.

[Nancy in New York]

Sounds like you are doing great. Do try to get some hydration into her, but be careful to get the dropper or whatever you give it to her with, way back in the throat. Sometimes too, if you just put a couple of drops of water where her beak meets, she may open for more.:thumbsup

[kristen]

I got her to drink

[Ontario Rehabber]

Just got your message Loopy. There is a great bird rescue centre in Ottawa and further east closer to Montreal but will check to see if I can find something closer to Toronto. Will be back

[Ontario Rehabber]

Here's what I have found so far closest to Toronto.

Canada, Ontario, (Nanticoke)..... 905-776-5510

Debbie Dumelie Beacon (director), Beacon of Light Animal Rescue
desert_angel66@hotmail.com
Wildlife Species: Small mammals, raccoons, birds

Canada, Ontario (Kingston)..... 613-547-2197

Sharon David, licensed home wildlife rehabilitator
davids@psyc.queensu.ca
Wildlife Species: songbirds, waterfowl

Canada, Ontario (Rockwood).... 519-856-4510

Judi Drake (President), S.O.A.R. (Songbirds Only Avian Rehabilitation)
drake@sentex.net
Wildlife Species: songbirds

Canada, Ontario, Southern region (Toronto)..... 416-631-0662

Nathalie Karvonen (Executive Director), Toronto Wildlife Centre
Wildlife Species: Over 200 species have been treated at TWC
Specialties/Knowledge: Toronto Wildlife Centre's Wildlife Hotline (416-631-0662)
handles approximately 30,000 calls per year from members of the public with various
concerns about wildlife.
Comments: Toronto Wildlife Centre is a registered charity, and is one of the
largest wildlife rehabilitation centres in Canada with veterinarians on staff

If they are too far away try them anyway. They may know of someone closer.

[Ontario Rehabber]

When trying to get fluids and food into her get her beak facing straight up. She will be more likely to open up when in that position.

[kristen]

thank you for this info. The toronto wildlife centre is the one I put a call into. I'll call them again tomorrow if I don't hear from them.

[Ontario Rehabber]

I would suggest trying all of them just in case. If they are not close enough they may know of someone closer. Don't wait for the Toronto Wildlife Centre to get back to you, I have heard they aren't really great at call returns.

[kristen]

How often should I be giving her water or food?

[Ontario Rehabber]

How is the little guy doing? May not take anything more tonight as it is now dark. But should be ready to eat again at 4:30-5:00a.m. tomorrow, and pretty much every 3 hrs. from then on.

[Ontario Rehabber]

o.k. haven't read through all the posts - have you gotten water and or food into her yet?

[kristen]

he seems to be doing better. I didn't get all the crud off of her. But she was blocked up by the mud. Probably why she wasn't going to the bathroom. She seems to have a little more energy and she still drinks when I try to give her more. I am going to try to gently get the rest of the stuff off her.
When I washed her off the first time I noticed she has a very red growth like thing around her bum. Forgive my ignorance, but do birds have really big penises?

[Nancy in New York]

No, there really shouldn't be anything there accept their rectum. But no penis.

[Nancy in New York]

Would it be possible to get a photo of what you are describing?

[Ontario Rehabber]

No wouldn't be a penis. Can you get a pic of it and post. So he has been drinking? Good, continue to give him something to drink. Has he taken anything else at this point?

[kristen]

I tried taking a picture with my blackberry. I am trying to email it to myself but it's taking forever.

[kristen]

Here it is

[kristen]

Whoops, didn't mean for it to be so big!

[Legomom]

I re-sized it for you. :D
Good luck. :grouphug

[Nancy in New York]

Gees, hard to tell, that's not the rectum is it?

[Ontario Rehabber]

It is really difficult to tell from the pic but doesn't look normal. Have you had a chance to call the rehabbers on the list yet?

[kristen]

Yes. I called the on in Toronto a couple of hours ago. They close at 6:00. I will keep on them tomorrow until I hear back. The others are too far for me. She is sleeping now in a big rat cage in cotton bedding on a low setting on a heating pad. I will keep an eye on her. Thank you all for all your help.
I first came on her last year for a baby squirrel (who is an incredible companion now! For me and my dogs!) and met a great friend through the squirrel board. The help I recieved last year as well was wonderful.
What a great site! Thank you all again.

[Ontario Rehabber]

I would still suggest calling the others even if they are too far away as they may know of someone closer.

[punkin'smama]

It is hard to tell from the pictures, but that could be a cloaca prolapse, where the tissue has come out of the vent . If she was blocked with mud this is a real possibility from straining. She definitely needs a rehabber.

[kristen]

She does have diarrhea. Pretty bad. I think that was what was caked all over her. I'll give the other places a call this morning.

[Nancy in New York]

Thanks for the update. Are you giving her food/water? You're doing great, at least this little one is still with us....:thumbsup

[kristen]

I found someone in Rockwood who would take her. I spoke to her and got directions. By the time I had washed my face and brushed my teeth the baby passed away. I had been giving it water every 2 hours and she seemed to be drinking. I was just making up some kibble mush to give to her when I got the call from the rehabber.
Thank you for all your help. I just hope I helped her and didn't make it worse.

[Nancy in New York]

Oh I am so sorry to hear this. You did such a wonderful job with this little one. You cared enough to pick her up, get her help, clean her little butt, and so much more. You didn't make anything worse, you made her passing calm and dignified, and she passed with someone loving and caring enough about her life.:Love_Icon :Love_Icon :grouphug :grouphug

[longshotgamble]

Dear K~
I understand how you feel, I cry alot over my self percieved mistakes. You did the best you could, and you cannot save them all. I have to tell that to myself alot.
I am so happy to hear that there are people like you and me and all the loving souls here at TSB, to care for these creatures that need help. I seem to have droves of birds come to my house for help or to nest; regardless of the fact that Cletus, the horrible (JK...he's great for a 1110 lb Bloodhound) reigns supreame here.
Keep up the great work.

[Ontario Rehabber]

I'm so sorry Kristen, you did everything possible for the little guy. You definitely didn't make it worse, he could not have survived in the wild in the condition you found him in. Thank you for being such a caring person and helping this little one. :grouphug RIP Baby

[Nevara]

He had water, warmth, and a safe place to be away from predators. That is ten times better than the dehydration, cold, and inevitable murder he would have endured otherwise. You are a lifesaver in his eyes! Never doubt that!