Baby bird needs help

[jo_schmoe]

Sorry guys its not a squirrel but still a life and in need! This little guy was found in our yard as we took our Pyrenees out for his morning duties. He was found with one other sibling that was dead.
Ants crawling all over the both of them....I thought he was dead too but right before I went to get a shovel I saw him take a breath. He was ice cold and soaked to the bone.
After getting him warm and dry he has perked up.
He is making peeps and standing up.
Anyone know anything about baby Robins?? What sort of meds does he needs?? How do I get rid of the mites he has??
He wont open his mouth to eat....and from what I remember they need to eat about every 30 minutes during the day.

Here are some pics....before he was warmed and now. He has some obvious beak damage.....almost looks like a bite.
Any advice...tips or wisdom is greatly appreciated.

[pappy1264]

Sent your post to Jodi. You have heat under her, right? Do you have any grapes or blueberries to put in and see if she will try to peck at them? Most likely will need baytril, will need a weight in grams. I'll call Jodi and ask her to come on and give you more help (don't have a ton of experience with birds, although I have raised many healthy babies, not to many sick ones.)

[Nancy in New York]

Do you think this is a young one? If this is a robin, there are usually speckles on the breast.
The diet would be:

Feeding Your Bird
The formula for nestling songbirds is sometimes prepared with a base of dry kitten or ferret food with additional protein provided by chicken baby food and egg white. While many FoNS diet formulations exist, the New York State Wildlife Rehabilitation Council recommends combining 1 cup Evo Dry Cat and Kitten Food with 1.3 cups water, 3 tbsp. dried egg white, 1/8 tsp. bird vitamins and ½ tsp. active-culture plain yogurt. Pre-soak the cat food in cold water and do not drain it so you don't lose any nutrients. Blend all of the ingredients in your food processor. If you want to use a different brand of kitten food, you will need to contact a local veterinarian or wildlife council so you can alter your mix accordingly. Each cat food variety will have different amounts of protein, vitamins and other nutrients. The formula should be made fresh daily.


In a pinch I have taken dry kitten food only and soak it until very soft, then feed with a tweezers. This would only be temporary until you can get the rest on the ingrediants above. If this is a juvie, you can even feed meal worms. Yeah, like you just happen to have them handy....:rotfl
Good Luck with the little one. How long is the tail?

[jo_schmoe]

Thank you so much Pappy.
He really is doing much better.
He just ate .5 ccs of bird formula.
I did have to open his mouth at first but after that he did it on his own.

Im hoping he's turning that corner and will make it.
I just went in and checked on him again....his eyes were wide open and he looked at me and opened his mouth really big!!!

[jo_schmoe]

Do you think this is a young one? If this is a robin, there are usually speckles on the breast.
The diet would be:

Feeding Your Bird
The formula for nestling songbirds is sometimes prepared with a base of dry kitten or ferret food with additional protein provided by chicken baby food and egg white. While many FoNS diet formulations exist, the New York State Wildlife Rehabilitation Council recommends combining 1 cup Evo Dry Cat and Kitten Food with 1.3 cups water, 3 tbsp. dried egg white, 1/8 tsp. bird vitamins and ½ tsp. active-culture plain yogurt. Pre-soak the cat food in cold water and do not drain it so you don't lose any nutrients. Blend all of the ingredients in your food processor. If you want to use a different brand of kitten food, you will need to contact a local veterinarian or wildlife council so you can alter your mix accordingly. Each cat food variety will have different amounts of protein, vitamins and other nutrients. The formula should be made fresh daily.


In a pinch I have taken dry kitten food only and soak it until very soft, then feed with a tweezers. This would only be temporary until you can get the rest on the ingrediants above. If this is a juvie, you can even feed meal worms. Yeah, like you just happen to have them handy....:rotfl
Good Luck with the little one. How long is the tail?
Thank you Nancy....its almost exactly what I am using until I can get to Fargo and get the proper bird formula. After the storm that caused this Highway 32 is washed out so it could be a few days till we can get out.
Im honestly not sure what sort of bird he is...his belly is very yellow and has yellow tail feathers....but his face and beak look like a Robin.

[pappy1264]

Go very slowly, they can aspirate very easily. Nancy posted the diet to feed him (we use the ferret food, as it has higher protein), now that he is perking up.

[jo_schmoe]

Go very slowly, they can aspirate very easily. Nancy posted the diet to feed him, now that he is perking up.
Ok will do. Bout the speed of a pinkie squirrel ya think??
Just checked him again...and he stood up and open his mouth big again. Eyes wide open.
He weighs 37 gms.
I will get better pics now so you can see all his coloring now that he is dry and active.

[jo_schmoe]

Just did some looking and its not a Robin at all.
This is a baby Kingbird.
Here are some more pics of him getting better and better.
He just took another .3 ccs of formula and is now taking a nap.


Does anyone see the bite taken out of his beak??
Look at the first pics I posted.

[CritterMom]

It certainly looks like one, doesn't it? I wonder what happened there. He looks a lot happier now. Yes, kingbird - insectivore (yellow mouth). He will love you if you get him some mealworms and even more if you pick up some waxworms while you are at it. He can eat them and the FONS formula.

Just like mammals, if there is a danger of cat caught they need the abx.

[pappy1264]

Yes, I see it. Remember Gonzo, the nestling sparrow from earlier this year? His beak healed and he was able to be released, so there is hope. Do you have a reptarium, as you will need to keep him in one so he will not injure himself as he begins to fly. Will have to look that bird up, never heard of it (but FAR from a bird expert....lol) Just make sure he swallows before you add more, go in from the side, on top of his tongue. Sounds like he is doing better! *(Sure looks better, too....he's adorable!!!)

[pappy1264]

With the beak injury like that, more likely another bird trying to take the nest over (although carefully lift his feathers and look for signs of any other injuries.) Put a call into Jodi, hopefully she will come on soon~

[psychobird]

the Fons Diet has been updated , search Fons diet revised 2011, evo changed again
Not sure if he is a robin either but maybe that's just his injury thrOwing me off, plus looking at pix with my phone here
Yes he needs abs because we don't know what injured him

What ones do you have? I would use baytril if he was my baby
For now warmth, hydration n food
You can pick up some bird mite n lice spray at the big pet chain stores
Or seven dust at farm supply places like agway
If you get the spray, don't sprY it on him, soak a gauze piece and wipe him down instead, change his bedding after every feeding
YUCK!!!!! I HATE MITES !!!

[psychobird]

Oh much better pix! Awww he so cute, I can't see his injury on this contraption I try to get on puter later unless I chuck it out the window first

[Nancy in New York]

He is looking so much better already. Glad that you found him!!!!:grouphug

[jo_schmoe]

Yes, I see it. Remember Gonzo, the nestling sparrow from earlier this year? His beak healed and he was able to be released, so there is hope. Do you have a reptarium, as you will need to keep him in one so he will not injure himself as he begins to fly. Will have to look that bird up, never heard of it (but FAR from a bird expert....lol) Just make sure he swallows before you add more, go in from the side, on top of his tongue. Sounds like he is doing better! *(Sure looks better, too....he's adorable!!!)
Right now he is in a plastic smaller container but we are in the process of moving him to a 10 gallon glass aquarium with a mesh lid. Heating pad is partially under it and he can move off if it gets too warm.

CrM...I know our gas station has wax worms...its also a bait shop. Just give them whole?? Or do I need to grind them up?

[jo_schmoe]

the Fons Diet has been updated , search Fons diet revised 2011, evo changed again
Not sure if he is a robin either but maybe that's just his injury thrOwing me off, plus looking at pix with my phone here
Yes he needs abs because we don't know what injured him

What ones do you have? I would use baytril if he was my baby
For now warmth, hydration n food
You can pick up some bird mite n lice spray at the big pet chain stores
Or seven dust at farm supply places like agway
If you get the spray, don't sprY it on him, soak a gauze piece and wipe him down instead, change his bedding after every feeding
YUCK!!!!! I HATE MITES !!!
I have Sulfatrim. He weighs 37 gms.
I just went out and saw his mom....she is perched high up in the tree he was found by. Also saw the nest but I dont think we have a ladder high enough to reach it in case he should be placed back in it.

[jo_schmoe]

With the beak injury like that, more likely another bird trying to take the nest over (although carefully lift his feathers and look for signs of any other injuries.) Put a call into Jodi, hopefully she will come on soon~
We had a horrible storm rip through last night and I am pretty sure he was blown out of the nest. It could be another bird attack as we have a ton of crows around here.....probably got him while he was on the ground.

[CritterMom]

God, I don't want to know the cost - I pay through the nose at Petco... If they are big you can snip them in half. Pretty soon he will snarf them down whole. Feed the FONS too but I think insectivores should have insects - the exoskeleton is pretty important to them.

If he won't open his mouth at first and you can't work it open with the feeding syringe, first try gently tapping the hinge of the beak - that may make him gape. If not, reach around from the back of his head and put the pad of your thumb on one side of the "hinge" of the beak and the pad of your middle finger on the other side. VERY GENTLY press inward toward the hinge and the beak will pop open like a chinese puzzle! Once he gets some food in him he will learn to gape pretty quickly.

[jo_schmoe]

God, I don't want to know the cost - I pay through the nose at Petco... If they are big you can snip them in half. Pretty soon he will snarf them down whole. Feed the FONS too but I think insectivores should have insects - the exoskeleton is pretty important to them.

If he won't open his mouth at first and you can't work it open with the feeding syringe, first try gently tapping the hinge of the beak - that may make him gape. If not, reach around from the back of his head and put the pad of your thumb on one side of the "hinge" of the beak and the pad of your middle finger on the other side. VERY GENTLY press inward toward the hinge and the beak will pop open like a chinese puzzle! Once he gets some food in him he will learn to gape pretty quickly.
Ok...on my way to get worms. can't wait to see what happens!
Just tried your mouth open trick and BAM...just like you said.
We have named him Louis...He is a "King"bird after all. LOL

[jo_schmoe]

No wax worms or mealworms at all.
I will pick some up on my way home from work tomorrow if the highway is fixed. For now I will keep him on the formula. He just now ate another .5 ccs....but he still isn't opening on his own. He is however...trying to peck and bite me...which I will take as a positive. LOL
Anyone know how much he should be eating at a feeding????...which are about every 30 mins so far.

Im trying to get a new pic of him....he looks just like one of the Angry Birds from the game. LMAO

[Skul]

The black eye-stripe says Shrike to me.
Not sure where you're at Jo, but I'll say Northern Shrike.
Still a bug eater.

[jo_schmoe]

The black eye-stripe says Shrike to me.
Not sure where you're at Jo, but I'll say Northern Shrike.
Still a bug eater.
Im in the upper part of North Dakota...very near the Canadian border.
He does look like a Shrike with the dark stripes but has too much yellow on him.
Here is a pic of a Western Kingbird. One older and one younger. He looks just like this guy. The again....you are dealing with the crazy broad who thought a batch of Red Squirrels were Greys. LOL

[pappy1264]

You should be able to see his crop fill, it will look like a grape on the side of his neck when it is 'full'. It is harder to see when they are feathered, but watch as you feed him for a swelling in his neck, you are aiming for medium sized grape, from looking at him. He is gaining stregnth (pecking at you) so that is good!!

I may have missed it, what are you mixing for formula (I know the Fons diet was posted, are you making that? It should be relatively thick, although still 'runny'.) It isn't the same as with mammals, where you do a measured amount, per se, you feed until the crop is full, and don't feed again until it is pretty much empty, which about every half hour for now is good.

[jo_schmoe]

He made it through the night!!!:wott
He is a fledgling so if his mom is still around we will be placing him back outside today in the bushes next to the tree I saw his mom at. Wait and watch and see what happens. If he is in any danger back in he goes.
Thank you everyone for all your help. Another life is saved!!!

[psychobird]

I wouldn't put him put him back with a injury

[jo_schmoe]

I wouldn't put him put him back with a injury
Really?? ummm ok.
Should I wait for it to heal or will it??
Thank you Jodi.
I feel so bad because I can hear his mom calling him...and he calls back.
But if you think its best that he stays with me and heals then thats what I will do.

[psychobird]

I do, sorry
I would finish raising him and give him a round of abs

Maybe you could put him outside for a while everyday in a barred cage, the parents may feed him thru the bars
Hopefully he won't break any flight feathers in there but it may happen just heads up
I would hate for you to let him go only to have him die of infection

[Skul]

Yup, your pic of the younger Kingbird clinched it.:thumbsup

[jo_schmoe]

I do, sorry
I would finish raising him and give him a round of abs

Maybe you could put him outside for a while everyday in a barred cage, the parents may feed him thru the bars
Hopefully he won't break any flight feathers in there but it may happen just heads up
I would hate for you to let him go only to have him die of infection
Ok...thats exactly what I will do. He is really doing GREAT! Gaping on his own now....and not near as nervous as before.
What sort of Abs do you recommend? I have Sulfatrim.

[pappy1264]

How is this little birdie doing?

[scoobysnack]

Holy cow he's cute! I wish you the best. Birds are a challenge.

[jo_schmoe]

How is this little birdie doing?
Check this out....he is a very happy bird.
Today he is going to try eating on his own.
He can fly...but I want to make sure he can eat properly before he is released.
Only thing that worries me is he LOVES human attention. Sometimes he just cries because he wants to be where you are.

[scoobysnack]

He doesn't look real! He looks like a stuffed toy.

[jo_schmoe]

He doesn't look real! He looks like a stuffed toy.
LOL....I wish he made the same amount of noise a stuffed toy does. :sanp3

[pappy1264]

You are his family, he is just communicating with you! He looks great! I think it is the same with all birds, you have to spray them and make sure they can fly when wet before you release them (spraying them will encourage preening, to help spread the oils that waterproofs them. If he is not, he needs to be held back until he is, or when it rains, he will be in trouble!)

[jo_schmoe]

You are his family, he is just communicating with you! He looks great! I think it is the same with all birds, you have to spray them and make sure they can fly when wet before you release them (spraying them will encourage preening, to help spread the oils that waterproofs them. If he is not, he needs to be held back until he is, or when it rains, he will be in trouble!)
That makes so much sense...thank you very much Paps....once again....for your wisdom. And I will do just that.

[Chickenlegs]

Pretty sure he'll go but no need to hurry him along. He'll know when it's time.

[Twi_prime]

Check this out....he is a very happy bird.
Today he is going to try eating on his own.
He can fly...but I want to make sure he can eat properly before he is released.
Only thing that worries me is he LOVES human attention. Sometimes he just cries because he wants to be where you are.

He's so beautiful. <3<3<3

[psychobird]

Try tossing mealworms up in the air for him, won't take him long to catch them, it's pretty amazing to watch