Rumors about once you touch a baby from an animal the parents reject it.
2006-08-24 13:33:51 · 18 answers · asked by ForroChe 2 in Pets ➔ Birds
That is a myth, I agree. Birds nostrils are not used for smelling at all. They are used solely for breathing. The idea that if you touch a baby bird the mother will reject it because she smells you on it is not true. The baby bird was probably thrown out of the nest in the first place because the mother sensed something wrong with it, and it is a waste of her time and energy to take care of a baby bird that will not live anyways. Cold and cruel, but that's life.
"Birds do have olfactory nerves that vary tremendously in size and function. For most bird species, olfaction, or the sense of smell, plays little or no part in their ability to locate or assess the quality of food. "
2006-08-24 13:40:45 · answer #1 · answered by cjh1221 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Touching a bird will NOT cause the parents to reject it...I assure this is a myth! Other people on here saying it is not are uneducated. How do you know the parents rejected it...did they throw it out of the nest again? How feathered is this bird? Fully or mostly bald? Are you sure it has not left the nest on it's own and was a fledgling, and the parents are caring for it?? It is pretty late in the season for birds to still be in their nest, that is why I ask. Parents may not feed a baby for 30-40 minutes sometimes...did you watch the nest continually for at least that long?? If the parents are truely not feeding it and if the chick is mostly bald...then you could take it to a local rehab and they could care for it until it is ready to go.
2006-08-24 21:15:21 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
You did the right thing my girl and i have saved many Little birds we consider there little lives godsends. All the way down to hundreds of dollars that we didn't really have, all but 2 made it back to the wild one little baby pigeon passed at the vets office and a baby duck who we call peepers he is alive and doing fine when it came time for him to go he kept coming home. its been 2 years. any how if you still have him keep him warm love him spend all the time you can with him. get your self a crop feeder, they sell a powder that you add warm water to form a paste , feed him small amounts 5 or 6 times a day there will also be a water syringe in the crop feeding kit just a little bit 5or 6 times a day.Food, Love and warmth and that little guy will livve and grow very greatful and freindly to you.Oh yeah make surre that you dont choke the litle guy while you arre feeding him.
2006-08-24 23:41:06 · answer #3 · answered by ken q 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've heard the same thing also. I've always thought it was true, but maybe I'm wrong. You couldn't just leave the baby bird there to die or get eaten alive by cats? But it could've been that the bird was already sick and the parents were trying to 'dispose' of it, or maybe the parent was trying to teach it to fly and it was to young. Who knows, it happens. You have a good heart to care for a helpless baby bird.
2006-08-24 22:33:32 · answer #4 · answered by sweet southern charm 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That's just a myth. I once help a mother wren raise her baby. We both fed it, sometimes one right after the other. It survived to be a healthy bird, despite my handling it from an egg. There was probably some other reason for the parents' behavior.
2006-08-24 20:37:44 · answer #5 · answered by LokiBuff 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I've read that it can be true with some species. You had good intentions so that's what counts. Don't feel too bad. If you would've left it on the ground it would have died or been eaten anyway. That's just nature.
2006-08-24 20:42:08 · answer #6 · answered by wikid14141 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, you did exactly what your suppose to do. She may be rejecting it cause it is sick. She may have pushed it out of the nest to begin with.
2006-08-25 02:54:37 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
no if the parents ve rejected it then u have 2 take care of it
2006-08-24 23:15:19 · answer #8 · answered by pine 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
its natural i guess... but yes becasue you touched the bird they dont think it is their own now. They have different insticts. If i were u i would take care of it. The same thing happened to a baby dove in my backyard and my dad nursed it back to health. All you need is bird seed and a suringe. Grind up food and feed it to the baby bird!!!
Dont feel bad!!! You were trying to help!
2006-08-24 20:41:24 · answer #9 · answered by Cassie 3 · 0⤊ 4⤋
No, it was not your fault. You did what needed to be done. The rest is up to nature.
2006-08-24 20:36:50 · answer #10 · answered by KathieJo 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋