# Saved a nestful of hatchlings today!



## Adalrich (Jul 21, 2010)

Man, what a day! Earlier today I noticed this high-pitched chirping coming from a small ventilation shaft near the front door of my apartment building. Turns out that a bird had made a nest there. The only things I could see in the small hole were little yellow gaping maws, chirping and clamouring for food. I thought it best to leave them alone first, and letting their mother take care of them.

However, after keeping an eye on the situation and talking with some neighbours, it turned out that no one had seen a mother bird at the nest the entire day. A little later I saw that two hatchlings had already fallen from their nest, one was dead and the other one was crawling on the ground. I picked the little guy up, carried him inside and called the zoo. They told me I could bring them in if I didn't see their mother at the nest.  

An hour later, I actually managed to catch another one as it fell from the ventilation shaft. I waited some more, and after I saw that some of the little birds were already quite weak and lethargic, I decided to take drastic measures, fetched my pair of tongs and fished the last three out.

I gave them water with an eyedropper and fed them mealworms. One of the hatchlings was quite dehydrated, couldn't chirp or even stay upright, and I was pretty sure there was no hope. However, after I managed to get him some water, at first just a little at a time (it was really quite heartbreaking to see the little guy labouredly gulp down a few drops and then limply nodding it's head) it soon recovered and was loudly chirping away with the rest of it's brothers and sisters! They clamped on the eyedropper like babies to a bottle, and swallowed the mealworms with ferocity that puts my Leopard gecko to shame 

Word's won't describe how absurd it felt mimicking bird sounds to these ugly little creatures, and quickly squirting water down their throats when they opened their mouths to answer.

After feeding and hydrating the birds, I packed all five of them in a box lined with paper towels, covered it with a small cloth, and headed for the zoo. While in the metro, the birds started chirping every time the doors beeped before closing, and when a station's name was announced through the intercom. I guess I could've made any random loud noise and they would have still opened their mouths... so much for my bird imitation :razz:

After I left the box at the ticket booth and they called for a caretaker, I was told I could enter the zoo for free... the only problem being that it was about 20 minutes before closing time  Oh well, I didn't do this for a reward anyway  The people there thought that the mother bird could've flown into a window or something... :/

Remember, whenever you see an animal (or a human, for that matter ) in trouble, don't just leave it for dead. Yeah, nature will take care of the problem eventually, but there's always something you can try to do!

It was hard to tell what species the hatchlings were since they were so young, but due to their yellow feathers, I'm guessing they were Parus major (Finnish: Talitiainen, or colloquially talitintti. English: ...Great tit?). Here's some heartwarming pictures I took with my crappy cellphone camera (I had gloves on at first, just in case):


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## ametan (Jul 21, 2010)

It's great of you to actually take the time to care. Not enough people do. Great job the whole way through. I would've loved to hear you trying to be the mother bird. haha! :clap::clap::clap:


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## Adalrich (Jul 21, 2010)

ametan said:


> It's great of you to actually take the time to care. Not enough people do. Great job the whole way through. I would've loved to hear you trying to be the mother bird. haha! :clap::clap::clap:


I'm just glad I made it to the zoo before it closed, otherwise I'd still be chirping... the guys at the zoo told me that hatchlings as small like these need to be fed hourly!  It'd be easier to take care of a human baby!

I personally can't understand how someone could walk by a baby bird, crawling helplessly on the ground and just go "Oh well, not my problem."

I would've helped even if these had been baby adders


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## kevin1995 (Jul 21, 2010)

Wow good job
I saw a fletchling once just wondering about on its own and I observed it for a LONG time and the mother bird came out of nowhere and fed the fletchling and left. I researched and found out that it was on the fletchling's own will to leave the nest. wow I didnt know that lol


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## Adalrich (Jul 22, 2010)

kevin1995 said:


> Wow good job
> I saw a fletchling once just wondering about on its own and I observed it for a LONG time and the mother bird came out of nowhere and fed the fletchling and left. I researched and found out that it was on the fletchling's own will to leave the nest. wow I didnt know that lol


I saw one myself not too long ago. I was worried at first, but then I realised that it's mother was hanging around communicating with it not too far away. I remember hearing that birds often leave their nests once they're old enough to walk, and their mother continues to bring food to them.


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## NikiP (Jul 22, 2010)

Good job on accessing the situation & helping them 

I had my own baby bird rescue earlier in the spring:







Saw it on my way to the laundryroom, so I called the local rescue center for help. Turned out to be a baby great horned owl  They took it overnight since it was Sunday evening, then I just happened to be home for lunch the next day when the electric company came out with one of their lift trucks. The rescue attached a wicker basket with new nest material in it to a tree & put the baby back in it. Mama owl was very happy.


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## Adalrich (Jul 22, 2010)

NikiP said:


> Good job on accessing the situation & helping them
> 
> I had my own baby bird rescue earlier in the spring:
> 
> ...


Hah, he didn't look too happy with the situation! Everything seems to have gone perfectly well, though 

Over here, we don't really have a service we can call when we spot injured or otherwise helpless animals. Well, you can call the Pelastuslaitos (firefighters), but they only take care of cats/dogs/deer/elks/etc which have fallen into a sewer, stuck between the bars of a gate and so forth. Any other injured wild animals have to be taken by their finder to the Korkeasaari zoo.


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## Versi*JP*Color (Jul 22, 2010)

I hate how the birds beak is always bigger than the head as a chick.

I've had several nests in my bacyard,including one in the grill.


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## Crysta (Jul 23, 2010)

wow congrats on the saving  that's awesome of you to do!!


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