We've had birds coming in left right and centre here at BTLC. Crossbills, magpies, robins and ducks! Tons of ducks!
Rehabbing tiny birds is definitely a time consuming job but with so many coming in every day, we've got a pretty neat system going to make it as efficient as possible, here's how we do it!
When the baby birds first come in we get the rescuer to fill out a form asking where they were found, and if they fed them anything and any extra notes they think we should be aware of. This helps us diagnose any injuries they may have, for instance cat scratches or injuries sustained from a fall from the nest. They are given a once over to check for broken bones, cuts, abrasions or anything else that might be untoward. If in good condition they are then given a drop or two of 50% dextrose solution to help perk them up. Birds found abandoned are often dehydrated and can't process food or other medications properly if this is the case. The dextrose not only helps to rehydrate them but the sugar helps to increase blood sugar levels which can be a good idea if they haven't eaten for some time.
If the baby birds are waterfowl such as ducks, pintail, geese and the like, they are then all weighed together and an average weight is taken. This helps us decide when they are ready to move into holding boxes, and then outside. When they come in and are under 35g they are kept in tanks with towels as a base with duck start and a water supply. They also get a heat lamp and a soft toy to simulate the mother duck/goose.
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| 5-7 day old Goldeneye ducklings |
Once they have reached a safe size of 45g or are roughly 7-10 days old they are transferred to a holding tank where they have space to swim around, and a larger space to move on dry ground too.
As soon as they muscle up to 125g they get to go outside! They still get a heat lamp and a pool to swim in and ample room to grow up big and strong and right up until they are 5 weeks old they are fed a duck maintenance mix which provides all the nutrients they need. After 5 weeks they are full grown and ready to leave our nest. We release them in areas where they have a bountiful source of food (they LOVE chickweed) and are as safe from predators as they can be. From then on they are on their own, it's sad to see them go after all the time invested in helping them survive, but it's also brilliant to see them return to the wild especially since baby bird mortality is so high.
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| 14 day old Mallard ducklings in the holding pen (paddling pool out of view) |
This weekend we have some eagle releases and programmes which I am attending, I'll be posting reports and photos up as soon as I can but bear with me, it looks to be a busy couple of days for sure!
Until next time, fly safe!
G x
