What do you feed a baby magpie that has fallen out of it's nest?

[Hamzybob]

My next door nieghbour has found a baby magpie and it won't eat or do anything besides just lie down, what does she do?

[outdoorsmen]

what do baby magpies usually eat and how long does it take them to start flying?

[bird_helper01]

hey my family just found a quite young magpie. We found it on a road and it was dying so i took it home yesterday and it got a bit better over nite, so today we took it back to the spot but it couldnt fly. so we took it home. so now i want to know how i can feed it, look after it and teach it how to fly as we dont have people like animal shelters! i need help quick!!!!!! thanks

[ireneo]

It's a very rough time for young birds learning to fly. In an ideal world people would keep their cats indoors, safer for the cats and certainly for the wild animals that live outside. It's best that you just watch when you can. If you see a cat nearby, scare it away. The young bird can't learn to fly if boxed up or in a nest. It can't learn to find its own food if it's fed by humans. In many songbirds learning to get up off the ground and into some bushes only takes 2 - 3 days. Still, it's hard to watch and worry.

For now, don't encourage the neighbor cats to hang out at your place. You don't have to be mean to them, just ignore them or clap your hands to get them to move on. Let's hope the young bird stays safe.

[animalover217]

there is a young magpie in my backyard with short tail feathers, there is a parent magpie too, but the young one cant fly, i dont know what to do, im afraid to go up to it because i think the parent might swoop, should i go up to it, or should i just observe from a distance (thats what im currently doing) , btw there are 2 cats and 1 kitten 2 houses down from me, ive seen 1 of the cats grab a bird before, and the kitten knows me and i play with her, recently ive made a toy (feathers tied together with string) ad it flaps around in the wind and she pounces and jumps and chases after it, i hope she dosent do that with the magpie

[ireneo]

At that size and the fact that it has feathers covering much of its body, then it's time for it to leave the nest.

Yes, you can touch it and the parents won't mind. A question for you: does it have short tail feathers or full length tail feathers? If they are stubby little things 2 cm or so, then it's a young bird that still has to learn how to fly. If they're full length, then it's an injured adult.

You could put the bird in a little basket and hang it in the tree but it will likely jump out again. Having room to explore and run around flapping its wings is the only way for it to exercise and gain enough strength to actually fly. That takes a few days. Yes, that's a dangerous time of life for these birds which is why we strongly recommend keeping cats indoors.

You don't need to offer any food if the bird is alert and able to move around. The parents will swoop in now and then to feed the young one. Again, if the bird is injured in some way, take it in and call around for a licensed wildlife rehabber in your area. They will know how to treat the injuries and the proper diet to help the bird heal and grow strong.

[Marshi3569]

I just found a baby magpie in te middle of a paddock and it is about 15 to 10 cm wide and is covered in feathers, i know where he fell out but I am not sure wether I should pick it up and keep it safe, or just leave it there??  
And if so what should I feed it?

[ireneo]

If it was up on the clothesline when you first saw it, then it can fly a bit. Many birds leave the nest before they have full muscle development to fly well. That takes time. So they flutter and flit around for a few days till they can fly well.

That was nice that you helped feed the bird since the parents seem to be hunkered down in the cold weather. A syringe can be a risky way to feed however since their glottis (the breathing hole) is right on their tongue. It's too easy to accidentally squirt food into the hole and into their lungs. Some soaked cat chow (softened) can be offered. If the bird is hungry, his curiosity will lead him to try it.

Be sure to leave the bird out in a sheltered area so the parents can find him again and take over feeding.

[redeyelash]

Found a baby magpie clinging to the clothesline with its mother today, after realy bad cold winds, the mother left it there., checked it two hours later and its still there and no sign of the mother, checked another hour and a half later and it was in the shed, half an hour later I went and put it in a sunny warm spot and it didn,t put up

a fight, then fed it cat food juice in a syringe, it was very hungry, still feeding it fish cat food, seem very strong, just can't fly.

[ireneo]

Generally not. Occasionally our Great Horned Owl we have for educational purposes can be encouraged to foster a GHO owlet. But I've seen songbirds actually attack other young birds of the same species. In my own backyard I saw some House Sparrows beating up another sparrow and I ran out to break it up. Turned out to be a fledgling and although I took it in and did treatment, the bird died a few hours later.

[caspor4689]

My friend found a baby maggpie somewhere but cant remember exactly were so she put it across the road from my house were there is Another maggpie. I checked on it a few hours later and it's still alive. Just wanna know will another bird foster a baby?

[ireneo]

They are part of the corvidae family like crows and jays. They are omnivores and need a varied diet of protein (insects, small mice), fruits, nuts, etc. The bigger problem in raising a wild bird is teaching it how to find its own food and how to help it recognize predators. Putting food in a dish is lovely but he won't find it that way outside. And he may hear or see a cat walk by but without his other family members, he won't know to panic and fly off until it's too late and the cat is making a leap.

It's always best to raise young birds together and that's usually done in a wildlife rehab setting. Can you find a rehab facility near you? Check with some vets, the zoo or the Fish and Wildlife people. Yes, you can feed him and house him but without proper training his chances for survival in the real world drop.

[angelic_em]

Hello this morning we found a juvenile magpie and i want to hand raise it what can i feed, and what can i do so that it will be able to fly when he/she is ready??   Kind Regards Emily

[Magpies]

If you find a baby magpie fallen out of it's nest and if there is no harm to it then make sure it is out of danger and if at all possible leave it where it's mum can take care of it.  We have too many cats in our neigbourhood so we took the baby bird inside.  To feed it get dog biscuits and pour boiling water on them and leave them soak until you can mush them up.  This will take at least half an hour maybe more.  Then feed the mush to the baby bird every two hours.  Definitely call someone who knows how to take care of a baby magpie and get them to look after it.  It should only take a couple of weeks before the bird can be returned to its neighbourhood and family.

[ireneo]

Most birds when first fledging from the nest will not know how to fly yet. That's one reason they leave, to have the room to move around and flap their wings and build up the muscle strength required to fly.

If the bird is pretty well feathered (on the wings and most of the body, has stubby tail feathers) then it's a normal fledgling. If the bird is unable to stand at all, then it may have a leg problem and should be taken to a rehab center for evaluation and care. If the bird seems to be too young, try putting it in a small box or basket up in the tree. That will get it away from predators and the parents will continue to feed it. The parents will not reject the bird because you've touched it. That's an old wives tale since most birds have a very poor sense of smell.

[mfmckay95]

Hi we've found a fledgling magpie in the back garden. It has fallen from its nest and it can't walk or barely fly. The Mum keeps looking for it but we're worried she's been rejected. What do we need to do with it?

[voodoo14]

I have just found a baby magpie that has fallen out of a tree and a cat has had it what should we do on feeding it and we also given it some mealworms and oats. But can you help us please

[ireneo]

Without seeing the bird, I'm not sure why the chest is swollen. From impact or bite injuries birds can get ruptured air sacs. The air leaks into the body and under the skin which gives them a bloated look. If you were to part the feathers, it would look like a little plastic bag of air bulging out. That requires medical treatment. It also explains why the bird is so lethargic and unable to move well.

Bread is not the best food to feed any bird. A magpie could eat bits of soaked cat chow (pour hot water over the chow and let it sit till the whole nugget is spongy soft). But this little bird in his condition won't be able to eat. I'd recommend taking it to a vet or finding a wildlife rehabber in your area.

[alleyop98]

i would feed the baby magpie bits of bread soaked in water or something mushed up or soaked, but you could always use live worms.

[alleyop98]

i found a baby magpie back yard,  and when i went to shoo it away it stayed still, my dog tried to attack it and it just fell over so i took it to the front and i gave it some water and i soaked bread in it, but it wasnt eating. It's been quiet until about half an hour ago, its mum came but isnt doing anything, should i continue looking after it or let it be free?It has down on its chest (which looks swollen) and has a stubby tail so it cant fly, please get back to me soon, thanks.xx

[ireneo]

I'm not sure what part of the country you live in but in the northern hemisphere birds (except pigeons) are not breeding. It's most likely a small adult bird of some kind. As for food, so much depends on what type of bird it is. Seed eaters like finches eat seeds. Omnivores like crows and jays would eat a little bit of everything.

My guess is the bird is injured or sick. Please find a wildlife rehabber in your area that can help. This is hard since it's a holiday today (if you're in the U.S.) Check with your local vets, the zoo and the fish and wildlife folks to see if they can recommend where to take the bird. For now, keep it in a quiet, warm spot with a small dish of water. Not so big the bird can fall into it and get soaking wet or drown. Don't try to force food or water into its mouth. Their glottis (air hole) is on the tongue and it's too easy to get water in their lungs unless you know how to do it properly.

[courtneyjohn269]

hello, i just found a baby bird, it could be a cross between a magpie or a crow, it is black but also has some white feathers on its tail, but the colour hasnt come out on its wings yet. it has a yellow strip at the joining of its beak,  what do i feed it, and does it drink anything??? and it dosent do anything when i pick it up, only squaks. xx
thank you xx

[ireneo]

If it appears to be normal and is alert I'd strongly recommend taking it back to where you found it. If it's not mobile then put it in a box (shoe box for example) with some tissues and tack it up high on a tree or fence so the local cats won't pick it up. If it is moving around like a normal fledgling, then return it but hide it under a bush. A bird that age won't stay in a nest anyway. This is the time they have to be out to exercise, learn to fly and to find their own food. The parents will continue to care for it. It's OK that's you've touched it. Most birds don't have a great sense of smell.

[Gordonchilds]

I just founda baby magpie, it only has a few feathers on it's back and wings, and down on the rest of it's body. It seems ok. But what I want to know is will it survive and can I feed it pet mince or just normal mince?

[ireneo]

First I'm surprised that you still have baby birds in your area. Usually by this time of year most birds (except pigeons) have finished their breeding and are getting ready for migration. Any idea how old the bird is? That is - does it have feathers or down? Does it have any tail feathers yet - stubby or long? If it has feathers over most of its body and some stubby tail feathers, then it's a fledgling. The behavior is not good. It could have some injuries that you haven't found yet. A small puncture wound from a cat or internal injuries from a fall. Call around to your local Humane Society or Dept. of Fish and Wildlife to locate a wildlife rehab center near you.

Another thing to consider is the fact that the Magpies are part of the Corvid family and are being hardest hit by West Nile Virus. So this bird may be sick. Don't worry about touching the bird since WNV is typically passed by way of mosquitoes. I handle thousands of wild birds every year and haven't picked up WNV yet.

One last note: Magpies are omnivores and eat most anything. So soaked cat chow, hard boiled eggs, fruit and insects would provide a decent diet in the meantime. Still, the bird sounds sick or injured and needs professional help. Good luck.