My nieces found these two baby birds.. We could not find the original nest and they were being kept in a shoe box. I brought them home.. I've rehabilitated baby animals and birds for release before.. never ones so young..
I tried to find a local rehabilitater but the closest one is about 60 miles from me or so.. I am considering getting my rehabilitater license..

My Girls are getting a first hand experience about how demanding new born babies can be as the baby eats every half hr to hr during day light hrs.. Oldest son is away to National Guard boot camp and youngest boy is away to church summer camp. so they are missing out.. But I am taking digital pictures so oldest can see the growth.. the baby will be grown and gone before he gets back, but he was there with me and helped when they were first found and is interested in how they do..
I lost one of the babies.. it seemed weaker than the other and I wasn't sure it would make it when I brought them home.. I started out with cat food as I have used with other birds but this didn't seem to agree with these birds.. I found online puppy chow mixed with water and mill worms works best.. and the baby bird is doing much better since I switched..

I thought at first it was baby blue bird.. but I have noticed little flecks of gold on it's chest and back.. The white beak rules out a lot of birds it could be.. Guess another week should tell what it is..
hope you enjoy the pics of the baby...

Day one with sibling.. almost a week ago..


Just after lunch..


All cleaned up and it's nap time...


Gina *BabyBlue*

Nice baby Sparrows or Robins .. maybe something else but your doing a great job with them ..Tammy

That last pic shows one UGLY bird LOL.
A neighbor brought a baby bird in shoebox to me few yrs ago. She said I'm such a nurturing person . I tried small worms & wet pieces of bread but it died. I was told that only the mother (some cases the father) can feed the babies. Looks like you proved them wrong!

Good Job Gina! Weve hand-raised Cockatiels (sp?!) when I was little- it is definately demanding.

If anyone other than the parents touches the bird, the parents will usually abandon them, but its not hard to hand-feed birds. Using a small plastic syringe with no needle or the blunt plastic cake-icing looking tips is a great way to feed them. We made a specialized food in the blender and froze it- it was peanut butter, monkey biscuits (cat or dog chow should work just fine), pedialyte, vitamin powder, and gosh-knows-whatelse more.

Baby birds are super ugly, but when they finally start feathering out, you cant help but love them.

good luck!

Well, it's a tough job, and not always successful. I got brought baby bunnies once that I managed to save and then they were able to be put back into nature, the little girl a couple of doors down from me, managed to raise a baby robin "Robby", what a card. He would as he grew and matured, not fly away and recognized people as feeders, so whenever you were outside he would hop over and pester you until you fed him something or went inside. He finally did fly off but pretty amusing while he was in the neighborhood! Good Luck!

I have raised Possums, kittens, cardinals, Robbins, and a red tail hawk.
The Hawk was my first.. I was about 9.. and saw it being ripped up by some other birds.. I ran them off took the bird and bandaged it.. I put it in a box with TP (dad was mad about 2 rolls of TP gone) and fed it worms I dug and other bugs I could find.. It was very young but not a hatchling.. maybe just freshly fledged.. it took less than a week to heal up.. when it started flying around my room I took it up to the attic and let it go out the attic window.. At that point I was hooked.. I've had more rescued critters than I can remember.. more often than not orphans from car accidents.. PPL use to bring me critters that momma was hit by a car..
I always stop for turtles to get them off the roads.. Heck.. my house pets are mostly homeless critters.. or critters that needed "rescued" from the life they were living..
I don't live in the country.. but I have almost brought country life to town.. I have had ppl bring kids over for the "petting zoo" and water/flower/ veggie garden..

If you ever have a baby critter contact local wild life rescue.. there is a web site that you can search for a "local".. if not.. cat food and dog food tend to be good substitutes.. I use to keep baby cat formula milk for baby mammals.. Human food tends to lack the proteins and nutrients needed for baby critters..

This is my first animal rescue in a few years.. I had to say NO to quite a few while adopting my youngest son.. for some reason family services kinda frowns on "wild critters" in the house..
oh well.. He was worth it!!

Gina *BabyBlue*

Hey Gina Id like to know what they turn out to be ..
so keep us posted please ..Tammy

PS ive raised Raccons, a polar bear cub ,salmon from eggs,an Owl,a few deer fawns , elk, a bob cat and wolf cub and a few cockatiels myself .. the resent one was a african grey who is now 5 yrs old and ok i envy you my home is too full now but I love to help life any way i can

looks like it has a Mohawk now!!! Still almost bald.. hubby asked if I was sure it wasn't a vulture.. till the Mohawk started growing in.. LOL But it's body is nicely covered with feathers now.. doesn't look so ET ish now.. Still a bit quilly but filling out nicely..
I'll try and get some pics uploaded tomorrow.. I still have no Idea what it is.. all the feathers coming in are grayish brownish with gold tips on some.. and it's belly feathers are all white and or gold.. Very small still.. and the white beak..
I think adult size has to be under 6 inches.. Probably around 4 inches.. it is learning to sing.. it has a " I WANT FOOD or attention" chirp and now it has started a song like chirp.. Still working on refining it's vocal cords I think..
any way.. day 12 and it is happy and healthy.. I'll get pics up soon.. maybe some one might have some ideas as to what it might be..
goodness.. I was just looking at that last photo again.. and it dawned on me what it looked like.. remember Jim Henson movie Dark Crystal back in the early 80s?? I think it looks kinda like a skeksis..
Gina *BabyBlue*

That is so cute I'll watch for a new pic.

Presenting......

Chamberlin and it's Mohawk.. LOL .. You know I had to dig out my copy of the movie and watch it this am..





Better view of Mowhawk..


A face only a mother could love...
So ugly it's cute....
Gina *BabyBlue*

Hubby pointed out the unusual beak shape and how it is looking more and more like an Indigo Bunting beak..
But I guess is still any ones guess..
Gina *BabyBlue*

Bad hair day?? how about bad feather day?? LOL


this is good picture to show how small it is.. I use the blue bic ink pen cap to feed it with.. kinda like a spoon for birds..


We had lots of fun outside today watching cars, bugs, kids and all the rest of the world go by...
It has a cute little hop rather than walking.. but has good instinct to hop for the brush to hide when strangers come near..

Gina *BabyBlue*

Here it is going on week 4



I'm wondering if the face feathers will ever fill in.. poor thing is kinda ugly with out them.. But makes sweet chirps when is fed warm and happy.. When it is not happy NO ONE is happy.. reminds me of early days when my kids were babies waiting for the bottle to be fixed.. feed me!!! feed me!!! I want food NOWWWWWW!!!!
Wouldn't you know it.. it likes grass hoppers.. and now I have none in my yard.. I'm going to have to start raiding neighbors yards.. I tried crickets but the bird just spits them back out.. pick little eater..
We have been working on flight lessons (just sit in moms hand and flap wings when mom moves hand down fast).. but prefer to hide under mom and watch the world go by.. If I sit cross legged on the ground the bird hides under my knee.. if I sit in a chair the bird will hide by the leg of what ever chair I'm sitting in..
We are also working on perching.. I'm not sure if it is just it's young age or if it has a problem but it tends to favor it's right leg and fidgets with it and holds it up flamingo style.. I notice that my conures do the one leg up thing so I'm not overly worried about it yet.. It does stand on it .. Just have to wait and see..

Gina *BabyBlue*

Gina, that is too cool. Thanks for the updates & pics. I never knew a person could nurture & keep alive a baby bird that young.

Wow, Gina those are great pics! That little guy is too cute! Thanks for the update and wish you continued success!