Help! I just found a little sparrow, he can't fly, I don't know what to do with him. He' scared of me...?

Question

I just put him in a cardboard box with some water and some bread crumbs. But he is so terrified of me, he won't eat or drink. Just keeps his little head stuck in the corner. He did try to bite me when I tried to show him his water. Its hot outside here in Los Angeles! Is there hope for him to fly or eat. Should I take him home with me. I am at work. Help!!

Thanks to all who gave their advice. I checked on Birdie throughout the day, when I got off, I had decided to put him back near his neast on the ground in the shade. I remember when I found him, all the birds in the trees seemed to be chirping like crazy! Well, by the time I got off of work, Lil Birdie ( I named him) had passed away....Oh well, I tried.

Answer 1

You must try to get the baby back to where you found it. If it is fully feathered, it is a fledgling and the parents will still care for it even if you have handled the bird (you may place him in a nearby branch or low tree limb to be out of harms way close to the area he was found). If the bird does not have all it's feathering, it is still a nestling and has fell from it's nest. If the baby is not injured he will be just fine, if you are able to return him to it. DO NOT PUT WATER DIRECTLY INTO THE BIRDS MOUTH, this will cause him to aspirate (inhalation pneumonia or possible drown)! Instead place a few drops of water on the outside of his beak and he will suck it in. See my website: http://www.starlingrescueandcare.bravehost.com for more information on how to care for the bird. If you are unable to place the baby back into the nest immediately or it has been injured, you must hydrate it ASAP! Warm him up first (this is why he is huddled in the corner of the box possibly). A bird has a very fast metabolism and will starve much faster than you could imagine! If it has not fledged yet it could become very week in a matter of only an hour and be beyond hope in a matter of 3 or more! Please see my site as to what you will need to feed the baby as well as emergency situations, care, how to feed, bedding, etc. You may also contact me for any other qquestions at [e-mail] .

Sincerely, Audra

Answer 2

Take it back close to where you found it and put it back on the ground, preferably in the shade if you can. This is probably a "fledgling" and does NOT need to be rescued.

From Humane Society of USA:

"Birds. Baby birds generally are not completely feathered and may be wobbly on the ground. If you find a bird on the ground who is completely feathered but has a short tail, he is probably a fledgling. Fledgling birds are cared for by their parents until they learn to fly, which can take a week or more. Sometimes people call after seeing a baby bird without any parents sitting on their front lawn. Although fully feathered, the bird has very short tail feathers. He is hopping around, but he can't fly. This is a classic description of a fledgling bird who has left the nest but hasn't yet learned to fly. He is not orphaned and doesn't need human assistance."

From Salem Audubon Society:

"DO NOT GIVE the baby bird any liquids! They get all they need from their food and often will inhale any liquid, which can be harmful to them."

Please check the two links below for more information. Thanks and good luck!!

Answer 3

Call a bird sanctuary, animal rescue, or some place like that.

If not call a vet and ask them, would they take care of it and then bring it to a wildlife rescue group.
I have just read that even when rescuing an animal it is illegal to keep a wild animal without the permit for it.
Since you meant well and have not kept it long term you should be OK as long as you make the needed contacts for that bird's sake.

So since you meant well if you do not know how to find an animal rescue, or a bird sanctuary then start by calling a vet and the vet will either take the bird off of your hands or refer you to another agency and tell you what to do in the meantime.

Answer 4

First thing u could do is stop peeping in the cardboard box, which actually scares him. Call up any vet doc and inform him about the bird and find out why the bird cannot fly. ( could be injured the wings) keep the box in an isolated room where there is less of movement and noise such as TV, fan, and kids.
Do not call people to see the bird as they will just create trouble rather than helping the bird and u to win. Feed him with cooked rice which is soft. and do not handle him frequently if at all it allows u to touch.

Answer 5

If you really want to help him, take him home. It is probably too young to fly and fell out of a nest somewhere. When you get home use plastic baggies on your fingers to handle a clean small plastic lid with water. Feeding him with the exclusive seed for small wild birds. The bag costs about $5 and the seeds are all without shells. Again using your plastic baggie over your fingers put some small seed in a short plastic lid.. One of the type lids that come on Yogurt cups is about the right height to make it easy for him to eat and drink. Be sure you wash the lids to rid it of all the smell of yogurt.

Now, you can keep him in the little box, hopefully a "shoe box" with lots of holes poked in the top and a few on the sides as well. Put small pieces of grasses and weeds, a few pieces of wood, a couple rocks, to make it all like nature in there for him.

Handle him with plastic bags or surgical gloves so he will not get the "Human" smell on him. This is one of the things that is frightening him, you smell "human" and that isn't natural for him.

Let him be. Don't keep taking the top/lid off the box to check on him. Don't hold him in your hand. You are a GIANT to him, he's never been this close to a human giant before. Of course he is scared. If God wants him to live he will, or God will bring him home to Birdy Heaven. Are his legs or wings broken. You can take him to a vet but that would cost a lot of money. This little tike is a WILD bird, human contact freaks his little birdie brain out.

He is sitting in the corner, facing the corner, so he can't SEE you so he believes that if he can't see you, you can't see him. Poor little guy. So nurse him calmly, and don't talk or have the TV or music playing, to him its freaky and scary. Put him in a cool place and let him rest. Just check on him in the morning to be sure he has water. Baby Food vegies in a small lid, like peas and carrots is good too. But don't handle him-he scared half to death! He will find the water if left alone. Quiet and no contact will give him strength to poke around in the grass and pieces of pine tree. Use a piece of pine tree that has enough leaves so he can "Hide" under it while he continues to grow. He should be able to fly in about a week or two. He doesn't know bread crumbs at his age. But your are trying, good for you!

Hope this helps. Just leave him alone as much as possible, lots of water and that special seed. You can even ground up some of the seed into tiny pieces if you want, in case some of the seed is still too big for him. He's very scared and all freaked out. You might want to consider getting a CD of birds singing to play quietly during the day ONLY near his box, so he feels safer. You can get them for $9.99! A low ticking clock might give him the rythm of a heart beat. Place this further away from the box. But keep it quiet around him. Don't keep opening the box to show your friends and family, he could die from fright. So keep contact at a bare minimum omk?

Answer 6

Wild birds usually won't eat and will starve when captured. Put on some gloves so he can't peck you and check his wings gently, his legs, feel around for anything that may not seem normal. If you can't find anything, go dig it up some worms and find it some little bugs. You may have to force feed it, but first call a vet or an animal shelter and they will surely help you.

Answer 7

Honestly, you should just leave him where you found it. The sparrow is probably a fledgling who just can't fly yet. That also means the nest is nearby. It's scared of you because you're alien to it. That's good that it tries to bite you because if the sparrow becomes accustomed to you, it may never leave and won't survive on its own. If you're really worried bring it to a local wildlife rehablitator but they're probably going to tell you the same thing: leave it alone.

Answer 8

listen to penpalermel....it is probably being taken care of by the parents..birds fledge their nest before they can fly and the parent take care of them until then. Put the bird back where you found it, in a bush or something...the adult will find it by it's call. They may be looking for him now if you removed him. It is probably a House Sparrow...very common or perhaps a House Finch.

Answer 9

first of all never feed birds breadcrumbs as this can block their digestive system have a large bowl of water and gently wet the feathers slightly as this may tempt it to drink the water and make sure water not to cold proberly if it cant fly this is a bad sign and try to leave him alone in a covered box as then he wont get as stressed out as more stressed out less chance of recovery and contact a neraby animal shelter

Answer 10

I am very sorry to say but there is little you can do.. If he fell out of a nest, then put him back if you can.. Again.. there is nothing one can do.. put him in a box and attempt to feed him will do not good... I am sorry to say that but Unless there is a next that you can put it back into.. it will probably die and there is NOTHING that one can do about it. It is nice of you.. very nice and considerate of you to try to save the life of the little bird.. I have tried this many times but it has never worked for me.