Baby Sparrow, Need HELP!!!

[Keys & Eyegone]

One of my co-works from the SPCA just called saying that she found a baby sparrow in her drive way. She said that it had most of its feathers in, but is very hungry. What do you feed a baby sparrow???
Any help/advice will great.
Hilary Dawn

[Lin Hansen]

Hi Hilary Dawn,

Click on this thread...it will give you some information while you are waiting for advice....

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=3933

Linda

[Keys & Eyegone]

Thanks Lin,
I just finished making up the "Starling Talk" formula.
I gave the recipe to Lisa, co-worder, and she said she'd make it right away.
Now it's the good old waiting game.
Any more help/advice would be great too.
Hilary Dawn

[melissasue1968]

Hi Hilary Dawn!,
The starling formula and feeding directions are very good. Use a small stick/hemastat if you have one or small tipped tweezers to feed. get a blob of food on the tip and place in it's mouth when it gapes. If it doesn't open at first (you don't look much like my Mommy!) Gently open the beak and get a little food inside. It will soon get the idea! They like you to kind of push the food down their throat-be careful of course- they eat fairly vigourously. I have raised and released a few sparrows. I also caught and fed flies (with flyswatter)-this is tedious because they can eat 30 or more at a feeding and still want more- LOL! It is probably easier and more convenient to give mealworms. Sparrows need a high protein diet. The ones I had always like to have a place to hide, the last one loved to get in her 'nest', which I lined with kleenex and she would wiggle the kleenex until she could get under it and hide there ! They may imprint on you but given the chance they will readily become 'wild' again. When the time came to release them I would put the cage outside in a sheltered area for a few hours a day-progressively allowing more time to acclimate to the outdoors. Then when I felt they where ready I would start leaving the door of the cage open for them to leave when they where ready. At first they may hide and not come out, but more often than not, in a day or two they will start to venture out, staying nearby then one day they will be gone. The last one went after only 2-3 days with the cage door open, as she had acquired a 'friend' who would visit everyday and even perch on top of her cage. So I suspect when the time came she had a mate all ready to show her the ropes! You may see them from time to time come back to say hello, but will probably not get too close as they learn quickly from the other birds what is safe. I think they always remember you, but their wild insticts and wish to be free are strong. They may or may not start eating seeds for you as mine always preferred the flies above anything else . Spoiled babies! I always gave the natural food first and then finished with the high protein "formula" to fill them up. I think you know the drill-feed when the crop empties...probably every 2-3 hours if fully feathered. They will let you know when they are hungry , don't worry if it doesn't drink, they get most of their water from the food they eat and it should be sufficient unless ill or injured, of course leave a shallow dish w/ water if he/she wants, & it scatter some seeds or other food on floor of cage as it gets older to encourage self feeding. At that stage show it the food-tap at it-the food that is- when trying to teach self feeding allow it to get a little hungry and encourage it to pick at the food itself. If it is fully feathered as you said, it should be able to regulate it's own body temp. but I would put a heating pad on LOW- under half the cage and cover with a towel at first. Allow it a way to get away from the heat source to avoid over heating. When you see it is not staying on the warm area much you can discontinue this. Place a perch very low at first, then add higher ones as the bird gets older and learns to hop/ fly . Good luck and have fun!! Melissa

[Keys & Eyegone]

Hey everyone,
The baby made it through the night and when I got it this morning at work it wasn't a sparrow, but an American Robin chick!! The only food I had for it was the starling/sparrow mush, so I had to feed it that. I didn't get much work done today at work but the little baby is a live and very well (it was preening after awhile). When I was looking it over it was holding its leg up, so when I tryed to straighten it the poor cried out in pain. I tryed, very gentally to feel for breaks, but none. Right now all I can do is make it sit still (just not quietly though ) Its little legs are like toothpicks and its toes the width of a needle.
What should I do for the leg and do I use a different formula?????
Thanks for any help/advice.
Hilary Dawn

PS- This little guy has his feathers in but are still in the process of growing.
Get you all pictures on my next post.

[Lin Hansen]

Hi Hilary Dawn,

I don't know much about baby Robins, but here is a link to a site that has recipes for baby food for many different birds....there are two recipes for baby Robins included.

http://www.wildtalk.org/2spring01.html#robin

Linda

[Keys & Eyegone]

Thank Lin,
I still have a lot of starling mix left, would it be okay if I just mix in some veal or raw liver???
Also, what about inprinting?? If I raise it successfully will I be able to realse it or will it know people too well?
Hilary Dawn

[Pigeonpal2002]

Hi Hilary,

I think it would be fine if you use up your remaining "starling food mix" and might want to keep using it. Robins are insectivores almost exclusively and one thing that they are famed for is eating is earth worms So, you might want to start supplementing the diet with worms. You could purchase these from a fishing supply store and just cut them up and feed in small pieces...gross I know, but that is what they feed their babies

Imprinting is always a concern but that can be addressed a little later down the road. You don't have much of a choice right now and it's bound to become tame to some degree with close human contact.

Good luck and keep us posted,

[Keys & Eyegone]

Little Robin made it through the night and most of the day and is still doing very well (preening, eating, and flapping wings).
On Starling Talk it said not to give a baby bird worms at what age, does anyone know, when it give worms to him??
Also, does anyone have idea as to how to splint the foot and leg??
Hilary Dawn

PS- here's the web site with the chick's pictures:
http://community.webshots.com/user/keysca

[Pigeonpal2002]

Hi Hilary,

Hmmm... I'm not sure or why it would be unsafe to feed a baby robin earth worms. I see parents feeding their young these all the time. In any case, I found a good robin website that talks about a specific diet for robin nestlings. Scroll down pretty far near to the bottom and the recipe is there.


Glad to hear he/she is doing well though.


http://www.wildtalk.org/2spring02.html

[TAWhatley]

Earthworms are avoided due to parasites that they can carry and pass on to a bird:

http://www.starlingcentral.net/foods.htm#livefoods

Earthworms (We avoid them.)
Earthworms and night crawlers can carry harmful parasites. These parasites are the Syngamus trachea, commonly known as "gapeworm." Earthworms can ingest the parasites and harbor them in their bodies for several years. Birds who eat the infected earthworms may become infected with gapeworm larvae. Gapeworms can be present in large numbers and may completely fill the airway, resulting in extreme respiratory difficulty for a bird. While it is true that some birds such as the American Robin eat earthworms, many birds cannot handle the parasites they carry. We avoid feeding earthworms to our own starlings.

Terry

[Pigeonpal2002]

Hi Terry,

Thanks for that info about the gape worm. I actually knew this but I figured it was best to give the robin something more natural to what it would be fed by it's parents in the wild. Guess it's not worth the risk. Seems strange though because if the bird is hopefully going to be returned to the wild, eathworms will be a regular part of it's diet. I would think it's better for the young bird to be exposed to them earlier in life than later on. Not all earthworms are going to carry the gape worm parasite but either way, eventually at some point of it's life it will be exposed to these parasites I would think.

Pigeons can develop an immunity to worms or rather can adapt to live with them in check within the body. Ferals are more likely to be living with worms in an equalibrium and perhaps it's the same way with robins and gape worm?

[Keys & Eyegone]

Thanks Terry, gapeworm was what I was thinking about.
Brad, a bird friend told me that the mother and father, when they ingest the worm, kill all the paracites and such so that it is safe to give to their babies. I'm not sure if it's true of not, but I don't want to whach this little guy gasping for a breath every second.
I'll give the worms to it a little later on.
Thanks
Hilary Dawn

[Pigeonpal2002]

Hi Hilary,

Excellent information and it would make sense, I'm not sure I understand how this is achieved but it's certainly possibly I suppose.

Hilary, you are doing a wonderful job here, and you are VERY knowledgeable on "other" birds.....WONDERFUL!

Keep up the fantastic efforts you're doing and with such conscientious ideals as well!

[Keys & Eyegone]

Thank Brad.
It's hard to find the time to feed him at work, but I do find the time tho.
I'll keep you all posted on Robin (that's what we named him, suits eh? )
Hilary Dawn