Baby Starlings

[Strider]

A friend found some abandoned starlings in her barn and is giving them to me tomorrow. I have no experience with baby birds. Any advice would be appreciated. Should I be concerned about disease spreading to my parakeets?

 

[theocnoob]

Yes. Don't keep the birds inside. Keep them safe somewhere outside. And always wash your hands thoroughly. I wouldn't risk it personally but if you must do it, they would probably do well with baby parrot mash with some extra protein mixed in as starlings eat a lot of bugs (they are omnivorous). Once they wean you can transfer them over to bugs, seed, etc. Try to avoid food they'll never find in the wild like pellets.

I really don't know what kind of chances human raised starlings would have in the wild.

 

[iamwhoiam]

Check out Starling Talk: The Care and Feeding of Injured and Orphaned Starlings
Especially this info: Baby Starling Care: precise information on caring for wild baby birds
There's a baby food recipe on the baby care page. I used that for my sparrow although I don't remember adding the Avian vitamins or the egg. Use unsweetened and preferably organic applesauce. I used wooden coffee stirrers as feeding utensils.
Thank you for taking them in and best of luck with them.

 

[Featheredfuffs]

A friend found some abandoned starlings in her barn and is giving them to me tomorrow. I have no experience with baby birds. Any advice would be appreciated. Should I be concerned about disease spreading to my parakeets?

Bring them to a wildlife rehabilitator! It's safest for the starlings (raising young birds, especially the fragile songbirds, is very complicated, and there's a large chance of death to the babies unless done by someone more experienced), and it's dangerous to your parakeets as well, as desieses can spread. Where are you located? I'm a beginning wildlife rehabber of small mammals, and I would love to help you find one if you like (if on the off chance you live in Maine/NH, I'd be happy to transport to a bird rehabber!) Hope everything works out


How to Find a Wildlife Rehabilitator : The Humane Society of the United States