Advice needed..one for chris!!

[Frank]

Hi everyone, 

Has anyone got any advice on what to do to help a baby sparrow (I think) that has come from the nest, can't see where the nest is, we have loads in roofs and trees, so difficult to know which one.  Anyway, its quite big, but not big enough to fly and trying to climb up our horschestnut tree and I can't see any parents anywhere.  So my question is, how do I look after it, what shall I feed it on and where shall I put it for safety????  I can't leave it for the local cats etc and its chirping is pitiful!  Any advice greatly accepted

Thanks

Kimberly

[Nicos]

I help out with some of the baby birds and hedgehogs for our local Wildlife Hospital.

I am given a pile of meal worms to feed 2 hrly during daylight hours using plastic tweezers.

Pinch the maggot behind it's head with the tweezers ( kills it) and then poke the tweezers and maggot into the mouth and let go  ( of grub)

I think it depends on the age of your baby, but it will refuse to open it's beak when it's had enough, so you can't overfeed it.

Keep it in a warmish ventilated box and cover it with a towel to keep it dark. Put a towel in for it to snuggle down onto. It should start tweeting  within a couple of hours to demand more nosh.

If it's in shock, it may just be good to leave it dark and quiet for a while , then offer it food.

Are you sure it's parents aren't around but keeping out of your sight??

Not sure what to offer as an alternative to meal worm ( sold for fishermen).

Hope that helps for now until someone else more experienced can advise you?

Good luck![:D]

[Russethouse]

To be honest I would 'hasten slowly', keep an eye from a good distance for a while (several hours) to make sure that  your intervention really is necessary. I know its hard when we think an animal or bird is in danger, our instinct is to rush in and try to help, but often we are doing just the opposite.

A good idea to be prepared though - just in case....

Fingers crossed.......

[londoneye]

Are you sure it can't fly, and is not just in shock.   We had one a few weeks ago - watched it for a good few hours, lured the cat away from it several times etc etc.   As night was about to fall I decided that parents wouldn't come back went and dug up some worms (probably the wrong thing but all i could think of at time).   Approached with worms on tweezer; baby bird was opening beak as if to feed but wouldn't.   In the end, in desperation I went to pick it up to put in box, at which point it fluttered out of my hand and into nearby tree.   Clearly it had just been panicked, or I am not sure if the fact that I was holding it up was enough to get it 'going' flightwise.

[chris pp]

If you are sure that the parents aren't looking after it, follow the advice from Nicos, more or less any grubs or caterpillars will be OK.

Chris

[Frank]

Hi everyone

Many thanks for your replies.  Unfortunately the little chap can't fly and has been hopping around and twittering since last evening. He is quite friendly and sits quite happily on my finger! I have tried to feed him and give him drops of water on his beak but he won't take the food, it goes in his beak then he shakes it out.  For tonight, I have put him in a box and put him in the shed for safety.  No sign of any birds coming to feed him, so tomorrow if he is still with us, I will go to the shop and buy some grubs etc and try again.

Thanks again for the advice

Kimberly

[Frank]

Update

Unfortunately the little chap didn't survive the night.  Thanks again for all advice received

Kimberly

[londoneye]

Ah thats so sad isn't it.   They almost never do sadly.