Urgent Young bird fallen out of nest

[CallieCadmoor]

Hello everyone, it is me again.

It is that time of year when the youngsters begin to try fly.

We have a pair of house sparrows that we watch every year have their little babes under our roof awning (above the air con above the plants)



Unfortunately, today has been around 30 degrees C and one of the babies tried to fly. I saw the parents fluttering around more than usual about 7 hours ago but I thought nothing of it.

As I went out to water the roses, I kicked something that felt very fluffy off the top of the steps. I saw a bird use the momentum of the kick and land in a flowerpot. I was horrified, I thought it was the mom but she's so fast I could never get her. After investigating, I found it to be one of the babies.







It let me pick it up and almost immediately fell asleep in my hands. It won't move it's one leg at all. I've left the shoe box outside as the parents are still flapping around and put my dogs in the house.

I just don't know how to get the baby back to the nest? It is impossible to get it through the hole due to size and position. The wind is also picking up like crazy and I know that the shoe box will get blown away. I had originally wanted to put the baby on the air con in the shoe box but the wind isn't letting that happen.

I feel awful and don't want to take it away from its parents. But I don't know how to get it back to the nest especially with the leg it won't move and the parents not going to it in the box.

Please can someone help?

I feel really bad

 

[sunnysmom]

This is from our local wildlife rescue- it has some advice on baby birds: Wildlife Center FAQ - Animal Rescue League Shelter & Wildlife Center

@Birdbabe ?

I wish I had some advice to give. Thank you for helping him.

 

[CallieCadmoor]

I got some honey water into it as well as soaked and left some pellets by the box to encourage the parents to give it the easy meal. It is looking perkier but the leg isn't doing the same as the other one

 

[SpecialistElbru]

I know this post will not win me an award for popularity. But invasive house sparrows here in North America are a scourge that result in the deaths of many of our native birds. When a baby house sparrows grow up they will throw eggs out of the nest of native birds, they will kill live young (or just leave them to die outside the nest). House sparrows will sometimes even kill adult birds.

I know it stinks, but I would suggest you call a local wildlife center and that can take care of the bird in a humane way.

 

[CallieCadmoor]

@SpecialistElbru As far as I am aware (I could be wrong), I have Cape house sparrows here at my house which are native to South Africa. I'm very surprised that those do that where you are - I've never seen or heard of it before. I've only ever seen the ones here build their own nests in the roof. Thank you for your advice though

 

[SpecialistElbru]

We too have native sparrows that look similar to female/young European House sparrows. However they are a completely different species.

A wildlife center would know which species of native sparrows have a similar appearance to house sparrow. According to Wikipedia South Africa does have invasive sparrows. I know which North American sparrows look close to house sparrows, but I have no idea on SA birds.

 

[iamwhoiam]

If you can try to figure out a way to get him back in the nest. Sometimes the parents will reclaim him if you leave him near the nest. If he is injured, though, they may ignore him. You may wind up having to handfeed him so here is a recipe. You can put the food on a wooden stick such as a coffee stirrer or if you think he would take the food on his own then just leave it a little bit near him.
1 cup soaked cat food
1/4 cup of applesauce
1 hard boiled egg
Avian vitamins (follow dosage on package)
Around 750 mg calcium (I use Tums Smooth Dissolve tablet) ground to powder and dissolved in a little water.
Water
I never used the boiled egg.
Here is info from Starling Talk, a website which is dedicated to starlings and other wild birds:
Baby Starling Care: precise information on caring for wild baby birds

For weaning I would recommend finch seed. If he imprints on humans or is injured he probably can't be released back into the wild.

Hoping that he can be returned to the nest or that you will be able to help him. Thank you for trying to help the little guy.

 

[Tiel Feathers]

Thanks for helping him, hope the little bird pulls through!

 

[CallieCadmoor]

The parents dive bombed me when I went to take in the shoebox so they definitely still want to care for him. He's been fed although without the vitamins and it was dog food (had the same ingredients and percentages as cat food). He also drank some of the honey water. They have the cutest tongues!

I'm going to take him out again in the morning to see if the parents will try get him to fly. I know he has a sibling somewhere (I couldn't find it in the bush). They must be fledglings learning to fly (very bad day to begin practice, late November is always sweltering) and then I barged in and interupted them by not looking where I was going it seems to just be one leg stiffer than the other but it looks to be no broken bones.

 

[Birdbabe]

Just seeing this, thank you for helping him, hope he'll feel better in the morning and fly off to mom and dad! You fed him well and gave him a warm safe place for the night.

 

[iamwhoiam]

It's good that mom and dad are interested in him. Thank you for continuing to watch after him.

 

[CallieCadmoor]

Wonderful news!! The parents coaxed baby out of box and while he still has a limp, he can hop about relatively well! They've hidden him out in a bush by the nest with the sibling. Watching mom and dad teach them to fly is so cute! And stressful

 

[sunnysmom]

Great news.

 

[rocky'smom]

super duper good news

 

[Tiel Feathers]

That's wonderful!

 

[iamwhoiam]

Excellent news!

 

[Begone]

Great news and thanks for helping!

 

[Birdbabe]

Yay! He'll be ok, thanks for helping!