Evening star., 1944-08-22
This and That
BY Charles Z. Trace,peu.
Ss~ WV
LA PLATA, Md.

Il have read your column and would
IKE to have some information regard
ing birds. Please tell me what should
oe done with baby birds that fall out
Of their nests. Today the neighborhood
children brought me a baby blue Jay
that evidently was tossed out of its nest
during the storm. They rescued 1t Just
as dog was about to pounce on it.
I'VE attempted to locate the nest but
TO no avail. Rather than leave it for
the cats to devour brought it in and
put 1t in a box. The bird Is too young
to ny; however. 1t Is strong and active.
1t ran around the house, hopping onto
the furniture, at the same time emitting
loud cry. Having canary OF my own
l naturally had some bird food; how
ever. the blue jay doesn't seem to
know how to eat yet. forced several
pieces of bird biscuit into its mouth and
he swallowed It,
I don't want the bird to die, but
before you print an answer In your
column I am afraid 1t might Anyway,
please print something about this so
that should nnd another will know
what to do.
This is the second bird have har-
bored recently. The first was injured
and died within a few hours.
Yours truly, A. v. H."
y
This column has printed such direc.
lions many times, but perhaps it will not
nurt to give q resume of them again.
young birds are continually falling
out OF nests. and kindhearted persons
q IvIyau yNG&{
August storms tumble many nests to
the ground. 1t is surprising how many
nests there are this month.
1t is late, and autumn will soon be
here, but there will be some birds fall
Ing out still.
The problem is what to do with them.
Lett to themselves, they are victims
to wandering dogs or cats. or the wheels
of automobiles.
Brought up 'by hand" they have
every chance Of developing into healthy
specimens. Our autumns are long and
mild, and the young bird, properly fed
and cared for, soon takes his place with
other young birds on their first trip
South.
The best thing to do. when 4 young
bird is found on the ground, is to try
to locate the nest, and to put it back
in 1t.
Sometimes it is possible to dx up
berry box with soft paper in the fork
OF tree, 80 that the parents will find It..
IT all this Is impossible, the only thing
to do Is to try to bring the bird up
indoors.
1t must be kept, of course, in a safe
place, either on a screened porch, or
IN = room where it may be placed in
large box screened on the top.
The young bird must be fed every
hour. or every two hours It need not
be fed at night.
Usually at first the bird must be
taught to eat by making the food into
small bits and poking them at its bill.
Water must be given with a medicine
dropper. This Is as important AZ food.
Grit or sand should be available to
the bird at all times. This is neces-
sary for its digestion. Often they crave
this before food. Nature sees to that.
Since the food Of all baby birds is
worms or insects, the best foods for
those brought up "by hand" are those
with a high protein content, such as
the yolk Of hard-hoiled egg, scraped
beef or liver. and bread and milk, and
such insects, including beetles, as may be
found from time to time.
The food Is best placed on the ground,
50 that the bird may get the habit of
finding his own food. Beetles and other
small bugs" are fine for this, because
even the smallest baby bird recognizes
them as its natural food.
The baby should be taken outdoors
as much as possible and given q chance
to pick up its own food. They almost
always ny back to the protecting hand
with which they are 70 familiar. It is
best to keep such q bird from two to
four weeks after 1t learns to fly. Usually
the young bird decides this matter,