HOW TO ACCLIMATE A BABY TO THE OUTDOORS
I have a couple of dog kennels, the plastic kind with holes in the sides. I cut a tree branch and stick through the holes from one side to the other to make a perch. You can also buy wooden dowels from the home improvement stores. Put seed and water in containers that can't be turned over and put them in the floor of the kennel. Put the bird in and put him very close to the area where you are feeding other birds outside. Bring him inside at night. This way, he can watch the adults peck seeds.
DO NOT use a small bird cage to do this, for several reasons. First, cats can reach into the cages and can, and do, injure or kill birds left outside in this way. Second, the bird has no shade protection in a cage. The kennel (if big enough) provides protection from both dangers. I still try to put it in the shade for added protection.
After about a week or so, and after you have made sure the bird can fly (in a room in your house--no ceiling fans running!!!), you can begin to leave the kennel door open. It's best to do that when there are 4 or 5 days of clear weather in the forecast. It may take a few days for a dove to get the nerve to venture out. A sparrow may leave as soon as the kennel is opened. The dove will continue to come to you for a few days to a week or so and then it will turn wild. The sparrow probably won't
If you want to be able to recognize your bird at your feeder after release, you can put food coloring in a spray bottle and spritz him. It doesn't soak into the feathers very well, but it will some.
Keep feeding in the yard for at least the rest of that season until the bird has had a chance to learn to forage well on his own.
FEEDING
Please, please, please feed only fresh seed and in clean conditions. Sweep the area and pick up old seed hulls, etc. regularly. Offer clean water as often as you can. I also continued to feed the soaked cat food for a full season after the release (for the sparrow....and the adult doves eat it too). Keep seed away from rodents. There are so many horrible diseases that are unintentionally spread at feeders and water supplies.
We have a part of our yard that is protected from our dogs during the times of the day when the birds are feeding. We have an old house door set up on two sawhorses. We cover it with clean butcher paper (we have also used plastic that you can buy in rolls) and change the paper at least once daily. We offer water in a plastic sandwich storage container. We feed three times daily, changing the water each time.
ASSUMPTION
Wild doves are protected species and it is not legal to own them. I would never encourage anyone to keep any bird in confinement for any length of time, unless it was disabled and not able to be returned to the outdoors. Birds were meant to fly, be with their own kind, and be free. I have always raised every wild bird with the intention of returning it to the wild. Please don't try to make pets of them.
Good luck to you and to any baby you try to help.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
WHEN YOU FIND A BABY BIRD
STOP, LOOK, LISTEN
Since the time of year is upon us when baby birds will be on the ground, I want to help out by sharing what I have learned.
First, and foremost, DO NOT EVER pick up a baby without watching from a distance for 30 minutes or so to see if a parent comes to it. The only exception is if the baby is in the street or is otherwise in imminent danger. Then move it to safety as close by as possible.
Baby birds will be on the ground while they are learning to fly. If they have most of their feathers and can hop or flutter away from you, they probably do not need help.
WHAT TO DO FIRST
If you feel intervention is necessary, the first thing is to make the baby comfortable, safe, and warm. The best way to do that is to make a nest.
I make a nest from rolling up a diaper or dishtowel and then meeting the ends of the roll. Next, I wrap the roll with paper towels to keep it in a circle. Then I tear lots of white, unscented facial tissues into shreds and stick them into the middle of the circle. As the baby poops, the little soiled shreds can be removed and replaced. The shreds also give the baby something to push against to exercise little legs. If babies are left on a flat surface without this makeshift nest, their legs will become deformed.
It helps if you have a small basket to put this in to keep the nest together. Under the basket, I put an electric heating pad that is the size made to wrap an arm or leg. On top of the heating pad, I place a sandwich-sized baggie that is filled with water as hot as I can get it. On top of that, I put the homemade nest. This way, the heating pad and the baggie with hot water are under the nesting materials but not touching the baby. Make sure the heating pad does not cover the entire bottom of the enclosure that you put the nest into so that the baby can find a cooler spot if needed. Depending on the breed of bird, the baby may not stay in the nest you have made. If not, he may wind up directly on the heating pad. For that reason, I cover it with a towel (and then paper towels, removing and replacing as they are soiled) before I put the baggie and nesting materials on top. I have found that some babies (doves especially) love to be placed in the nest and then have a little piece of soft flannel or tee shirt material put over them with only their heads sticking out.
Put the nest you have made into a secure enclosure—either a cage or a box. The room needs to be warm and away from drafts. I use my laundry room because it is not air conditioned. The temp should not get too high, so be careful when the room is closed and the dryer is going. I think very dry air is not good for the baby.
MITES
Some baby birds are covered with mites when you find them. There is a safe, easy way to deal with that, but it takes patience. Mites are attracted to anything white. If you have made the nest the way I suggest above, the mites will crawl off of the birds and onto the white tissue. Simply remove the tissue and replace it until all the mites are removed.
Caution: the mites will get on you too, but they won’t live on you or feed off of you. It is not very comfortable to have them crawling all over you, though. That won’t happen if you are careful to keep them washed off of your hands as they crawl onto them.
WHAT TO DO AFTER THE NEST IS MADE
Call the nearest wildlife center. See if you can bring the baby to them. If not, you must do your best to find out what kind of bird you have. Fatal mistakes are easily made by errors in feeding.
If it is a dove, never place any food or drink into its mouth. It places its beak into its mother’s mouth and drinks from her throat.
If it is a bird that gapes (throws its mouth wide open and chirps for food), like a sparrow, never put liquid in the mouth—only the appropriate moist food.
I have only raised doves and sparrows. If you can’t take the baby to a wildlife center and need to feed it yourself, here’s what to feed.
Doves: You must learn to find and feel the crop. There are lots of pictures on the web that you can find if you Google. Before feeding, you need to see if the crop is empty. If there is food in the crop, feeding should be delayed until the crop is empty. Overfeeding can be very dangerous.
To feed, I use an oral syringe that is meant to give Children’s Motrin. I cut the tip off of it so that it makes an open tube. I fill it with the formula below and let the baby stick his beak into it, pushing the plunger gently to push the formula toward the end as the baby feeds. Some people have had luck by using a very small Dixie cup with a small whole, just big enough for the bird’s beak, punched into it. I have also cut the top neck off of plastic drink bottles, leaving the lids on, and just pushed the beak into that.
Here’s the formula: 1-1/2 teaspoonful Exact Baby Bird Formula, 1 teaspoonful Esbilac Puppy Formula, ¼ teaspoonful millet (parakeet seed) ground in the blender, 1 teaspoonful powdered goat’s milk. I also use strained baby chicken (1 teaspoonful) for extra protein. Put all of that together in a small glass container and add water that you have heated. Stir vigorously. Make sure the formula is cool to touch before offering it. Formula that is too hot will cause crop burns!
When the formula is cool, stick his beak into it. This will be awkward at first until the baby understands he’s being fed. If you simply cannot get him to accept it, he may not be warm enough. If he is constantly seeking to get under something or constantly wants to be inside your hands, the room or his nest is not keeping him warm enough. If nothing works, there’s a chance the baby may have a throat infection. If so, there’s nothing you can do on your own. A wildlife center can administer medicine for this infection if you can get the baby to one.
You can offer the food until the dove stops taking it or until the crop feels full. Don’t overfeed. Check the crop every hour. If empty, feed again. If not, check again in one-half hour.
After each feeding, offer water. Cut the neck off a plastic pint water bottle. Leave the lid on and make the lid the bottom of the container for water. You can use water out of the tap, but it may be more acceptable if it is tepid (room temperature). You may have to warm it and then be sure to let it cool to touch. Fill the bottle neck with water and stick the dove’s beak into it. NEVER put the water into the beak. Offer water every hour.
As the baby grows, he will stop wanting/needing food so often and you can probably lengthen the time between feedings. The safest way is to always check the crop.
As he grows, he will go through transitions. He may stop accepting the formula very well. This can be because he is cold or sick, but it can also be because he wants seed but doesn’t know how to get it for himself yet. They are not born with the ability to peck seed. They have to be taught! During the transition, you can sprinkle whole millet into the formula. If he accepts that readily, that is what he is wanting. At this point, try to teach him to peck by putting him on a table with some seed on it(Watch out for cats or dogs that live at your house! They should be outside or safely behind closed doors in another room.). Use your index finger as if it is a beak and tap at the seed with it. This simulates pecking and the baby will eventually learn to peck. It takes a while, so be patient. At first he will learn to pick the seed up, but you must make sure he is actually swallowing it before you can safely stop feeding. Meanwhile, keep offering the formula with progressively more whole seed sprinkled in.
Sparrows: Soak Science Diet Adult Feline food for one hour. I always tried to make sure the food was soaked in the fridge and then left at room temp for 10 or 15 minutes so that it was not ice cold. Sparrows may be more of a challenge because they don’t accept your help quite as readily sometimes.
To get the baby to gape, nearly any movement of the baby will work, like gently bumping the nest. Sometimes you can make a tweeting noise and that will get him to gape. Drop in one piece of soaked food. Do that every 30 minutes. As he gets older, he may accept more than one piece each feeding. That gets to be a real challenge, as they get older. As the beak changes, they will stop gaping but won’t know how to peck on their own yet. You will have to get the soaked food into your hands and place it up to the beak so that they can chew on it. Sparrows learn to feed themselves without having to be taught to peck. Keep trying to give the soaked food until you see him peck and swallow food on his on. Even after he begins feeding himself, make the soaked food available to him by placing it in a jar lid on the bottom of the cage. Watch out that you don't leave it there more than a couple of hours so that it doesn't grow bacteria.
When the baby has learned to perch, feed on its own, and fly, it will need to be acclimated to the outdoors.
I WILL DO MY BEST TO GIVE MORE HINTS AND INFORMATION AS I CAN GET THE TIME.
Since the time of year is upon us when baby birds will be on the ground, I want to help out by sharing what I have learned.
First, and foremost, DO NOT EVER pick up a baby without watching from a distance for 30 minutes or so to see if a parent comes to it. The only exception is if the baby is in the street or is otherwise in imminent danger. Then move it to safety as close by as possible.
Baby birds will be on the ground while they are learning to fly. If they have most of their feathers and can hop or flutter away from you, they probably do not need help.
WHAT TO DO FIRST
If you feel intervention is necessary, the first thing is to make the baby comfortable, safe, and warm. The best way to do that is to make a nest.
I make a nest from rolling up a diaper or dishtowel and then meeting the ends of the roll. Next, I wrap the roll with paper towels to keep it in a circle. Then I tear lots of white, unscented facial tissues into shreds and stick them into the middle of the circle. As the baby poops, the little soiled shreds can be removed and replaced. The shreds also give the baby something to push against to exercise little legs. If babies are left on a flat surface without this makeshift nest, their legs will become deformed.
It helps if you have a small basket to put this in to keep the nest together. Under the basket, I put an electric heating pad that is the size made to wrap an arm or leg. On top of the heating pad, I place a sandwich-sized baggie that is filled with water as hot as I can get it. On top of that, I put the homemade nest. This way, the heating pad and the baggie with hot water are under the nesting materials but not touching the baby. Make sure the heating pad does not cover the entire bottom of the enclosure that you put the nest into so that the baby can find a cooler spot if needed. Depending on the breed of bird, the baby may not stay in the nest you have made. If not, he may wind up directly on the heating pad. For that reason, I cover it with a towel (and then paper towels, removing and replacing as they are soiled) before I put the baggie and nesting materials on top. I have found that some babies (doves especially) love to be placed in the nest and then have a little piece of soft flannel or tee shirt material put over them with only their heads sticking out.
Put the nest you have made into a secure enclosure—either a cage or a box. The room needs to be warm and away from drafts. I use my laundry room because it is not air conditioned. The temp should not get too high, so be careful when the room is closed and the dryer is going. I think very dry air is not good for the baby.
MITES
Some baby birds are covered with mites when you find them. There is a safe, easy way to deal with that, but it takes patience. Mites are attracted to anything white. If you have made the nest the way I suggest above, the mites will crawl off of the birds and onto the white tissue. Simply remove the tissue and replace it until all the mites are removed.
Caution: the mites will get on you too, but they won’t live on you or feed off of you. It is not very comfortable to have them crawling all over you, though. That won’t happen if you are careful to keep them washed off of your hands as they crawl onto them.
WHAT TO DO AFTER THE NEST IS MADE
Call the nearest wildlife center. See if you can bring the baby to them. If not, you must do your best to find out what kind of bird you have. Fatal mistakes are easily made by errors in feeding.
If it is a dove, never place any food or drink into its mouth. It places its beak into its mother’s mouth and drinks from her throat.
If it is a bird that gapes (throws its mouth wide open and chirps for food), like a sparrow, never put liquid in the mouth—only the appropriate moist food.
I have only raised doves and sparrows. If you can’t take the baby to a wildlife center and need to feed it yourself, here’s what to feed.
Doves: You must learn to find and feel the crop. There are lots of pictures on the web that you can find if you Google. Before feeding, you need to see if the crop is empty. If there is food in the crop, feeding should be delayed until the crop is empty. Overfeeding can be very dangerous.
To feed, I use an oral syringe that is meant to give Children’s Motrin. I cut the tip off of it so that it makes an open tube. I fill it with the formula below and let the baby stick his beak into it, pushing the plunger gently to push the formula toward the end as the baby feeds. Some people have had luck by using a very small Dixie cup with a small whole, just big enough for the bird’s beak, punched into it. I have also cut the top neck off of plastic drink bottles, leaving the lids on, and just pushed the beak into that.
Here’s the formula: 1-1/2 teaspoonful Exact Baby Bird Formula, 1 teaspoonful Esbilac Puppy Formula, ¼ teaspoonful millet (parakeet seed) ground in the blender, 1 teaspoonful powdered goat’s milk. I also use strained baby chicken (1 teaspoonful) for extra protein. Put all of that together in a small glass container and add water that you have heated. Stir vigorously. Make sure the formula is cool to touch before offering it. Formula that is too hot will cause crop burns!
When the formula is cool, stick his beak into it. This will be awkward at first until the baby understands he’s being fed. If you simply cannot get him to accept it, he may not be warm enough. If he is constantly seeking to get under something or constantly wants to be inside your hands, the room or his nest is not keeping him warm enough. If nothing works, there’s a chance the baby may have a throat infection. If so, there’s nothing you can do on your own. A wildlife center can administer medicine for this infection if you can get the baby to one.
You can offer the food until the dove stops taking it or until the crop feels full. Don’t overfeed. Check the crop every hour. If empty, feed again. If not, check again in one-half hour.
After each feeding, offer water. Cut the neck off a plastic pint water bottle. Leave the lid on and make the lid the bottom of the container for water. You can use water out of the tap, but it may be more acceptable if it is tepid (room temperature). You may have to warm it and then be sure to let it cool to touch. Fill the bottle neck with water and stick the dove’s beak into it. NEVER put the water into the beak. Offer water every hour.
As the baby grows, he will stop wanting/needing food so often and you can probably lengthen the time between feedings. The safest way is to always check the crop.
As he grows, he will go through transitions. He may stop accepting the formula very well. This can be because he is cold or sick, but it can also be because he wants seed but doesn’t know how to get it for himself yet. They are not born with the ability to peck seed. They have to be taught! During the transition, you can sprinkle whole millet into the formula. If he accepts that readily, that is what he is wanting. At this point, try to teach him to peck by putting him on a table with some seed on it(Watch out for cats or dogs that live at your house! They should be outside or safely behind closed doors in another room.). Use your index finger as if it is a beak and tap at the seed with it. This simulates pecking and the baby will eventually learn to peck. It takes a while, so be patient. At first he will learn to pick the seed up, but you must make sure he is actually swallowing it before you can safely stop feeding. Meanwhile, keep offering the formula with progressively more whole seed sprinkled in.
Sparrows: Soak Science Diet Adult Feline food for one hour. I always tried to make sure the food was soaked in the fridge and then left at room temp for 10 or 15 minutes so that it was not ice cold. Sparrows may be more of a challenge because they don’t accept your help quite as readily sometimes.
To get the baby to gape, nearly any movement of the baby will work, like gently bumping the nest. Sometimes you can make a tweeting noise and that will get him to gape. Drop in one piece of soaked food. Do that every 30 minutes. As he gets older, he may accept more than one piece each feeding. That gets to be a real challenge, as they get older. As the beak changes, they will stop gaping but won’t know how to peck on their own yet. You will have to get the soaked food into your hands and place it up to the beak so that they can chew on it. Sparrows learn to feed themselves without having to be taught to peck. Keep trying to give the soaked food until you see him peck and swallow food on his on. Even after he begins feeding himself, make the soaked food available to him by placing it in a jar lid on the bottom of the cage. Watch out that you don't leave it there more than a couple of hours so that it doesn't grow bacteria.
When the baby has learned to perch, feed on its own, and fly, it will need to be acclimated to the outdoors.
I WILL DO MY BEST TO GIVE MORE HINTS AND INFORMATION AS I CAN GET THE TIME.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Why Is the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher Endangered?
The southwestern willow flycatcher is on the endangered species list in several states (Texas, for one) and on the federal list. The breeding range of the southwestern willow flycatcher is limited to southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, extreme southern portions of Nevada and Utah, extreme southwest Colorado, and Texas. Here in Texas, the southwestern willow flycatcher is now known to live in only in six counties in the far southwestern part of the state, El Paso, Hudspetch, Culberson, Jeff Davis, Presidio, and Brewster.History of Southwestern Willow Flycatcher
I don’t have a picture to post, but you can see a picture of the southwestern willow flycatcher here. The most reliable way to identify this flycatcher species is by its distinctive call (hear it here).
This pretty little flycatcher subspecies has lived along streams and creeks. Water sources have typically been quiet, slow moving, swampy or still. The water in the flycatcher habitat may be present in early spring but streams may dry completely by summer. Specific dense native and other vegetation along these water sources make up the flycatcher habitat. Habitats with the required water and vegetation are few and far between. Large areas of dry land separate areas where this flycatcher species can survive and propagate.
The brown-headed cowbird is a nest predator and nest parasite for the flycatcher species. However, disappearance of habitat is the main reason most of our wild birds become endangered. As land has been cleared for cities or for farming, as livestock has overgrazed land, and as water flow has been increasingly managed, more of the flycatcher habitat has been destroyed.
Southwestern Willow Flycatchers are migratory birds. They breed in North America. They spend the winters in Central and South America. They migrate 2,000 to 5,000 miles roundtrip. Much of the habitat along the path of migration has been altered or destroyed. Chemicals and pesticides used in farming in their winter homes in Latin America have also contributed to their demise.
The flycatcher habitat in five states was designated as “critical” in 2005 (Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah and Nevada). That designation requires other federal agencies to consult with the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Agency (USFW) before taking any action that would potentially have an adverse affect on the flycatcher habitat. The USFW admits that this designation does not go a very long way toward recovery of this little bird since it is not known whether some of the present habitats are supporting their recovery or contributing to their decline.
History of Southwestern Willow Flycatcher
Southwestern willow flycatcher was first put on the federal endangered list in 1995. The federal government reviews endangered species lists every five years. The most recent review was written January 23, 2008. Southwestern Willow Flycatcher was still on the list. I have been unable to find reliable estimations of their numbers in Texas or in the other states in the U.S.
Conservation Efforts
There are so many unanswered questions about exactly what is needed to help this little bird recover, and finding their answers is a complex research endeavor.
Conservation efforts must address habitat problems in all areas, whether for breeding, migrating, or wintering, in order for these birds to recover and survive.
Even though countries where the southwestern willow flycatcher winters, and those that are on the migratory path, are not under any obligation to follow actions suggested by the United States, there are international conservation groups and other non-government groups that can be successful in helping with conservation in foreign countries. One such group is Partners-in-Flight.
Small, local efforts in foreign countries, even without government help, can also make a big difference.
People who live in Texas counties I have listed above should be aware of the birds' typical habitat and do what they can to avoid its destruction.
My hope is to bring to the attention of more and more people that our world bird populations are declining. We need to consider this with every future action!
Our Secretary of Agriculture and Secretary of the Interior interest in our wildlife is important. Let's see who joins Obama's team. You can let him know that you want someone who is interested in protecting the interests of our wildlife and other animals at this link.
There is a section in the last part of my article Humans: Birds’ Most Unnatural Enemy that gives information about bird conservation, in general.
SOURCES:
The latest USFWS endangered list.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
More Love than You Thought Possible
I've met a lot of nice bird lovers online since I started blogging. I want to give you a link to the most interesting and unusual approach to wild birds that I've ever seen: WingedHearts.org.
My husband and I have named the birds who regularly come to our feeder, often learning to recognize them from a handicap like a missing or deformed limb. One such friend is Chester, a house sparrow who has regularly come to our feeder over the past four years. There are others that we raised as orphaned babies, but we can no longer tell apart from the rest.
The Australian couple, Ron and Gitie House, who write WingedHearts.org go one step further and make the acquaintance of entire families of birds, and I thought you'd enjoy visiting their website. There are some gorgeous pictures and heart-warming stories there.
Read more about the beautiful birds in Australia and how this couple relates to them.
My husband and I have named the birds who regularly come to our feeder, often learning to recognize them from a handicap like a missing or deformed limb. One such friend is Chester, a house sparrow who has regularly come to our feeder over the past four years. There are others that we raised as orphaned babies, but we can no longer tell apart from the rest.
The Australian couple, Ron and Gitie House, who write WingedHearts.org go one step further and make the acquaintance of entire families of birds, and I thought you'd enjoy visiting their website. There are some gorgeous pictures and heart-warming stories there.
Read more about the beautiful birds in Australia and how this couple relates to them.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Humans: Birds' Most Unnatural Enemy
Our bird populations are declining rapidly worldwide! This article will raise your consciousness about bird conservation and let you know how you can help.
My research into wind turbines and how they are killing our birds made me start to think about all of the other ways we are interfering with the well-being of our birds.
The photo is a red-headed woodpecker. This gorgeous bird is on multiple states' threatened species lists.
Will a day come when we won't have the songs of birds to enjoy?
Find out more about how human activities are killing our birds<
Monday, September 29, 2008
Risks of Hanging Caged Birds Outside
You love your pet so don't do this at your house--
There isn't any harm in placing my caged bird outside for some fresh air is there? That action comes with consequences to the health and life of the bird.
Read about the risks of hanging caged birds outside»
There isn't any harm in placing my caged bird outside for some fresh air is there? That action comes with consequences to the health and life of the bird.
Read about the risks of hanging caged birds outside»
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Animals Can Teach Us Spiritual Lessons
I will wax philosophical--I have always seen animals do things that I thought were meant to teach me some lesson about spiritual growth.
I belong to a study group that reads and discusses works of Eckhart Tolle. If you are not familiar with his writings, he writes about escaping the dictates of the ego with its endless chatter and judgments and flights into the past and into the future. One of the things that I have realized from reading Eckhart Tolle and Tony Parsons and Ken Wilber, and others is that, as humans, we add thought to pain. We tell ourselves all kinds of scary stories about our pain or our diagnoses and that changes them into suffering.
I have always thought that animals don't suffer like we do. Yes, they have pain, but they don't amplify it by labeling it and judging it and worrying about it and describing it to themselves. I think they just feel it.
I ran across this quote today and it fits: "I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself. A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough without ever having felt sorry for itself." -- D.H. Lawrence
I belong to a study group that reads and discusses works of Eckhart Tolle. If you are not familiar with his writings, he writes about escaping the dictates of the ego with its endless chatter and judgments and flights into the past and into the future. One of the things that I have realized from reading Eckhart Tolle and Tony Parsons and Ken Wilber, and others is that, as humans, we add thought to pain. We tell ourselves all kinds of scary stories about our pain or our diagnoses and that changes them into suffering.
I have always thought that animals don't suffer like we do. Yes, they have pain, but they don't amplify it by labeling it and judging it and worrying about it and describing it to themselves. I think they just feel it.
I ran across this quote today and it fits: "I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself. A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough without ever having felt sorry for itself." -- D.H. Lawrence
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