Found bird...advice needed!

[Sandpiper]

Good morning all!

I need advice as to what to do with a little bird I found at Overton this morning (it may be a relative of the Dove, but I am unsure.).

It was unable to fly, although it could flutter a few feet at a time. It seemed able to walk as well. It does not appear diseased, and although I am not an expert, my guess is that it is neither very young nor very old.

I was afraid to leave it on the tennis court where I found it due not only to the heat, but to the dogs, the kids, and the hawks in the area, so I brought it home with me. I have given it water and some song bird seed mix.

Is there any one in the group who could collect it and help it?? Due to my very limited experience with wild birds, I am not the best person to keep it. I thought of putting it in my backyard, but again, I am afraid either a cat or some other predator would get it. Help!

Thanks!
jt

[Mary Lee]

jt -

Here are some organizations that may be able to advise you.

www.rogerswildlife.org/ 972 225-4000

www.dfwwildlife.org/ 972-234-9453

Giving that bird a safe place to recuperate from whatever the problem may be might be all that is needed. Perhaps you should take it outside and see if it will/can fly?

Mary Lee

[Sandpiper]

Thanks so much for the links, Mary Lee! I let it out once, but it would not fly. I will probably take it out once more, and if it still is unable to fly, I will bring it inside, as it is going to be hot today. At the moment I have it in the shade on the side of the house where it is very quiet and peaceful.

I thought that perhaps it was just stunned from flying into something, but I really do not know....

Thanks again.

jt

[Sandpiper]

Well, I let the bird out into my backyard, which is privacy fenced and full of trees. I put water and song bird seed mix out for her (I have decided to believe it is a female.), and I saw her drink water and peck at the seed. It is as though she does not know how to eat the seed, so perhaps this is an indication that she is a juvenile....

Is it not too late in the season for fledglings?

At the moment she is wandering about the yard. I plan to leave her out there. I will take a peak at her from time to time to be sure she is okay. If she has not flown off by dusk, I plan to put her back in the pet carrier for the night for safe keeping, and then I will let her out again in the morning. She blends in nicely with the ground, so I am not too very worried about her at the moment.

Rogers Wildlife said it cannot collect her due to lack of volunteers and funds. :(

I sat outside with her for about an hour. She watched me and appeared cautious, but she did not seem terrified of me. In fact, I thought her eyes were quite expressive, quite curious, as though she was sizing me up. I think she realizes I do not want to harm her in any way.

Oh well, another Sunday, another adventure!

jt

[Sandpiper]

Good morning everyone.

I am afraid this little Dove (I am sure it is a Dove of some sort) is going to die. I watched yesterday as it tried forever to eat seed, but it was unable to do it. The only thing I saw it get down its throat all day was a bit of water and a chip off of a peanut. So, I crushed some peanuts for it, but it did not eat them. I put it in the animal carrier last night for safe keeping overnight.

I called Rogers Wildlife several times this morning, but I was unable to contact anyone there. The answering machine said not to leave a message, but I finally left one because I did not know what else to do.

I called the local Humane Society, but the chap I spoke with could not tell me any more than to try to feed it some canned dog food. So, I brought home a can of chicken and rice dog food, and I held the little bird in one hand and tried to offer it the dog food with my other hand. It did not want the dog food, but I did not think it would, although I was desparate enough to try. I read on the Internet that they should not be given milk, and I do not know what else to do for it.

It is not going to live much longer if it cannot eat. If I do not hear back from someone knowledgeable about what and how to feed this youngster, I am going to have to bring it back to the park and leave it amongst the trees. Perhaps its parents will find it.

I must say that I am disappointed that this thread has been viewed so many times, but the only person to respond at all has been Mary Lee. I would have thought that experienced and knowledgeable birders would have chimed in with solid advice by now....

jt

[Sandpiper]

This is probably the last, or next to last, post on this thread for me, as the bird is at the critical point.

I am gravely disappointed that there is not more basic information about helping baby birds/fledglings available from this site and the local "rehabilitators" websites. The Wildlife Center has a website with no helpful information other than "you bring the bird to us," and if one is unable to get to them (they are south of downtown Dallas, which is at least an hour's drive from me), they do not even have email whereby one may contact their "rehabilitators" for step by step instructions on how to save the birds.

Searching the Internet this morning, I found a website in which several people made suggestions about this topic. One poster quite correctly posted that Petsmart and Petco both sell a powder mix that can be used to feed baby birds, including wild birds. So, I went to Petsmart early this afternoon and purchased a container of this mix (cost is about $10 plus tax). Whence mixed with water, it smells like baby formula. There are directions with the container which tells how often to feed, how to hold the birds, how to keep then in a "nest," when and how to begin the weening process, etc., etc. A woman who worked at the store also gave me very helpful directions, as she had hand fed several wild baby birds before, including Doves.

Unfortunately, much to my chagrin, Darling Dorie Dove (I decided she deserved a name), did not want the formula. I think it may be past the point of saving her now, but I am not sure. I am going to try to feed her this evening indoors. I am going to keep her cage inside tonight and try to feed her very early again in the morning. If she does not eat tomorrow morning, then I think it is unlikely she will survive. I feel just awful that I did not know what to do much sooner and that all of the "experts" I contacted were no help. (Wildlife Center even told me to call animal control. They claimed animal control would take the bird and feed it and care for it until it could be on its own. I called animal control and was told they do NOT have anything to do with birds. They told me to call Wild Care, Inc., at 817-237-8500. I called Wild Care and all I got was a voice message telling me to call Wildlife Center, which I had already contacted to no avail. Their message concluded with "do not leave a message unless you are calling about voluteering."

I hope I can save Darling Dorie. At least I now know what to do should I ever be in a similiar situation or someone else in this situation asks me what to do. I cannot understand why, for crying out loud, this website and the Wildlife website do not post this basic information about the formula available at the pet stores, etc. Every bloody so-called bird lover should know these basics!

jt

[Talon]

jt, you probably haven't heard from anyone because they don't have anything encouraging to tell you. Every bird I have ever tried to save has perished. The truth is, most baby birds don't make it. It's a cruel world and the more you see of it, the more despairing it can get. All you can do is try, but nature will have its way.

[Sandpiper]

I am very sad to report that Dorie is dying. I could not get her to eat the formula today at all. She has become quite subdued over the last few hours. Her head is drooping, and her eyes keeping closing. Even her little body feels lighter than it did over the weekend.

This was a healthy fledgling. All she needed was protection, food, and water. If only ANYONE had told me about the mixture available from the pet store for feeding baby birds, I could have purchased it on Saturday and begun feeding her whilst she was still fiesty, hungry, and trying to eat.

I told this to Rogers Wildlife. They responded that they did not know the extent of the bird's injuries, if any, (Dorie was not injured), and that some birds are protected by law from being kept by anyone, so they did not tell me about the food at the pet store. I could not believe what I was reading! Dorie was just a Dove of some sort, but even had she been a rare bird, would they rather her starve to death than be fed and survive???!!

In future, I will never ask this group for help again, nor will I refer anyone to them. If they had only advised me about the food mix on Saturday, Dorie might be thriving right now instead on the brink of death.

I cannot tell you all how awful I feel right now....:(

jt

[Sandpiper]

Well, Joe, I would rather have heard discouraging words than nothing at all...

I am going to be crying all night and most of the week...I feel responsible...

jt

[Mary Lee]

jt -

I understand how frustrating it is to want to help an animal in need and not get the assistance you're looking for, however the negative comments you've made about our organization are mis-directed. We are not animal rehabilitators and so we provide links to those organizations in our area. We are primarily a bird-watching club with education concerning conservation and habitat restoration as our focus. I believe that no one else responded to your post because they could not contribute anything more than the info I had already provided.

All of us who are aware of the wildlife around us have been heart broken at observing the cruelty of nature. We have all wanted to rescue creatures, it's part of our humanity, however since the beginning of time the circle of life has been taking place daily. However you would like to say it - survival of the fittest, nature's selection process - the sick and weak of one species can be the food of life for another.

I personally will step in every time I am able to when I see that a man-made issue has caused a problem for an animal, such as seeing a duck caught in fishing line. But under normal natural circumstances, as hard as it is to see another creature suffering, I must allow nature to take its course.

I am sorry that you feel you were let down by the Fort Worth Audubon Society and Rogers Wildlife Rehabilitation Center but are you certain that any intervention would have saved the bird? Perhaps the bird had been poisoned from a herbicide or pesticide that had been used in the area (as happened to a Downy woodpecker that a FWAS member did take to Rogers Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. It did not survive)? Perhaps the parents were in the area and would have returned to care for the bird? Perhaps it was sick with no hope of recovery and the parents abandoned it? Perhaps just moving it to a bush or tree branch in the area would have been sufficient? Then, if the bird was ultimately going to die you would not have been a witness to it and it would not have had such an emotional affect on you. As you have now discovered that unless you are a licensed rehabber fully prepared and able to care for a sick or injured animal yourself, or able to transport it to a rehabilitation center, the best thing to do may be to allow nature to take its course.

Sincerely,

[Didi]

I am very sad to report that Dorie is dying. I could not get her to eat the formula today at all. She has become quite subdued over the last few hours. Her head is drooping, and her eyes keeping closing. Even her little body feels lighter than it did over the weekend.

This was a healthy fledgling. All she needed was protection, food, and water. If only ANYONE had told me about the mixture available from the pet store for feeding baby birds, I could have purchased it on Saturday and begun feeding her whilst she was still fiesty, hungry, and trying to eat.

I told this to Rogers Wildlife. They responded that they did not know the extent of the bird's injuries, if any, (Dorie was not injured), and that some birds are protected by law from being kept by anyone, so they did not tell me about the food at the pet store. I could not believe what I was reading! Dorie was just a Dove of some sort, but even had she been a rare bird, would they rather her starve to death than be fed and survive???!!

In future, I will never ask this group for help again, nor will I refer anyone to them. If they had only advised me about the food mix on Saturday, Dorie might be thriving right now instead on the brink of death.

I cannot tell you all how awful I feel right now....:(

jt

I feel sooo badly for you and the little one,,:( Bless you for trying to save 'her',, How sad no one of authority would assist you,, the only thing I could have suggested is to go to petsmart and get an infant bird feeder (with an eye drop) and hand feed it,,, or call a vet and ask them what you could possible do to get it to take nutrients,, I wish I would have logged in much sooner this last week and saw this:(.

[gail]

Thank you Mary Lee. You are right on all your points - including that your suggestions were the best we all could recommend. Thus, no reason for further advice.

[Sandpiper]

Thank you for your sympathy... I feel a bit better today. I have not seen other Doves in my yard that looked like Dorie before. Then, lo and behold, this afternoon I glanced out the window, and there was another one that looked just like Dorie. She was walking around the yard just as Dorie had done. I decided to take this as sign from the universe that I was forgiven for any negligence in not finding out sooner what I could have fed Dorie...

I am sure I will slowly begin to feel better and better as the days go by. The experience has taught me a lot.

Thanks again for your kind words.

jt