AliceK
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Help with Rescued Nestling - 2007/07/08 22:45
I found this nestling barely alive yesterday on a side walk of a shopping mall under the hot sun. It had dropped a storey high from its nest on one of the advertisement boards. I brought it home, fed drops of water and after searching through the internet, used soaked cat food as its diet for now. I've been feeding it at 3 hours intervals for the past 36 hours and it looks more alert than when I found it at first.
I am currently in Malaysia (S.E. Asia) and the local forum I went to offer very little help and nobody answered my questions below. I was told this is an Asian Glossy Starling Chick but I'm not familiar with most bird species. All I need is help to save this nestling and I need proper guidance to do this. Can't go to any local vet because there's none I could trust where I am living right now.
This birdie survived the night and interval feeding every 3 hours.
Questions:
1) Is it normal that this nestling at this stage of his life still cannot support itself with its legs? It's resting on his body (shown in photo) all the time and twice I saw it perched but it looked weird.
2) How do I check for injury? It's nest was one storey up when I found it on the concrete ground. It lays quietly in its makeshift nest. Is that normal?
3) It's not chirping .... I thought when baby birds are hungry, they will chirp. This one is very quiet and I have to coax him to open its mouth.
4) I'm maintaining the soaked cat food mashed. It's eating and defecates a lot. So I assume I'm doing right there.
5) If it survives, how long before it can spread it wings and fly? I need to travel with my family in two days. =(
Alice
Post edited by: AliceK, at: 2007/07/08 21:46
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aloha
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Help with Rescued Nestling - 2007/07/09 09:44
Alice welcome to this forum.
Ohmy... what a poor looking little fella is that. Alice I don't think you can get him to be completely healthy again in two days. What are you going to do? He might have broken his legs, wings, anything .... it's so difficult to say without having x-rayed him. Are there no RSPCA's where you are? Nothing at all?
I am afraid that only with long-term care he would survive. It's cruel to say but honestly I think he would have been better off not having to suffer at all.....
Nothwithstanding the above, thank you for showing respect for life 
Please keep us updated.
Good luck!
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AliceK
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Re:Help with Rescued Nestling - 2007/07/09 17:42
Thanks aloha for your response. I found a really great site about caring for this species since I last posted. Got all my questions answered, which was truly a great relief. The first photo looked awful because it was put on smooth paper napkins which didn't provide a solid footing, hence the spraddled legs. After I scrunched a few napkins, it has since been able to perch.
I did a minor examination on wings, body and legs and they look fine. In fact I saw it was cleaning itself and wings and eating better - cat/dog food was the most appropriate and will eventually go for insects (that will be DH's department) as it gets older.
I realized this birdie needs more than 2 days to recover so I ended up staying back while my DH and DD left for a 5 days trip. All of us felt this nestling deserves a chance to live so nobody was disappointed, except of course I miss them like crazy now.
Here's a much better looking birdie taken a few hours ago after his feeding:
Thanks for this forum.
Alice
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aloha
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Re:Help with Rescued Nestling - 2007/07/10 08:49
Alice, may I add a personal note here, please? I think you're a wonderful lady. Giving up a trip and staying home to care for this bird is such a neat gesture!
He looks lots better than at the first photo  His legs still look awkward but overall he looks like he is really trying to get over it. Can he stand on his legs at all?
You seem to be doing a great job, Alice, my compliments
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skipjacktunafish
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Re:Help with Rescued Nestling - 2007/07/21 10:37
How is your Starling doing? His legs look do look badly splayed in both those photos, though moreso the first! Well done for giving this guy a chance.
I also rescued a starling this year that was being attacked by a magpie. I kept him indoors initially to keep warm and fed him warmed egg, mealworms and grapes. We put him outside to get some air but my husband let him escape whilst feeding him. However, he still comes back many times a day for his food and lives in the tree just outside.
'Star' yawning in my bedroom, pic is naff but i didn't want to get close and spook him.
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aloha
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Re:Help with Rescued Nestling - 2007/07/22 08:02
Skipjacktunafish that's so sweet He stays with you and is free all the same. The best solution in my eyes. I hope he stays safe, thank you for sharing.
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AliceK
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Re:Help with Rescued Nestling - 2007/07/22 08:48
Hello ladies,
Sorry for not keeping up to date about Birdie. He was with me for about 6 days and gaining strength on his legs as we practiced perching:
Birdie had problem with regurgitation and had been my main concern. I had some ladies helping me in another site and he did seemed improved but then he choked on one morning feed and died in my hands.  It was one of the worst moments I had to experience and nothing could erase the guilt and grieve I felt.
I made a digital layout of this bird and would like to share it with you:
A tribute to Birdie and to all rescued birds.
I end here wishing everyone joy in raising your feathered family. Thanks for all your posts and hope one day we'll meet again in better circumstances.
Alice
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aloha
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Re:Help with Rescued Nestling - 2007/07/22 08:59
Thank you for updating and sharing, AliceK. I'm so sorry it ended the way it did and can most certainly imagine you're being sad. However, I would like to accentuate that feelings of guilt are totally out of place... You've done what you could do and more. Sometimes nature is stronger than us, and we will have to accept that - eventhough it's hard.
Your digital layout is beautiful and very touching.
Hope we'll meet again indeed
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skipjacktunafish
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Re:Help with Rescued Nestling - 2007/07/23 08:55
I'm so sorry your little Birdie didn't make it, i really do feel for you.
I think Aloha says everything as far as guilt is concerned. A month or so ago i lost one of my Timneh greys and was absolutely devastated - he was like my baby! Initially he was very, very wild but i tamed him right down. He had been sick for about 18months with an 'unknown disease' but recovered quite well ...or so i thought; suddenly without warning he got really sick and there was nothing i could do to save him. We had a top avian vet and all the money treatment could buy, but when your time comes not love nor money can help sadly. I feel guilt all the time for not noticing he was sick again sooner but birds are very clever and will hide any sickness they have very well otherwise they are seen as a vulnerablilty and will be attacked by their flock mates and other prey birds. When you notice they are sick, they really are very sick.
Wild birds in particular sometimes have diseases or deformities. It may be that the reason you found the bird initially was after being thrown from it's nest by it's parents for being sick, the fact his legs were splayed could have been at hatching or from landing on the sidewalk (which in turn may have caused all sorts of internal injuries hence the problems with regurgitation). Therefore sadly, Birdie may have been destined not to survive, so please don't beat yourself up or feel any guilt. You did your best to save him, fed him, kept him warm and gave him 6 days more than he would have had anyway.
Rip Birdie
Clare x
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AliceK
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Re:Help with Rescued Nestling - 2007/07/23 10:32
You brought tears to my eyes again, Clare. It's been more than a week and we had a funeral for little birdie but I guess when you love something as precious as this little creature you want the best for it. I have come to terms dealing with his death as well as some of the strays we rescued throughout the years that didn't make it. I know in my heart, I have done the best for them and our very old grouchy vet once told me ... sometimes animals feels where love is and would want to have their last dying days spent in that warmth and comfort. I keep this knowledge to comfort me when I feel sad and guilty.
Ladies, thank you so much for caring. A few days ago DH found a bunny in the middle of the road and took it home. The next day we hunted high and low for the owner and by fate found the little girl who was missing it for 4 days. Offered our big cage for $5.00 and bought it a pack of carrots because we were so glad this bunny has a home and someone who really loves it.
Warmest Greetings from Malaysia,
Alice
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aloha
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Re:Help with Rescued Nestling - 2007/07/23 11:02
Clare, I'm so sorry to hear about your Grey. You are right though: when it's time to go, it's time to go... (Also for human beings with all the progressive medicines they have today, cause why else would it work on one person but not on the other?)
The animal is resting, he won't notice it anymore. It's just so hurtful to be left with all the sweet memories....
Alice, that's wonderful you managed to find the little girl. I can just imagine the lights of joy in her eyes when her loved-pet was returned to her. You're such a sweet lady!
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