help help, i found a baby bird.......

[gazz292]

Wonder if that title wil get any response,

can anyone recomend a forum that knows about blackbirds?? as i've been asking Q's on here about the one i've been looking after, and not one reply.

i would really like to hear from someone who has rehabilitated a blackbird fledgling with a beak injury,

tis one has the very tip of it's upper beak missing, the bottom is scraped square,

will it grow back? just it's trying to peck at mealworms, but cant pick them up, as the bottom beak hits the floor, and it cant close it's top beak onto the worm a the beak is just too short,

it'll have to addapt to scooping them up i guess, but how would i teach it that.

[earthdragon64]

It isn't something I've had experience of, but the 2nd post on the following thread might help. If you find a BABY BIRD

It links to lists of wildlife rescue/rehabilitation centres who may be able to help.

[RKB]

The bill may grow back, but not before it needs it.

You need to get it to an experienced wildlife rehabber. It cannot be released in that condition. Google st tiggywinkles and ring them up for advice on what to do/where to take it.

If the damage is bad then it may be better to euthanase the bird, as may be prolonging the inevitable by keeping it alive.

[gazz292]

will ring tiggywinkles in the morning,

it's only the very very tip of the beak that's missing, we're talking less than a millimeter of difference between the top and bottom, plus it's only just learning to peck for things,

i did ring the rspb, but all they wanted me to do was let it die,

it's doing absolutely fine otherwise, is learning to fly, recognise danger (so far only cats) and hide when i do the alarm call, it's putting on 5 grams every day, preened it's self for the first time this evening,

i just have no idea how old it was when i found it (my other posts said what had happened, cats destroyed nest, killed mum and nest mates, no sign of dad)

so i'm unsure of what it should be able to do at certian times,
at first it couldent even hold onto a perch,

[gazz292]

apparantly i've been doing everything right, except it should have seen a vet for an antibiotic injection as a cat might have had it, but it's survived the danger period (first 3 days after) so is fine.

The beak has a 70 - 80% chance of growing back, it'll take a little time tho,
as it was found so near my home, and i live near the country (out back is rolling fields and woods, front is a bloomin housing estate) so it'll be fine to set up it's teritory here,

and as i can provide food for it for the rest of it's life, it's better off staying here, i've made a nest box for it, and when it's ready to stay out the night it can use that as a safe place, but is free to set up it's own roosting sites and all that,

so basicaly it will be wild, but have a source of food and shelter to fall back on if it can't cope.

and for anyone wondering, i am disabled, so am here 24/7, and thus able to give it the care and attention it needs,

i was given the opurtunity to take it to a rehab centre, but they admitted this bird is not in any danger, and after seeing a photo of the beak, said there was not much different they would do than i was already doing.