CARE OF ORPHAND NATIVE BIRDS
Dr. Madhvee Dhairykar, Dr. Shobha Jawre, Dr. Nidhi Rajput
School of Wildlife Forensic and Health,
Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University, Jabalpur
There is nothing in which the birds differ more from man than the way in which they can build and yet leave a landscape as it was before.
– Robert Lynd
If an orphaned bird is found, further information should be required before attempting wildlife rehabilitation. All species require more information for a full course of captive care. Correct species and age identification is crucial for determination of behavioral considerations, weaning diets and adult fate. It is illegal to keep most species of Indian wild animals as pets. Permits are required, even by veterinarians, to care for most wild species beyond initial medical care. When hand-rearing for wild release, infants should be raised with conspecific to avoid human imprinting, using techniques that avoid habituation. Wild infants must be isolated from domestic animals.
Primary Care for orphaned Birds
Identification of orphaned birds:
Care of orphaned birds is a big task. First we have to identify the bird, either orphaned or not. It is a myth that if we touch a baby bird its parents will reject it. Birds have a very limited sense of smell and will continue to feed a baby bird that is placed back it its nest by a human. If we cannot reach the nest, we can place the baby bird in a woven basket and hang it securely on a nearby branch. We should give support to bird up a bit with leaves or grass so that the parents can reach it. Parents will continue to feed their baby if given the chance. Many baby birds learn to fly from the ground up. A fully feathered baby bird is considered a fledgling and many parent birds continue to care for their babies after they jump out of the nest.
First step after receiving an orphaned bird:
When we first receive an orphaned baby bird, make sure it is warm. Because most orphans initially cannot maintain or regulate their body temperature, supplemental heat should be provided with heating pads, hot water bottles, incandescent light bulbs, or brooders. Small newborns without feathers do best with a heat lamp with a 40 watt bulb at least 12 inches away from birds and a small water container should also be there to provide moisture. Overheated chicks may hold perpetual open-mouthed postures, droop heads over nest edges, and cease producing droppings if dehydrated. The newborns should be placed in a small basket or bowl with toilet paper to prop them up a bit so that they can defecate over the edge of their makeshift nest.
Feeding of an orphaned bird:
Altricial baby birds (those who depend on their parents to bring them food) need to be feed every half-hour. Birds feed their babies constantly throughout the day. Never feed milk to a baby bird! Crops should empty between feeds; not all species have crops (insectivores, owls). Hatchlings require more water than older chicks. For most baby birds a mixture of grains or dry dog food soaked in hot water, with a bit of baby food, turkey, and cooked egg yolk and a bit of water (until it is the consistency of oatmeal) should be provide them with adequate nourishment. When fed this mixture baby birds are not need additional water, except maybe a few drops to rehydrate them when they first arrive. A straw will work well as a feeding implement. Be sure not to over-feed baby birds, feed only until their crop on the side of neck appears full. Overfeeding may cause droppings that appear as undigested diet. A diet of thawed-frozen prey requires vitamin supplementation. Vitamin E and thiamine supplementation is necessary for species ingesting frozen-thawed fish. Feeding prey frozen >6 mo should be avoided. Vitamin A may be inadequate in insect prey, and deficiency may occur if prey are fed with viscera. Baby birds are sleep through the night and do not needs to be fed, but they should be fed before we go to bed and as soon as you wake each morning.
Caring for fledgling (baby birds) birds:
Natural foods should be introduced as soon as birds are fledglings. While their eyes open and their feathers begin to emerge, food should be placed in cage to try to get them to eat on their own as soon as possible. Once eyes are open and the baby is fully feathered it is considered a fledgling. It will now need to be placed in a larger area with a perch. Branches can be placed through holes for perches. Newspaper can line bottom. Don’t use towels with birds since their claws can get caught in the loops. Once birds are eating on their own they should be placed outside in a cage that allows them to fly and is protected from predators.
Caring for precocial (birds that follow their parents and feed on their own) birds:
Baby ducks geese, swans, turkeys, grouse and pheasants fall into this category. A heat lamp should also be used for these birds when they are very young. A large cardboard box with high sides works well. Chick starter or turkey starter works well for these birds. Water birds should not be allowed to swim until their downy feathers are replaced with adult feathers. These birds imprint very quickly. It is important that they not identify you as their mother and that they be raised with others of their own species.
Diet schedule for different species of birds:
Songbirds and Woodpeckers:
A simple hand-feeding diet consists of 1 cup (116 g) kitten kibble, 1.25–1.5 cup (300–360 mL) water, 2 tbsp (14 g) powdered egg white, 750 mg calcium from CaCO3, and ½ tsp (1.4 g) powder of avian vitamins. Soak kibble and blend until smooth and feed with appropriately sized syringe. For hatchlings/nestlings, feed 50 mL/kg every 20–45 min (by age) 12–14 hr/day (16 hr/day for insectivores).
Hummingbirds:
A temporary diet consists of 1 part water to 6 parts table sugar or 5% dextrose, fed every 20 min. Sugar water should not be spilled on the bird.
Doves and Pigeons:
Grains powder or commercial food can be feed. Crop capacity is 100–120 mL/kg. Birds should be fed when crop empties, 12–14 hr/day, every 1–2 hr until eyes open and then every 3 hr until ambulating and ingesting seed. Palpating the crop before each feeding will assess self-feeding and prevent overfilling.
Raptors:
Hatchlings can be fed small pieces of warm, water-dipped meat every 2 hr, 12 hr/day, with blunt-tipped forceps; tiny bone pieces can be included by day 3 after hatch, and casting material (skin/hair) by day 5. The crop should empty between meals. Most species will pick up chopped prey from a dish by day 14.
Herons and Egrets:
Thawed-frozen fish (5–20 g, sliced diagonally if larger), live insects, or thawed-frozen chopped mice, should be offered hourly until self-feeding, then several times daily.
Shorebirds (Killdeer, Sandpipers, Avocets):
Live, fresh-frozen, and freeze-dried small invertebrate prey (tubifex worms, brine shrimp, mosquito larvae, tiny krill, small freshly shed mealworms, fly larvae, or cichlid mini-pellets) should be offered in shallow water at least four times daily.
Waterfowl (Geese, Ducks, Swans):
Natural duckweed or watercress, small invertebrates, crushed hard-boiled egg and waterfowl starter should be offered. Access to shallow water should be controlled; chicks must be able to easily exit water to warm under a heat source. Chicks may lose waterproofing and become chilled if plumage becomes contaminated with food or droppings.
Game birds (Pheasants, Quail, Turkeys):
Soaked puppy kibble, small-bodied invertebrates, small clumps of grass or weeds with soil, or commercial game bird starter can be offered.
Treatment for ectoparasites and endoparasites or fly strike may be necessary. Products deemed safe for infants of domestic species should be used, and an exotic animal formulary consulted for dosing information. Metabolic bone disease may develop quickly in wild orphans fed inadequate diets. Passerines, herons, egrets, shorebirds, raptors.
https://www.pashudhanpraharee.com/health-care-management-of-pet-birds/
