I found a BABY bird, and I need help?
A few days ago there was a thunderstorm where I live and that evening my friend’s mom saw a tiny bird near the gutter, barely moving. She took it home and it has been in a small bird cage lined with paper towels in a small bed made of fluff, fleece, and strips of paper towels. It does NOT have all of its’s feathers, the chest is completely bald and there is a large bulge where I am assuming it’s heart is. It’s neck has no feathers and it’s eyes barely open, I think it is very young. We tried to look everywhere for the nest and found a next FAR up in the shingles of someone’s house, where we cannot possibly reach. I do not know if this is the right nest or not, since the baby bird was found in the street gutter. We have been feeding it corn meal much (seeds and cornmeal diluted with water and mixed to, essentially mush, and tomorrow I think I will take it to the vet and see what I can do to help it until it is old enough to fly away. I do NOT intend to keep it, as I know that would be illegal. I only want to nurse it to health and an age where it can fly, as now it can definitely not fly. Should I crush up a worm? How can I get it to drink water (other than by in the mush)? What should I include in it’s bed? How long until it can fly or even stand up correctly? It is currently so small it cannot perch on a finger, it will simply topple over. It chirps when it is hungry, and has seemed to stabilize from the stress of the storm, but I cannot reach the nest and live in a very urban area, with an animal rescue facility park probably hours away. Any advice to keep the bird for a week until it can fly and rejoin it’s parents?
It looks somewhat like this, but with less feathers and much smaller.
http://www.photosaga.com/Macros/images/Baby-Bird.jpg
The feathers on the head also seem like they are still wet from the egg fluids.

September 10th, 2011 at 2:37 pm
You probably need to keep it. I doubt the parents will take it back. Feed it milk with an eye dropper. Keep searching for advice.
Country Living Helpful Hints-published 1953-republished 1993
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September 10th, 2011 at 3:36 pm
It looks like a baby hummingbird from the picture. They do not take long to fledge but as I don’t know the age I can’t tell you how long. It won’t ‘rejoin’ it’s parents. It will imprint on you and will not be able to be released. Warm up a hot water bottle. It needs warmth to digest the food. The ‘bulge’ is the crop, where the food is stored until digested. Please research the diet of a hummingbird! No you should not crush a worm! Worms aren’t good for baby birds. Any liquid it will get from the food. You will NOT be able to raise it and release it in a week!
I am a budgie breeder an belong to the forum Budgerigar Breeders Club Inc. I am an ornithologist ( studies birds ).
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September 10th, 2011 at 4:35 pm
go to a private pet store, and if it is a hummingbird go get it Lorikeet nectar, as well as some handfeeding formula, also google information on how to hand feed because it’s very easy to do wrong, if you do this right you could actually have yourself a loving pet bird, also you’ll probably have to feed it Lori nectar for the rest of it’s life, as hummingbirds are nectar eating birds
I am a budgie breeder an belong to the forum Budgerigar Breeders Club Inc. I am an ornithologist ( studies birds ).
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September 10th, 2011 at 5:36 pm
If you cannot return this bird to the nest, you need to get it to a local wildlife rehab..it does not matter if you live in an urban area..many rehabilitators do this work from their home..birds are found all over the world, so rehabs are everywhere. Look here to see if any are in your area and if not you may be able to call a local vet for a referral or your local animal control may also be able to tell you where to take it. If it is indeed a hummingbird, it will die in your care, only licensed experts would be able to keep it alive. Hummingbirds do not fledge quickly like someone else mentioned..they stay in the nest for almost a month..much longer than songbird species (which leave the nest at about 2 weeks or so)
http://www.southeasternoutdoors.com/wildlife/rehabilitators/directory-us.html
me: ornithologist/wildlife biologist
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