We Found a Baby Bird

On Saturday morning, we walked outside on our way to take the dogs for a morning walk. From the driveway we heard a chirping sound..... actually it was more like a faint squawking. It was coming from ground level by the side of the house.

Oh my gosh, how did a tiny baby bird get there? It barely had fuzz. Not exactly adorable in my book, but still a tiny baby bird. It was so hot outside with the sun beating down on her. From the looks of her, she'd been there awhile. And how the heck did she get there?

Momma bird was nowhere around, so we decided if she was still there when we got back, we'd make it our mission to save that baby bird.

We walked the dogs, had lunch and ran some errands. About 5 hours later, baby bird was still there and sounding fairly weak. She struggled to walk, so we wondered if she was injured. OK, we made the decision to save the baby bird.

First thing we need to do is to find an empty box and make a bird nest and bedding stuff. Lucky there was an old bird's nest in a planter box on our front porch that we used. We gathered the soft moss, skinny twigs and grabbed a few new leaves and jumbled them all together to cover the bottom of a small box.

For this story we called her a girl, and since she was blackish-gray in color we named her Cinder.

No volunteers? OK, tweezers it is. Tweezers were probably the easiest way to get these little wiggly worms down into her throat. It took us a few tries while she squawked loudly with her mouth gaping wide.

You know how some kids have really big ears that they'll eventually grow into? I guess it's the same with mouths on a baby bird - like, her mouth was bigger than her whole head.

One, two.... four, five.... worms down her throat. Good grief Cinder, you can sure pack in the grub. Still squawking with mouth open, we figured she was still hungry. So, baby bird Cinder got one last worm to tide her over until a late night snack before bedtime.

With our homemade bird's nest in hand, we gently lifted Cinder into her new home and out of the baking sun. Next up - food. With Cinder in the box on my lap, my daughter drove us to the pet store. We talked to a store associate and asked if she knew who might take a potentially injured baby bird? She said the Zoo rehabilitates animals and returns them back to nature. That sounds perfect.

Now we need food. The pet store said they eat mealworms, and they come in 2 sizes. Well, the big bulbous worms were almost as wide as Cinder's head so we chose the little guys. Back at the house, we looked at each other as if to say: who's gonna grab a worm and feed her?

We were finally able to talk to the Zoo, and they said we could bring her in Monday morning. OK, we only had to keep Cinder thru the rest of the weekend. She didn't do much of anything except change positions and sleep. At 10:30 pm, it was time for her late night snack.

Our baby bird seemed a bit more chipper and eagerly gulped down 2 more worms. Just thinking about all those little worms wiggling around in her belly.... UGH! She settled down right away and actually slept thru the night. Wow, I was expecting crying all night.... I was such a proud parent.

The next morning, as soon as I walked into the guest bedroom and picked up Cinder in her box, she started yelling at me. The nerve! I mean, somebody sure is miss grumpy britches and demanding breakfast. OK OK OK, where's the tweezers. Cinder swallowed 7 worms whole and we started wondering if her little belly would explode. It's all good though - because she's moving around more and even making little flapping gestures with her boney wings.

After lunch we were looking forward to a long walk on the river. We put Cinder on the floor in her bedroom and grabbed the dogs. As we walked to the car - we heard it again. Oh my gosh, it's another baby bird, and look - it's her brother Ash.

We looked all around trying to figure out where they were coming from. We couldn't find any nests. Then it hit me.... based on the fact that both birds were found within inches from the same spot, we knew they had fallen, or jumped, from a nest straight up.

The 2 baby birds fell from the roof of the house. It was a single story house, but higher up since it was built on a slight slope, and the front had 6 stairs up to the front porch. That means the babies could have fallen 15-20 feet.

Baby bird Ash definitely had a broken wing so he would never survive unless he got professional care. Ever so carefully we picked him up and set him on a towel we laid out on the kitchen table. Let's get him fed and settled in. He must not have been on the ground long because he was more active than Cinder first was, despite his broken wing. We set him in the box with his sister and watched as he tried to find a comfortable position.

Monday morning with both baby birds fed and dozing off in their box, we headed to the Zoo and said our good-byes to our little babies. I'm so glad we were able to save these little guys. Photo above - this is what adult Starlings look like.

The bottom line is the creature benefits by being rescued, and it's also helping the environment and eco-system. All animals, birds, and marine life help to keep the eco-systems in balance. And that's important. If the bird, animal, or marine life is an endangered species then it's an even bigger win for the good of the planet.

Many people don't realize how much an animal feels pain & emotions - some species much more than others. For example, crows can remember who hurt them and who helped them.

And finally, rescuing an animal can benefit us. Saving an animal, even if it's thru an animal shelter can positively impact our overall wellbeing. For starters, it can help us produce more happy hormones especially after seeing the animal improve because of our efforts. Pets are a great way to: Make Happy Hormones.

Saving an animal can also lift our mood, and fill you with joy, satisfaction, and sense of accomplishment. A successful rescue can also boost our self-esteem and help us connect us to other people. When we can provide an animal, bird, or _____ (fill in the blank) with a loving forever home - or, were able to release a wild animal back into the wild, we'll be rewarded with positive emotions and health benefits. Job well done.

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