to find a rehaber in your area:
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contact.htmIf you IM me with your email address, I can send you a Word 911 paper for wild birds -- it will give you informaiton on how to assess and stabilize the bird until you can get it to a rehaber.
The first thing you need to do it get that bird warm -- get a heating pad, put it on low, place the bird in a box and leave the box half on the heating pad (you don't want to roast the poor thing!). Cover the box and leave it in a quiet place.
If you cannot find a rehaber who will take the bird, lemme know and my sister (a rehaber) can walk you through what needs to happen.
911 Advice for Wild Birds
“I found a nest of orphaned baby birds. What do I do?”
Baby birds are never abandoned by their parents unless the parents are dead or in some way unable to come back to the nest. If you find a nest of baby birds, this is what you can consider doing:
Ø From a distance monitor the nest and see if the parents are coming back to feed the babies.
Ø If the nest has fallen to the ground with the babies simply place the nest in a box, securing it as high into the tree as possible. Continue to monitor the situation to see if the parents are coming back to feed the babies. If you cannot place the nest in the tree, then pick a location that is predator-free and in dappled sunlight where the parents can plainly see/hear the babies.
“I found a baby bird on the ground. What do I do?”
If the bird is uninjured, then try your best to renest the baby bird. If the situation does not allow you to return the bird to its original nest and the area is unsafe for the baby, then follow the stabilization protocol on the back of this sheet and call a wildlife rehabilitator and/or wildlife center.
“How often does the mother feed the babies?”
Birds are amazing parents. They feed their babies as often as necessary – from every fifteen minutes to every hour, depending upon the age of the baby. It is not unusual to see both the mother and the father help feed the babies. Birds feed their babies during the daylight hours and “roost” once the sun goes down.
“I have picked up the babies – won’t my scent keep the mother away?”
No – birds do not smell well and their main concern is feeding their babies. The human scent will not bother bird parents.
“The mother has not returned to the nest – what do we do now?”
If you feel that the situation is life-threatening to the baby birds, then contact a wildlife rehabilitator and/or wildlife center and follow the stabilization protocol located on the other side of this sheet.
“How do I know if the babies are old enough to survive on their own?”
Once a baby bird has “fledged”, it often falls out of the nest (trying to fly) and hops around on the ground calling for its parents. The parents will continue to feed the baby and encourage it to hip hop up into low-lying scrubs and bushes where it will stay safe and continue to grow. Once the baby can fly, it will then follow its parents and continue to learn its survival skills. Again, if you ascertain that the situation is unsafe, then and only then should you intervene.
“My cat/dog just brought in a baby bird. What do I do now?”
Dogs crush and cats puncture. A wild bird that has been in the mouth of a cat is in great danger. The saliva of a cat actually carries billions of particles of bacteria and enzymes that break down the cellular structure of living tissue. Even if there appears to be no external wound, the sharp pointed teeth of a cat could have easily punctured a vital internal organ. As quickly as is feasible and possible, get the baby to a permitted wildlife rehabilitator. Do not attempt to care for an injured bird yourself!! A bird that has been brought in by your dog is also in danger, but at least the saliva of a dog is not fatal to a bird (or other mammals!). Please monitor your pets. Keep your cats indoors!! Cats are the killers of million of species of wildlife each year – songbirds especially!
Please follow the instructions below IF:
· The babies cannot be renested
· The babies are in imminent life-threatening danger
· There is no sign of the mother (at least over 2-4 hours)
· The babies are injured
If any of the above stated situations fits your particular scenario, then contact a state permitted wildlife rehabilitator as soon as possible. If the baby birds are determined to have been abandoned and you need to transport them to a rehabilitator, please do the following:
· Use a small container such as a shoebox. Punch air holes in the lid.
· Line the shoebox with a clean soft cloth that you do not mind giving up.
· Place the babies inside the shoebox and put a rubber band around the box and lid, securing it for the ride.
· Babies must stay warm. Fill a clean tube sock with uncooked white rice and tie off towards the top of the sock with a piece of string. Place the sock into a microwave and heat for 1-2 minutes. Place the sock inside the shoebox and put a washcloth or other piece of clean cloth over the sock. You don’t want the sock to be so hot as to burn the babies. The babies will crawl next to the warmth of the sock and stay there for the ride to the rehabilitator. Another option is to put a wet washcloth (wrung out) into a ziplock baggie and microwave until warm but not hot. This acts as a portable heating pad!
If it is going to be a length of time before you can get the babies to a rehabilitator, please do the following:
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FEED THE BABIES – TO DO SO COULD CAUSE THEIR DEATH
· Follow the instructions above as per the shoebox or other small container.
· If you have a heating pad, set it on low and place the pad on a non-conductive surface (your bathroom counter or washing machine lid will do just fine).
· Place the container with the babies half-on and half-off the heating pad. This will allow the babies to move away from the heat if they need to.
Wild birds require a specialized formula that is high in protein. A rehabilitator has been trained to offer the formula appropriate for this species and knows the correct feeding schedule and protocol of rehydration. You also run the risk of aspirating the baby by using an incorrect feeding utensil. Baby birds are incredibly fragile and do not take handling by humans well. They will die of stress if handled improperly. Keep baby birds away from children, household noise (such as vacuum cleaner and so forth), domestic pets and bright light.
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You might want to check with local breeders of pet birds - like pigeons. I fed my Macaw on a powdered formula that I mixed with warm water for about two weeks until she was ready for solids. 
