any way to save a baby robin?

[springer]

We found a baby robin, with feathers, on the ground about 20 ft below the nest which is up in the rafters of my house. I think the mom is dead as we found an adult massacred robin nearby. I have him inside in a box and read where you can dilute dog food and feed it with a medicine dropper (I'm using a small syringe as that's all I have) Any other ideas on how I might save this baby?

[cloudyandcallie]

Your petstore has baby bird formula, I've used it.

Blend your dog food with water and when baby opens mouth, dribble it in.
Every few hours.

Keep robin in quiet place so it won't die of fright. Our rescued mockingbirds and bluejays are more social and aggressive, but some birds actually die of fright.

Keep him warm. If he is fledging, then he'll start flying around soon. If not, you have a lot of feeding to do.

We have lots of birdcages for these baby birds as my mother has raised 100s of them over the years.

If you don't want the responsibility, see if there is a wildlife rehabber in your area, they take in babies such as this.

[Quinn]

You're right about feeding the dog food I "believe." My friend many many years ago found and successfully brought up a young bird. We rode with a Vet who recommended she feed the bird small amounts of soft dog food using I believe plastic tweezers. I found 5 baby barn swallows last year and took them to a Vet who told me I would have caused them to aspirate had I given them water with a syringe/eyedropper. Hopefully someone with more knowledge than I can chime in here. Good luck!

**Edited to say, glad CandC came on. Better advice.

http://community.webshots.com/user/ballyduff

[fivehorses]

I saved a baby robin. its actually easier than I thought.
I did a web search on what to feed.

from my recollection, I did a baby formula of cereal, like farina, and dry dog food soaked, and canned.
Use an eye dropper. The baby bird will let you know when he has his fill. Usually 1 or 2 at first, and then they get more and more hungary. I recall, they let me know when they were full. You do want the food warm, not cold. I'd make a batch for the day, refridge it, and heat it up, and test it before you give it to baby. Use the back of your wrist to feel the temp...room temp is good.

during daylight, you need to do this every two hours or so. At dark, they do sleep thru the night, so no worries there.

I kept mine in a box for only a week or until he got his feathers, and really tried not to let him 'see' me or hear my voice.
When he got older,I put him in a small dog wire crate with tree branches and leaves so he could hop around. he also flew from branch to branch.

I have a deck, so when he was going to be released, I put the crate on a table. I opened the door, out he went, but he came back at night. This went on with one bird for weeks, and another for only a few days.
I have raised two baby birds at different times.

I encourage you to be sure mom isn't around. If you see the nest, you can put the baby bird back in and watch from a distance. If mom doesn't show up after an hour or two, time to intervene.
Good luck.

[fivehorses]

As he got older, I did dig up worms too. But, he was ready to fly the coop at that point.

I did not want to give him to my local rehabber, since she fed the babies to her raptors. Ok, it happens, but not to my little robin.

[fivehorses]

I did use an eyedropper at first, then graduated to a popsicle stick. He would scare the heck out of me how far down his throat he'd lunge after the eyedropper, and later the pop stick.

[slc2]

They need to be kept warm (paper towels crumpled up slightly are like a nest and don't overwarm them, they need sides around them rather than a cover over them, their lungs may not work properly if the cover goes over them) and fed very frequently, though most seem to manage alright through the night, as long as they get a late meal and a very early morning meal. Most will go to sleep at night if they are warm enough and full enough.

We feed once every 2 hr during the day. You might consider moistened chicken feed - we use moistened duck feed. We soak the pellets, then dump them in the food processor so it gets an even texture. It should be just a little sloppy. We refrigerate the food between feedings, so it doesn't spoil, grow mold, fungus or bacteria. It's a good idea to use clean hands to feed the birds and mix the feed. Washing hands before and after is a good idea.

A bird cage with narrow spaced bars is better than a box. As they grow they can get out of a box and there are many hazards in the average house - windows - stoves - pets. The bird cage can be filled with bedding, say ground corn cob, and you can keep it cleaner and dryer.

I don't use an eye dropper, I gather up a tiny pinch of the food and stick it to the tip of my finger, and touch the baby on the corner of the mouth - they open their mouth almost automatically, and you don't have to catch and hold them, which stresses them, but also makes them too familiar with being touched, so they may trust people (or pets!) later. You want to feed them without taming them, so as little handling as possible is best.

You're less likely to cause the bird to get too much food and burst their throat this way. They will actually stop opening their mouth when they're full...usually. Watch the crop (throat) and fill it but don't over fill it so it stretches too much.

When they are of the right age to release, they have all their feathers, and they start 'exercising' their wings a huge amount. Some species whir their wings at high speed while being fed, and that's the start of them being ready to go.

We set ours out on the deck hand rail - they take off, and that's the last you usually ever see of them. Good luck sport!

I did take a starling baby once, and he did come back to be fed more after release (they are extremely smart), but most don't...besides, it's very dangerous for them to be like that. Don't give in and feed them after release, do chase them off if they try.

[Huntertwo]

If he is feathered, it won't be long before he is ready to fly.

Keeping him warm is very very important. I've always kept baby birds under some sort of warm lighting, being careful not to let them get *hot*.

When it becomes time for him to fly, I've always taken mine out to the backyard and put them in tree branches and let them experiment with their new wings. :) I'll often bring them back into the house until they have the flying thing down pat. Also you want to make sure they get the idea of finding food before totally releasing them.

Good luck...it is very rewarding.

[Beasmom]

I raised a robin with a broken leg several years ago. He was fledged, but still dependent on "mom" -- wherever she was. Since he had a broken leg, I took him to the local vet (who, luckily, was a bird lover and sympathetic to those who rescue wild baby birds). I left "Peepers" with the vet for the morning; by the time I picked Peepers up in the afternoon. the vet had taught him to eat canned cat food from a popsicle stick and had the leg splinted.

Peepers stayed with me for about 3 weeks. When his leg had healed, we started birdie physical therapy and I started putting mealworms and other tasty things around on the balcony for him to "hunt". Eventually he left.

Do not feed bait worms to Robins! Evidently some harbor parasites that are harmful to some birds. Surprised me to read this, as I 'm sure that's what Robins eat -- except they don't buy their worms at the bait shop!

It's important not to allow them to imprint on you. Hopefully, at your bird's age, he's too "old" to imprint. You're doing right by him limiting your contact with him. I saved a baby Starling at a barn where a student keeps her horse. She knows I have a soft spot for birds -- even Starlings! This one will probably have to remain a pet. He has thoroughly imprinted and at this point will never learn the skills to go back to the wild. He sits on my shoulder and sleeps while I play on the computer.

[Beasmom]

Also wanted to add there are helpful websites for people who find themselves in charge of an orphaned baby bird. "Starling Talk" is where I found the feeding formula for Barny the Starling.

Google for more info than you can possibly use!

[slc2]

My starling was named Peck.

[MistyBlue]

If the robin is feathered then it can be eating bugs instead of mush mixtures. Meal worms work well and are easy to find for sale. (bait shops carry them if you don't have a full feed store nearby) It will be flying very soon...keeping it in a wire cage outside is a better idea than a box inside. It does learn watching other birds even if it's not related to those birds. ;)