Found a baby starling or sparrow?
If you happen upon a baby starling or sparrow that seems in need of assistance , Please be sure that it does indeed need your help. If a baby is found on the ground please look close by for it's nest and if possible place it back inside the nest.
If it is injured please get medical attention ASAP! You may also post to the forum or e-mail me at audrarose1977@aol.com for more assistance.
If you do indeed need to rescue the baby take him indoors and check him for any injuries or possible dehydration (Be sure to see the emergency care guide). If the baby has been injured by a cat or dog it is very important that he/she gets antibiotics ASAP! The saliva from a cat or dog bite is highly toxic and will kill the baby if it does not receive the antibiotics within 12 hours
Baby starling and sparrow feeding instructions.
If this is pertaining to a newly found / rescued baby please see The Emergency care guide ! After the baby has been warmed , check for possible dehydration by looking inside it's mouth. If the inside of the mouth is red you will need to hydrate the baby by giving an oral electrolyte solution or a mixture of one cup water,1/4 cup corn syrup and a pinch of salt. DO NOT PLACE ANY LIQUIDS DIRECTLY INTO THE BABY"S MOUTH as this will cause it to aspirate! Instead place a few drops at a time on the outside of the beak and he/she will then suck it in. Continue to hydrate the baby at a rate of every 5 minutes until the mouth is no longer a dark red color (light pink is okay) .
After the baby is warm and hydrated you may begin feeding one of the recommended diets by using a straw (cut to like a scoop) , popsickle stick or similar instrument. If the baby will not gape try gently tapping the container he is in or the top of the beak to encourage him/her. Food should be fed at room temperature.
The baby will need to be fed very often for at least 12 hours of the day. Every 10-15 minutes for nestlings without any feathers, 20-30 minutes for nestlings starting to feather , 30 - 45 minutes for nestlings that have some feathering and 45 minutes to an hour for fully feathered nestlings. Fledglings can go for an hour or two between each feeding. The baby will sleep for about 12 hours during the night and does not need fed during this time
Baby starling and sparrow recommended diets.
Starlings are insectivores and require a lot of animal protein in their diet. DO NOT GIVE THE BABY EARTHWORMS , they carry a parasite that can be extremely harmful to a bird. Starlings require a food that has a minimum of at least 28% protein and 9% fat in the diet with babies requiring even more. There are currently two diets that are recommended and both work extremely well. If these ingredients are not immediately available you may use hard boiled or scrambled egg , shredded chicken , tuna or canned dog/cat food that is made from meat for a substitute until you are able to obtain the needed ingredients (please do so as soon as possible, the baby's diet is very important for the long term survival of the bird). You may also add any of the ingredients in either diet that are on hand.
The first diet is dog/cat food based. The product analysis must have at least 28% or more protein and 9% - 12% fat content as well as have a meat base (preferably chicken) as the first ingredient. This should be moistened with water and mixed with 1/2 cup poultry mash or soft bill pellets, 1 hard boiled egg, 1 oz of applesauce or juice, 1 oz mashed carrots or sweet potatoes, avian vitamins (follow product intructions for amount) and one dissolved or crushed TUMS (for added calcium) per cup of dog/cat food to a consistency of cooked oatmeal
The other diet is based on the Mazuri Insectivore Diet . For feeding babies it must be moistened as well and mixed with 1 hard boiled egg and 1oz of applesauce or 100%juice per cup to the consistency of cooked oatmeal. You may also add 1/2 a tablet TUMS for added calcium.
These diets also apply to baby sparrows.
Baby's Bedding ?
Babies that do not have all their feathers need to be kept warm. For nestlings that do not have all their feathers yet place them inside a box with a nest (can use a bowl lined with paper towels for better traction or something similar). Babies need to be kept at a temperature at around 98*F. Placing a heating pad under a towel inside the box set to low should be adequate. For older babies (fully feathered) or fledglings that are yet unable to fly, you will not need to use the heating pad. Approximate area temperatures are: unfeathered babies 90 - 95 degrees , babies with some pin feathers 85 - 90 degrees , fully feathered juveniles 75 - 90 degrees and adult and fledgling birds 70 - 90 degrees with the first temperature provided in each being ideal (for adult area temperatures that exceed 90 degrees provide water for bathing at all times).
Mites
If mites are observed on the baby a safe product you may use is 5% sevin dust. Apply the powder to the baby's skin with a Q-tip or cotten swab being careful not to get it on the bird's face. Most mites are species specific and will not infest your house or other pets.
Normal droppings
Until around the age of ten days old a nestlings droppings are encased in a white coating to make cleaning of the nest easier on the parents. If the baby is getting too much fluid the droppings will be loose or runny. The white part of an older birds droppings is actually urates (urine). If any time a bird has green droppings for more than 24 hours this is a sign of starvation and the bird is not getting enough food or is unable to absorb the food due to intestinal parasites or other digestive ailment.
When is it time for a cage?
When a baby begins hoping out of the box and is able to perch well , it is then time for a cage. A large cage is needed for birds that will not be out flying for most of the day, the larger the better . For birds that will be spending most of thier day flying free indoors (never let a bird fly free outdoors) a cage that is large enough for the bird to fully stretch his wings in both directions and fly from perch to perch should be adequate, The space between the cages bars should be no more than 3/4" wide to prevent the bird from getting it's head caught between them.
Perches varying in size and shape are recommended for the health of the birds feet. Do not use perches with sandpaper as these can make a birds feet sore over a period of time (concrete perches are a good alternative if you want to use one to help keep the nails trimmed) . You may however line the bottom of the cage with grit paper for better traction (not grit or pebbles , if eaten may cause the bird to be compacted and unable to pass feces) . You may also use newspapers with some crumpled towels in the bottom or rocks that are to large to be swallowed ( boil the rocks for at least 5 minutes before using them for the first time to kill any germs) . One of my favorite liners to use are the unscented cloth puppy pads that can be washed. The pads are water proof so you can place several in the bottom and remove the top layer as they become soiled. Do not use the grate in the bottom of the cage , starlings and sparrows , unlike most pet birds, spend a considerable amount of time in the bottem of their cage and may become injured or get a foot caught in the bars.
A good idea for providing fresh clean water is to use the watering tubes for birds sold in most stores. You will need at least 2 small or one large tube for each bird. The feeding dishes sold with most cages are fine for the bird's food.
Weaning
At around four weeks old you may begin leaving the food bowl inside the cage and feeding the bird directly from it. You may leave the feeding implement in the food bowl as well to incourage the bird to explore the food. Even when the bird begins eating on it's own you will still need to provide handfeedings until the bird is around eight weeks old and will no longer accept feedings from you. The bird is completely weaned when it prefers to eat on it's own and will no longer accept feedings from the straw or feeding implement.
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