Evening star., 1945-07-03
This and That
By Charles E. Trdce1OeH.
FREDERICKSBURG, Va.


Dear Sir:
TT is my hope that you can enlighten
me as to the proper diet for handled
baby birds native to this locale.
quite recently we found a baby
mockingbird and since 1t was impossible
to return the bird to its nest this one
being about Is feet above the ground in
a honey locust tree) We brought the
bird home.
upon inquiry, we learned through
experienced friends who had success
fully raised a mockingbird that diet
of moistened cereal such as oatmeal,
farina, ETC., would provide proper nour-
ishment.
After two days the bird refused this
diet. but ate ants and little bit of fresh
peach or scraped apple. Any prohered
worms were refused.
I'VE tried to do all we knew how for
the bird, but after four days he died. I
should judge he was a week old when
we found him.
I'm case we ever find another bird, I
hope to be better prepared in the knowl-
edge of how to administer proper care.
Gratefully, M. P. K"
The younger a bird is when found on
the ground, the harder it is to bring
it up.
Often it is injured in falling out of
the nest.
Sometimes an animal may have wor-
ried it without leaving any marks.
All in all, the job of bringing up a
baby bird "by hand" is no easy one, and
no kind hearted person should be too
upset if it proves an impossible task.
All baby birds eat the same, in nature
insects worms, etc.
These are the baby foods of birdland.
They are all protein foods, and pro-
vide the quick growth of the nestlings.
Whether one picks up a jay, or a
mocker, or catbird, or just an English
sparrow, or young robin, the diet viii
be the same.
Scraped beef, If it can be come by;
yolk of hard-boiled egg; raisins, bread
and milk; bits of liver
These are some of the best foods for
the bird which has fallen out of the
nest.
They can be supplemented by the
smallest worms and insects, with an oc-
casional hard beetle for the bird to
worry.
Sand or earth with little sand mixed
in it must be provided.
Crawlers and beetles may be put in
this sand, and the young bird allowed
to stand on it. In this way 1t gets the
idea of feeding itself
Water is as necessary as food for the
young bird. 1t is best administered with
a medicine dropper
few drops of. cod liver oil may be
given. But liver is better and nothing
will pep" up sick bird more.
Let us say again that failure to bring
UP bird does not mean much, since
there is no telling what condition 1t was
in before it fell out of the nest, or what
may have happened to it after it fell, or
how long it has been on the ground, or
how much it may have been injured in
falling.
A great many kind-hearted persons
think they are to blame when they fail.
They have read about success in this
endeavor, and they come to think that
1t is almost automatic, but nothing
could be farther from the truth. The
fact is that everything must be just
right for human to be able to carry
a bird on to maturity. Certainly 1t is
unnatural, to say the least, for 1t to be
brought up by another species.
If the affair turns out well, 1t is often
more good fortune than knowledge. So
no one ought to feel too much hurt If
the bird Succumbs. There are so many
unknown factors that it is impossible to
be sure, when one begins, no matter how
well the bird looks, or how eager it
seems for food. All one can do is the
best one knows how, and often even
that is not enough. Feeding should be
every two hours during daylight, but no
food at night.