I saved a baby swallow today and I don't know what to do (1 Viewer)

[Ivorys]

The rain destroyed their nests and I found 2 baby swallows in front of my window, one was already dead and the other was soaked and freezing. We warmed it up and bought some minced meat and a syringe, I've been feeding it with 2 very tiny pieces of minced meat (like 1/2 of a fingernail) every hour.

I looked it up and saw that their diet changes rapidly, by diet I mean the time intervals. Im not sure if im feeding it correctly, I dont know if the size of the meat is enough too. It's been chirping a lot, so i need to know if he's hungry or not. Based on my research I think its 6-7 days old. I can't collect any insects either, should i just buy baby bird feed from a pet shop? Should i feed every 20 minutes instead of 1 hour? Ive also been giving it 1-2 drops of water every hour, is that too much? I dont know

Also its parents just started coming to my window to where the nest had been, but I can't put the baby outside for them to see because i live on the 10th floor and the tiniest wind could blow him away. Help me please i dont know what to do :'(

 

[Kits]

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If You Find A BABY Bird (see below about ADULT birds) Is the bird injured (bleeding, broken bones, puncture wounds, been in a cat’s mouth, open wounds, etc.)?If YES, take the bird to your nearest wildlife veterinarian or rehabilitator.If NO, see below. Is the bird fully...

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[Ivorys]

Welcome to Birdforum.

You may find these guidelines helpful.

Baby & Injured Wild Birds - PLEASE READ!

If You Find A BABY Bird (see below about ADULT birds) Is the bird injured (bleeding, broken bones, puncture wounds, been in a cat’s mouth, open wounds, etc.)?If YES, take the bird to your nearest wildlife veterinarian or rehabilitator.If NO, see below. Is the bird fully...

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Thank you, i'm still trying to contact rehabilitation centers but in the meantime i need to take care of the baby. It's been chirping a lot, at nights as well, i dont know if its because loneliness or being hungry. I've been trying to feed it every 2 hours with baby cat formula, aroynd the size of my fingernails, could it be hungry still? Should i make it every 1 hour or something?

 

[delia todd]

Hi Ivorys and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators.

Normally the nestlings will sleep between feeds when they have had enough. So I think you probably need to give it a bit more. And only feed again when he wakes. When I say 'more' I don't mean in one mouthful, but small bits like you are doing, but keep going until he's satisfied.

If you peep at him and he doesn't wake, or look interested in the food, he's happy.

Hope this helps. It's an extremely difficult job, so hopefully you can soon pass his care over to an experienced rehabber.

Please let us know how he gets on.

 

[Ivorys]

Hi Ivorys and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators.

Normally the nestlings will sleep between feeds when they have had enough. So I think you probably need to give it a bit more. And only feed again when he wakes. When I say 'more' I don't mean in one mouthful, but small bits like you are doing, but keep going until he's satisfied.

If you peep at him and he doesn't wake, or look interested in the food, he's happy.

Hope this helps. It's an extremely difficult job, so hopefully you can soon pass his care over to an experienced rehabber.

Please let us know how he gets on.

Thank you so much for your reply delia todd, I really appreciate the information. Its 2 am here, and I just fed him but i still hear him chirping. I looked for sources online and found that the bird can be disstressed but i dont know why it is. Im trying not to touch or hold it since i read that can be stressful for them too, but im thinking maybe he is lonely and looking for warmth? Could that be it? Or is it a normal thing for them to chirp at night and i should just ignore it and wait for him to sleep? He is actually in a warm place, i made him a nest out of a small box and covered the top with shoebox with air holes to resemble a nest

 

[delia todd]

Thank you so much for your reply delia todd, I really appreciate the information. Its 2 am here, and I just fed him but i still hear him chirping. I looked for sources online and found that the bird can be disstressed but i dont know why it is. Im trying not to touch or hold it since i read that can be stressful for them too, but im thinking maybe he is lonely and looking for warmth? Could that be it? Or is it a normal thing for them to chirp at night and i should just ignore it and wait for him to sleep? He is actually in a warm place, i made him a nest out of a small box and covered the top with shoebox with air holes to resemble a nest

I'd take the lid off - swallows normally have an open cup nest. Has he got something soft to snuggle into or get under? It's quite likely the adult would be brooding the chicks overnight, so keeping them warm.

 

[Ivorys]

I'd take the lid off - swallows normally have an open cup nest. Has he got something soft to snuggle into or get under? It's quite likely the adult would be brooding the chicks overnight, so keeping them warm.

The lid is not really on, i mean the small box is like the open cup nest and the lid is a bit far up, like the ceiling above the nests

I first covered the box with paper towels, but he had a really hard time moving around because he was slipping a lot, so i just changed it 10 minutes ago with a very very thin and small, soft cloth bag. I think this will be warmer for him. He slept so silent yesterday night, and i think the weather was colder yesterday

But he seems to be a bit calmer now, i hope this lasts :'))

 

[Ivorys]

Update: I managed to find a national park with a rehab center. He's there safe now among vets, and they will take care of him :')) thank you so much for all the support, im so very grateful 🙏🙏🙏

 

[delia todd]

That's great news Ivory!

Will they let you know how he gets on and if they manage to release him? It would be lovely to hear.

What country are you in?

 

[Ivorys]

That's great news Ivory!

Will they let you know how he gets on and if they manage to release him? It would be lovely to hear.

What country are you in?

I live in Turkiye, they had me fill a document with my contact info on it but im not sure if they will actually contact me since it was a very big place with lots of wild animals on rehab. But i know for a fact that they have very dedicated caregivers and they raise and then release the animals to where they belong

 

[delia todd]

Ok, yes I'm quite sure they will do their very best for the wee mite Ivory, but it's always great to get some feedback isn't it LOL 😁

Did they make any comment on the care you gave and/or the suggestions you received here? It's good to know these things for future reference.

But at least you got him there alive!!! Well done and thanks for caring too.