Half drowned fledging advice needed now please

[Lauraback]

Hi All just up feeding my horse and pony and my friends 2, and there was a fledgling drowning in a water bucket, I tipped trug over fledging is alive standing but shaking please advise if I should leave it move it or take it home! Thanks so much, I know it’s probably not a tack room subject but I’m hoping for quick advice x

 

[exracehorse]

I’d ask on local Facebook page. Pop it in a box. I’ve taken lots of fallen swallows etc to the local bird lady. It may die with shock. Exhaustion etc.

 

[Snow Falcon]

Parents should be about to collect it. Bless, looks a bit bedraggled.

 

[Equi]

Get a towel and dry it off as best you can, let it get warm and dry then leave it where you found it. The parents should come back

 

[PeterNatt]

Put it in a box as close to the nest as possible, and hopefully the parents will find and feed it.

 

[FieldOrnaments]

at that age parents will be about watching. it's actually quite normal for fledglings to spend 24 hours or so on the ground, obviously yours has had a bit of an eventful day because of the bucket but if it seems bright/not acting as if it's inhaled a lot of water, leave it be.

 

[Lauraback]

Thank you everyone it was freezing cold and shaking like mad so is now wrapped in a towel in the stables I have a few chores to do so will check on it in a bit if the shaking stops and she warms up I’ll pop her back under the tree where hopefully the parents are

 

[Lauraback]

Snuggled up and shaking less

 

[magicmoments]

I'm just wondering whether the parents will disown it, if it smells of humans. Don't know though whether birds have much of a sense of smell. Only something to think about if it is relevant.

 

[Snow Falcon]

I think there are some animals that wouldn't go near a human smell. Not sure about birds though.

 

[FieldOrnaments]

they don't have the correct receptors for human pheromones iirc so should be fine

 

[Equi]

Sense of smell doesn’t come into it with birds. They will come and find it as long as they can hear it

 

[Snow Falcon]

If I handle a baby bird, will the parents abandon it?

It's a myth that parent birds will abandon young that have been touched by humans—most birds have a poor sense of smell, and birds in general identify their young using the same cues we humans do—appearance and sound. It's perfectly safe to pick up a fallen nestling and put it back in the nest, or t

www.allaboutbirds.org

 

[Lauraback]

I'm just wondering whether the parents will disown it, if it smells of humans. Don't know though whether birds have much of a sense of smell. Only something to think about if it is relevant.

I read they have a poor sense of smell and it’s not a problem

 

[paddy555]

you have the options of putting it back and hoping the parents feed it, putting it back and accept something will eat it. If you have to you can rear it by hand. I have done that and you use waxworms and crickets. It is perfectly feasible to do that and there are a lot of swallows around at this time of the year for when you have to wean it.
I did it when the parent got killed and the other one couldn't cope and gave up. They all survived and flew off.

Doing it with one is obviously not ideal but possible.
If you have to take action tonight put it in a box to keep warm and you will have until it wakes up in the morning to get sorted.

hopefully the parents will come back for it but if you, or anyone else, needs to rear baby swallows please ask as to how to do it.

 

[Lauraback]

Good news baby bird can fly! She stopped shaking when dry and warmed up and released herself the barn was not far from the tree which is the other side of the road to where I found her in the water and that tree is very loud with birds chirping so hopefully she will find her way home if she needs mum and dad still. Thank you everyone x

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I had a little fledgling in my stable this week and he just couldn't quite fly so I left him and the next day he was gone so hopefully he flew out.

 

[Lauraback]

Thank you everyone I’ve told my yard owner tonight that I’m going to leave shallow trays with water in around the place for the birds especially the young ones, half full trugs are not good when they think they are thirsty and get into trouble, just so pleased I found this baby in time tonight

 

[LadyGascoyne]

How lovely that you’ve rescued it! So pleased it’s flown off. It is very very cute.

 

[Dave's Mam]

So glad it is ok. Good work Birdie Rescuer!

 

[exracehorse]

I'm just wondering whether the parents will disown it, if it smells of humans. Don't know though whether birds have much of a sense of smell. Only something to think about if it is relevant.

Maybe