Baby Blackbird help
Discussion
I was having a cup of coffee this morning and spotted a baby blackbird on the lawn. It wasn't moving, completely silent but its mum was around. Sat and watched for 2 hours, and the mum made no effort to feed it, and the youngster did not move.
I had a closer look. It was too weak to walk, obviously fell out of the nest. I really did not want to touch it, so just kept watch for cats.
Still no change in the situation, baby not moving, mum not helping. I had a look as best as I could in the leylandii hedge but could not see a nest.
Called all the local bird trusts, all full and not taking new patients.
So, I am a new dad.
I have destroyed a pillow, put feathers in a small box and the whole lot in a cat box, now covered 3/4 with a tea towel. He is outside so I can (hopefully) keep him in contact with his mum. He is holding his own head up and chirruping with his mum - so seems to be getting a bit stronger.
He can't feed himself and is not a great feeder, but we have been feeding him today on a few earthworms that we could dig out, some steak mince and I went to a pet supplies shop and bought some live mealworms. I am worried that I am not doing this right and can't find anyone to talk to (or that will answer a phone) on the internet. I guess it is protein he needs (hence the mealworms) but am trying to get some variety in the diet with the mince and worms.
Anyone that really knows about this type of thing - especially getting fluids into the little chap, please advise. I really want him to survive.
I know his chances are slim having interfered, but his chances were zero in his situation and with the amount of cats we have around here. I really want this to be a success, hopefully getting him fledged and back out in the garden to meet his mum again asap.
Here is the little fella from earlier.
I had a closer look. It was too weak to walk, obviously fell out of the nest. I really did not want to touch it, so just kept watch for cats.
Still no change in the situation, baby not moving, mum not helping. I had a look as best as I could in the leylandii hedge but could not see a nest.
Called all the local bird trusts, all full and not taking new patients.
So, I am a new dad.
I have destroyed a pillow, put feathers in a small box and the whole lot in a cat box, now covered 3/4 with a tea towel. He is outside so I can (hopefully) keep him in contact with his mum. He is holding his own head up and chirruping with his mum - so seems to be getting a bit stronger.
He can't feed himself and is not a great feeder, but we have been feeding him today on a few earthworms that we could dig out, some steak mince and I went to a pet supplies shop and bought some live mealworms. I am worried that I am not doing this right and can't find anyone to talk to (or that will answer a phone) on the internet. I guess it is protein he needs (hence the mealworms) but am trying to get some variety in the diet with the mince and worms.
Anyone that really knows about this type of thing - especially getting fluids into the little chap, please advise. I really want him to survive.
I know his chances are slim having interfered, but his chances were zero in his situation and with the amount of cats we have around here. I really want this to be a success, hopefully getting him fledged and back out in the garden to meet his mum again asap.
Here is the little fella from earlier.
Looks a bit young to of fledged the nest,
Keep it fed with mealworms, mince, and if you can get to the shops Tom and buy some live crickets that would be good.
Have you seen the parents? Chances are there are other youngsters out there in the garden, they have a very distinctive call when calling the parents to feed them.
Keep it fed with mealworms, mince, and if you can get to the shops Tom and buy some live crickets that would be good.
Have you seen the parents? Chances are there are other youngsters out there in the garden, they have a very distinctive call when calling the parents to feed them.
rosie11 said:
Hi Rosie.Thanks for the response.
Yes, mum was around while I watched the situation for a few hours before intervening (I really did not want to) and has been in the garden this afternoon, and they have been chirping at each other.
I wish he was as active and demanding as the one in the video. He is very quiet and sleeping a lot. I saw that clip earlier which gave me the idea for the mince.
We are trying not to disturb him, but he needs to eat. About every half hour, we manage eto get 2 or 3 bits of food down him, and then he clams up. He is not begging for food like the one in the video, and is not moving around at all.
I hope he gets like the one in the video, it will make it so much easier, and I am really worried for him.
Edited by SeeFive on Sunday 11th August 18:46
rosie11 said:
Thanks for the links Rosie.When I looked this morning, Hart were full according to the message on their website and when I called the answerphone said the same. I thought St Tiggys was in Aylesbury which is quite a car ride away from me with a stressed out chick, so didn't call. Do they have regional centres?
A neighbour's cat brought us a baby blackbird a few weeks ago. We fed it hourly on mealworms bought from the local petshop (buy them in bags, theyre only cheap, and keep em in the fridge) using tweezers. After a fortnight he fledged, but still came home for mealworms each morning and each evening for another week. We grew fond of him and he would come hopping out of the flower beds, chirruping away, every time we stepped into the garden.
I didn't think he would make it...but he did! And I think I felt more pride and joy about that than I have about anything else I've achieved this summer.
I didn't think he would make it...but he did! And I think I felt more pride and joy about that than I have about anything else I've achieved this summer.
Sid's Dad said:
A neighbour's cat brought us a baby blackbird a few weeks ago. We fed it hourly on mealworms bought from the local petshop (buy them in bags, theyre only cheap, and keep em in the fridge) using tweezers. After a fortnight he fledged, but still came home for mealworms each morning and each evening for another week. We grew fond of him and he would come hopping out of the flower beds, chirruping away, every time we stepped into the garden.
I didn't think he would make it...but he did! And I think I felt more pride and joy about that than I have about anything else I've achieved this summer.
Despite being a powerfully built company director as everyone is on pistonheads, I seem to have something in my eye after reading that post... Congratulations, hopefully the little fella here will go then same way. It feels good to me just to have my litte one still here this morning.I didn't think he would make it...but he did! And I think I felt more pride and joy about that than I have about anything else I've achieved this summer.
He seems fine. I woke him up at 5:15 and he has been taking a mealworm and a bit of mince dipped in water every half hour. He's still not good on his feet, he doesn't seem to have any injuries, he's just a young toddler.
I am going to ring round the vets to see if they can point me at some rescue centres this afternoon after I have got some work out. I sent some emails early this morning, but no replies as yet. I am a very concerned about what is going to happen when neither my wife or I can be at home to feed him regularly, and if he is to be with us for a week or two, that will definitely happen.
rosie11 said:
Give him food every 10/15 mins
Hi Rosie.I was following that schedule earlier this morning, but he was not taking food well at that frequency.
I decided to push it out to 20, then 25, and then 30 mins to see what seemed best. He seems to reacting (cheeps) to me in the room and be gaping better on 25-30 mins. After 15-20 mins, he is asleep and I have to really press for him to wake up and open his beak which I guess is strssful for him.
When you think how big a mealworm and a bit of mince is, and that his belly is only the size of your little finger nail, on balance I can see why he sleeps a lot
It's just with 2 parents feeding they would be fed a lot more often than what you had been, but thinking about it, they would be competing with each other for food with the one having the biggest gap
Getting the food.
( gap being the fleshy bits in the corner of the mouth which babies have)
Getting the food.
( gap being the fleshy bits in the corner of the mouth which babies have)
rosie11 said:
It's just with 2 parents feeding they would be fed a lot more often than what you had been, but thinking about it, they would be competing with each other for food with the one having the biggest gap
Getting the food.
( gap being the fleshy bits in the corner of the mouth which babies have)
Getting the food.
( gap being the fleshy bits in the corner of the mouth which babies have)
Understood. I appreciate the input, and respond with my thoughts - which are not necessarily right by any stretch of the imagination, but some level of info for folks to think about / debate / correct / criticise, all of which I am happy to receive.
Thanks again.
Good luck with this! I hope you make it through.
We are in Brighton and usually its seagull (not everyone's favorite). a few years ago very youn chicks fell down the chimney - fortunately there was an enthusiastic expert in the next town - semi-detached house with garage and back garden full of all sorts of british wildlife (£40 to feed them until independent!).
So good luck if you are going to rear him/her yourself - will be very satisfying!
We are in Brighton and usually its seagull (not everyone's favorite). a few years ago very youn chicks fell down the chimney - fortunately there was an enthusiastic expert in the next town - semi-detached house with garage and back garden full of all sorts of british wildlife (£40 to feed them until independent!).
So good luck if you are going to rear him/her yourself - will be very satisfying!
CarCluster said:
Good luck with this! I hope you make it through.
We are in Brighton and usually its seagull (not everyone's favorite). a few years ago very youn chicks fell down the chimney - fortunately there was an enthusiastic expert in the next town - semi-detached house with garage and back garden full of all sorts of british wildlife (£40 to feed them until independent!).
So good luck if you are going to rear him/her yourself - will be very satisfying!
Sounds good. I am kinda hoping that I can get him to a similar set-up as SWMBO and my work commitments will make it nearly impossible to keep up the rate of feeding at some stage durning his growth to release.We are in Brighton and usually its seagull (not everyone's favorite). a few years ago very youn chicks fell down the chimney - fortunately there was an enthusiastic expert in the next town - semi-detached house with garage and back garden full of all sorts of british wildlife (£40 to feed them until independent!).
So good luck if you are going to rear him/her yourself - will be very satisfying!
The combination of the blackbird and our cat with thyroid problems (she is being treated but has rampant hunger during the day) means that I seem to be feeding everything except myself every few minutes! It's worth it though to be fair, I find it really engaging / rewarding and feel quite responsible for the little fella's well being now.
Edited by SeeFive on Monday 12th August 14:35
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