# Another baby blackbird thread!



## spirit975 (May 15, 2007)

Ok so i heard a commotion in the garden, a load of birds screaming. Ran out to find one of my cats with a fledgling blackbird in her mouth. She dropped it when she saw me charging full pelt up the garden and it was quickly picked up by my springer. She dropped it pretty quickly when told, it ran into the bushes where my terrier pup quickly grabbed it and ran to her bed with it. I thought it would be dead by the time i got there but it wasn't. It was panting heavily with it's beak open but able to stand. I didn't really check for injury as i was too concerned with getting it somewhere quiet and dark to calm it down, but it didn't have any obvious injuries.

I put it in a box with some paper and placed it in a quiet room etc. It was able to stand in the box but still panting. Just checked it quickly, expecting it to have died but he's still there, breathing heavily but with a closed beak so is obviously calming down. 

Now, if i'm honest i'm not hopeful for it's survival over the night etc but if it lives i'd like to try and help it. Regardless of what the RSPCA say i will not be putting it back where i found it. It would last 20 seconds tops i reckon between 2 cats and 2 dogs. It's a fledgling, so fully feathered with a short stubby tail, unavle to fly yet and has bits of down sticking out round its head etc if that helps to age it.

I have handreared a good many parrots/pet birds over the years and have taken in injured wildlife before but never combined the two. Assuming it's not injured, and that it survives the night, what's my best plan of action? If i have to i'll phone a wildlife place (not the RSPCA!) but i'd rather like to help it myself if it's possible.


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## adamntitch (Jun 17, 2007)

good on you mandy read the sticky at the top of the page if you have not already and just keep it quiet and dark there usaly realy easy to rear and good not to call the rspca they just put them down x


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## spirit975 (May 15, 2007)

Cheers Adam, just read it and nipping to the rep shop now to get some mealies for it. Are waxies any good as well or are they too rich?


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## diamondlil (May 7, 2008)

I've also found raw steak mince (the expensive kind with less fat!) excellent for feeding fledgling blackbirds and starlings. You dangle a steak 'worm' over them and they gobble it up.


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## spirit975 (May 15, 2007)

Thanks for the tip. Well it's looking really alert now so i'm really pleased. Tried it with a mealworm and a waxworm and it won't touch either.  Left a couple of mealies in a dish to see if it can feed itself.


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