Bird Rescue
Hi everyone! This page shall focus on bird rescue information. I'll be giving tips and guides on how to do basic bird rescuing. I'll write to the best of my ability and give pictures or videos as reference if possible!
The aim of bird rescue is mainly to save the birds, rehabilitate them and release them. For birds that cannot be released, the aim is to ensure that they will have a good quality of life.
-Fel
Basic Necessities
First, I'll be going over some items which you'll need to have.
1. Heat pack
This is going to be very important if you've rescued a fledgling or even a pinkie. You'll be able to tell as they would either look like they're naked or they'll have some feathers or most of their feathers looking like a little chick. This means they can't actually regulate their body temperature properly as of yet. A heat pack will be important as this will help them to keep warm.
There are quite a few types of heat packs. Disposables, microwaved ones and even rechargeable ones. For me, I use the rechargeable ones as it heats up quickly (within minutes) and also I can control how hot I want the pack to be. I also find that rechargeable heat packs have longer lasting heat.
You do also have to take note, you want to keep the bird warm, but you don't want to cook it. What I do, is I place a towel above the heat pack then place the bird on it. Some birds are bare at the bottom so you have to feel and see if it gets too hot.
2. Towel
A towel can help you in many ways. One such way was mentioned above where you can use it to cover the heat pack and the bird. Another usage of the towel is when you want to catch the bird. When you see that there is an injured bird, you can throw a towel over it so that it will stop trying to escape. Using a towel also helps you to handle the bird gently and it will help to prevent you from getting scratched and pecked.
3. Inco Pads / Newspaper
These are used as bedding for your bird's poop. I try to use inco pads but they are quite costly as compared to newspapers. Inco pads give you a clearer view of the state of your bird's poop such as color change, increase in fluidity or decrease in fluidity.
4. Syringe / Gavage Tube
A gavage tube is used for crop feeding and this is typically used by more experienced handlers. I use a 1ml syringe most commonly as it is thin and can allow the bird to swallow well. 1ml syringes are a cheaper alternative and also effective. However, they do wear out quite quickly so it will be good to have a pack on hand. The syringe can help with hand feeding of food and water.
5. Cage / Box and Perch
Baby birds can be kept in boxes with holes to help with good air circulation and also keeping them warm. A cage and perch will be more applicable for older birds that are able to perch and/or fly. It is important to let the bird practice perching. You can pick up twigs from the roadside and they will serve well as a perch for your bird.
6. Chicken feed / Egg feed / Bird formula
This will be your bird's main source of food. Typical birds such as pigeons and mynahs can be fed any of the above feeds. Birds such as woodpeckers will have to eat insects such as mealworms. If unsure, google to find out! It is advisable for the feed to be water-soluble or able to be mushed into a paste. This will help with syringe feeding as there will be less resistance when pushing on the syringe.
7. Water
Alright, sounds like a no-brainer. I usually syringe some water to help with swallowing and so they don't get dehydrated as well. You can leave some in the cage so your little one can help himself to the water.
How To Rescue A Bird
Now, this post will teach you how to rescue a bird. I'll be taking you through step by step.
1. Look Around For Mama Bird Or A Nest
This is the first step. When you see a little bird on the floor, unable to fly, look around to see if there is another bird keeping watch or keeping it company. If it is a younger bird such as a fledgling, try looking for a nest as well.
However, if the bird is in a dangerous position such as on the road or cats are nearby, gently scoop up the bird and put it in a safer place such as a grass patch.
This is a vital step that people tend to miss out. Especially if the bird is a fledgling, the bird might just be learning to fly and the mother should be nearby. If you locate the nest, you can try to place the bird back in. But chances are it will just hop out again if it's a fledgling.
If Mama bird is around, the bird is safe. If you are not in a good position to rescue birds, you can contact ACRES.
2. Safely Catching The Bird
If it's an injured/concussed bird trying to run away, throw a towel over it to aid you. Gently scoop the bird up and hold it firmly with both hands. Place it in a breathable box or carrier.
If it's a fledgling or baby bird, cover the body with a towel and scoop the bird up. Place it in a breathable box or carrier.
Should the bird struggle, Do Not forcefully squeeze it or drop the bird. Instead, place it in a safe place calmy and quickly.
3. Try To Check For Injuries
Once you are in a room where the bird cannot escape, it is time to check the bird. Some birds are just concussed due to knocking onto something and may just need a day or two to recover.
You can first observe the eyes, beak and head of the bird for any visible bleeding or abnormality such as a chipped beak.
Next, check the feet to see if both feet are fine or injured such as having a twisted or broken leg.
Then, check if the bird has symmetrical wings. For this, Do Not forcefully pry open their wings. Do so gently or allow the bird to spread its wings on its own. If it is not symmetrically spread, one of the wings could be damaged, causing it to be unable to fly. If some feathers are missing, it can cause them to crash while flying.
If the bird you have is way skinnier than the other birds of the same breed, it may have something called louse fly, scientific name Hippoboscidae.
Should the bird have any severe injury such as bleeding profusely or severely broken body parts, take it to the vet as soon as possible or contact ACRES.
4. Basic Treatment
If an area is bleeding slightly, put some pressure using gauze to stop the bleeding. Try to keep the area clean by cleaning with chlorhexidine. A dilute form is fine. Chlorhexidine is an antiseptic solution that will help to clean the wound and it is safe for birds.
If the bird is really way too skinny that you suspect it has louse flies, try submerging the bird in neck-high warm water. If there are any louse flies, they will fly out from under the wings. Only do this for less than 5 minutes. Dry the bird with a towel afterward.
5. Food, Water and Warmth
Finally, put some chicken feed/egg feed/mealworms, depending on the type of bird you have. And place some water inside the box or cage you have prepared for the bird. Line the box or cage with newspaper. If the bird is very small or young, keep it in a warm place or place some heat packs and put a towel over them then put the bird there.
This is more applicable for birds that know how to eat on their own. You can still do so for birds that do not know how to forage to encourage them to learn.
How Old Is Your Rescued Bird?
Here are some pictures for you guys to estimate how old your bird is. Do note that it will only be a rough estimate but it will help you create a timeline to teach your bird to perch, forage and fly.
At about 1 week, they start to have pins that will open up into feathers from 2 weeks on. A bird with no visible pins will be estimated to be about 4 weeks old.
Less Than 5 Days
About 2-3 Weeks
About 1 Week
About 4 Weeks
How To Syringe Feed Your Bird
This post will teach you how to syringe feed your bird and how to encourage it to pick up food on its own.
Syringe Feeding
What I prefer to use is a typical 1ml syringe you can get from drug stores. If the food you are feeding is a liquid one, ensure that it is warm before you start feeding. Consider heating it in the microwave for a few seconds the get the food warm if required.
If the food is solid and crushed, what I like to do is to mix it with some warm water and fill it into a 10ml syringe. With the 10ml syringe, I pump the food into the 1ml syringe after pulling out the plunger. I find that this is easier as you can't really draw up solids into the syringe.
I usually syringe feed my birds until about 3 weeks old and I also encourage them to be less dependent on the syringe and start trying to pick their own food.
Here are some videos that show you how to syringe feed and spoon feed.
[From left to right]
1: Syringe feeding
2: Spoon feeding with water
3: Spoon feeding
4: Encouraging to swallow food at the tip of mouth
For syringe feeding, it is important that we angle the syringe to the right of the bird. This is to ensure the syringe enters the esophagus and not the trachea of the bird. If we do not do so, the bird may choke or end up with fluid in the lungs resulting in death.
Spoon feeding is done when the bird is around 2-3 weeks old. Less liquid can be mixed into the food and you can also put the bird's beak into shallow water to encourage it to learn to drink on its own.
This Oriole of mine did not want to pick up food on its own. To encourage it, I often place food at the tip of its mouth so that it can learn to move food further in for it to swallow.
Feeding Your Bird Water
This will be a short post on when and how to feed your bird water.
It is important that we do not feed baby birds water until they can drink on their own. Water is provided via moist food in their diet. This might interfere with the ability of their bodies to absorb nutrients and also might cause them to feel full.
I usually test if my bird is willing to drink from a small cup by placing its beak a little into the water. If it is ready, it will start drinking the water on its own. Otherwise, stick to moist food as a source of fluids for them. If the bird needs more water, consider adding a little more moisture to the food instead.