# Baby Starling Rescued



## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

Last night I got a call from my daughter in law that my grandaughter found a small bird on the sidewalk dazed and listless.They brought the small youngster over to my place . It was a fully feathered baby starling.It was sitting in the mini-carrier with one leg forward, and the other one back. I examined it and could not see any visible puncture wounds but some of the feathers were missing. I put it on antibiotics as soon as I could crush the pill and desolve it in a ny ~quill size cup, and administerd it with a baby medicine dropper. It was receptive to the doses last night and I placed a heating pad on low.This morning he quite perky actually and standing on its own two legs. I read the Starling Talk site to get more information on the care and feeding of starlings,since I am not too keen on this particular specie, but found what I was looking for to help me help the bird. I was unable to find the recommeded dog/cat food with the appropriate protein/fat combination, so I made trip to Pet-co and bought some Kaytee Exact, and Bev and I hand fed him. I put a small water hanging dish on the door of the small carrier, and he did drink from it. Now, we will monitor his next 24 hours closely.So far, so good.


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Victor, I think you and your family are bird magents  .
I have no experience with starlings, yet, but sounds like you did everything right. The guidelines for all sick and injured birds are generally the same.
I am sure someone with starling experience will be on with help soon.

Good luck with this little one.

Reti


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

Bird magnets? That is somewhat funny, however, our one and only Terry W. is truly the magnetic one.I checked out the Starling Talk site, did some more research, and was able to find a store just 2 miles from home that sells the Chicken Soup for catlovers brand which is also recommended for Starling rescues. The site is quite intersting actually. I understand Tery is also a member (moderator?) there as well?


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## christina11 (Jan 20, 2006)

Thats so nice of you to take the little bird in Starlings ar such wounderful birds I have helped many and they each have there own personality.

Today there was a baby starling in my backyard and it was sqeeking and flapen its wings I walked over to say hello to the little guy and it just stared at me lol then out of no where one of my pigeons takes of into the sky near the little starling and my gosh that little starling took off so fast I could barley see it fly by and the hole way it was screeming for its mom lol boy did that little starling get spooked from my pigeon lol. 

You shur do seem to be getting your birds this year but good thing you can give em a chance.

Could ya post any pics of the little bird?


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Bless you Victor and family for taking in the Starling .. and bless you even more for going looking for advice .. starlings are VERY DIFFERENT than pigeons and doves. StarlingTalk is a wonderful resource and they cross reference to us here at Pigeon-Talk for pigeons .. soooo go there to Starling-Talk for advice and info. Yes, I am a member there for a long time but not a moderator there. The StarlingTalk mods are super (and the members too)!

Terry

PS: No more Exact for the starling, please .. get with the StarlingTalk diet ..
PPS: Am going to post this thread to them in Starling-Talk


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

TAWhatley said:


> PS: No more Exact for the starling, please .. get with the StarlingTalk diet ..
> PPS: Am going to post this thread to them in Starling-Talk


Hi Terry, I read the diet while on my "lunch" break at the office, when I did finally find a place I can get the cat food recommended on Starling Talk, and a feed store within 20 minutes that stocks the recommeded dog food. I will be making a trip in the morning. I did join the site by the way! See you there?


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Victor,


Is the Bird 'gapeing'?

Is it asking to be fed?

Too, please remember these kinds of Birds can drown very, very easily if liquids are put into the Beaks/Throats...

In Nature, they get their moisture from how it is a quality or component, of insects, and fruit.


If you are open minded to it, I can recommend Water-Pack sardines, and or sushi-house "fresh" guts and small boneless scraps and skin...fresh ripe Cherries or other seasonally occuring fresh ripe pestacide free Fruits, cut or better yet torn into small bits, and crushed between the fingers.

No Seeds, no Nuts...

The bones and Spines of the Sardines are fine to feed and digest nicely...the 'twin' or double layer kind are best oweing to how they have more surface area containing scales, than are the single layer larger kind which are mostly meat.

My usual song Bird Baby feed, is as above, and also I may sprinkle lightly some powdered suppliments onto the food bits before feeding.

These Birds, depending on age, have translucent skin you can see into, to see their esophagus and Crop. Their Crops are small and do not hold much.

They are officially 'full' when the last bite slides down their esophagus, and lodges by the base of their Neck.

Poops should be similar to healthy Pigeon Peeper-poops, well formed, moist, rainsen size or larger...but sometimes may be more splatty or gooey...or will be purple or blueish depending in the kinds of Fruit or Berries...

Fish is very close to Insect Protean, and the Guts, and Skin with scales when from 'small' fish such as Sardines, are best... and to be prefered over fish-flesh.

Worms, and Meal Worms, while a usual resort, are in many ways not safe, and can poison them.

Small Moths, de-winged, or other small flying insects are fine, but take the Wings off....mash the head, and feed live.

Any insect must be fed to them with the insect's head going in first...

No "K-T", no "soups"...no Water...no 'eye droppers'...

Real food, small bites...put into their throat when they gape, pushed far enough back for them to swallow...


One may make a signal to them which announces the intention to feed, and soon they make their sound and gape to be fed.

They may wish to keep being fed even when they are 'Officially Full'...


They are very smart, and will soon learn all kinds of things.

How to assimilate them to their fellows, is something one must just try and do by bringing them out to be amid grazing-forraging wild Starlings, before the youngster can fly, so they can sort of absorb some of the ambiance while you keep an eye on them of course...

They sleep when Babys, with their Beaks pointed straight 'up'...legs are delicate and long...they like to perch, and do not walk much...so a low finger diameter stick, set into some small blocks, will work well for them to be on...overall rather fragile creatures compared to Pigeons at similar ages...

...or else I am thinking of Grackles...?

I get them mixed up...

But diet is the same, regardless...and they are overall similar in care and feed ways and in their structure...so...

Lol...

Have fun..!

Phil
Las Vegas


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## littlestar (May 11, 2005)

Hi Victor,
Welcome to the starling world. How old do you think your starling is? Make sure it's the adult light, it's the closest to their diet. I now have 7 beautiful starlings, and they are wonderful birds. Starlings make wonderful pets and can be taught to say human words. I got two in last week, and one died and the other one is doing good and have this one antibiotics because some guy cut its foot off, and the one that died I don't know what the guy did to that one, but I do know he messed both legs up bad. I did everything to save it, but just didn't happen. Don't them grit because they do not have a crop. Some bugs are not good for them like lady bugs, and I don't let mine eat flies because parasites. Starling do walk, and do perch. I use small tree branches for them. Some like little boxes to go in, but only like to play in them. When they are full they do stop eating, and starlings and grackles are fed the same food in captivity. I introduce them to a shallow dish of water when they are about three weeks old, and they love to take baths. If your by him when taking a bath be prepared to get one too. Meal worms have no nutrition in them for starling, and only given as a treat when they a little older. Good luck with your starling, your life will never be the same. I'm also on starlingtalk, in July it will be two years for me.
Mary Ann


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Victor, congratulations. I've always said that if a person didn't like starlings (because they didn't know them) all they had to do was raise a starling baby and it becomes pure love. They are marvelous little birds.

I have visited the starling site many times and found it has great information. I wish I had had it as a resource when I rehabbed starlings. They are prone to get metabolic bone disease which can cause their legs to be crippled. The way to combat this is to give them calcium and/or fruit. I had a lady at the Outer Banks Wildlife Shelter tell me that they never had a bird develop this disease because they fed them fruit. After that, every baby songbird we got in got a few pieces of grape with each feeding. I never had another baby come down with the disease. We also sprinkled small amounts of Osteoform on their food.

In addition to the various homemade recipe meals we fed ours Science Diet pelleted soaked dog food and Hill's Prescription Diet canned dog food plus various kinds of fruit. DON'T EVER GIVE ANY BIRD AVACADO. It will kill them.

We did feed ours some meal worms after they were older. Some people drown the worms but I found many of them come back to life so I just snipped the heads off with scissors. If the meal worms are fed good food then they can add a lot of protein to the bird's diet. We mix wheat germ, exact (dry) and some corn meal to feed the worms plus plenty of apple slices.

If you think you have a time changing a pigeon's cage you "ain't" seen nothing yet when the starling gets to be a juvenile. They are prolific poopers for their size and love baths and will trash a cage within 10 minutes of changing them.

Didn't mean to get on a roll here but one last thing. They dearly love to be cuddled. I used to put them on the kitchen table on a towel, put both arms around the little pile of them and just hold them close to me. They will cuddle into you and go sound asleep.

You can tell I don't like them!


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

Phil, Mary Ann and Maggie.Thank you for the comments and valuable input!He is alert this morning.There are some things I need from the store, I will check back with you guys.


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## littlestar (May 11, 2005)

Hi Victor,
So glad hear the little one is alert. If you need poultry mash I have some that I could send you.
Mary Ann


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi Victor,

I think that this is an experience that you will really enjoy. My first rescue was a starling and I fell absolutely in love with it. Like pigeons they are quick to relate to the people that care for them.

Cynthia


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

*Casper the Starling*

I found the "Chicken Soup for the Cat Lovers Soul~ Lite" and soaked it in warm water and fed it a couple of morsels and also cut up some green grapes, and sliced it up...it really liked the grapes. My grand daughter that found him named it Casper, so I guess it will do with which ever sex the fledling is.

I brought him to Casper to work with me, since I am the only one in the office today, so I can keep an eye on him, and take care of its feeding needs. 

It was quite attentive on the car ride here, which is less than 4 miles from home. Right now, he is in his mini carrier by an open window sunning. 

QUESTION:
Would it be appropriate to administer another fresh dose of antibiotics? The first night and the next morning I cut into pieces of AMTHL and soaked it in a small container and administered it. I brought some bread with me to soak it up and then he can swallow the wet treated bread, as a dropper is not recommeded.


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Victor, is there a reason you're giving him antibiotics? I'm not familiar with AMTHL but if you have started him on antibiotics I would continue giving them for 5-7 days. I see no problem with giving him the dose in a soaked piece of bread. Shoot, I've even given meds to little songbirds by sticking a needle in a mealworm to inject the medicine that way.

Just make sure the dose isn't too much for him.


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

Maggie, The first night I had him it was weak, listless and its feet/legs buckled
down under its body. I can only assume that maybe a cat or dog may have had it in its mouth, though it had no puncture wounds that I could see the first night on initial exam. 

Amtyl is a bacteriotic antibiotic combination of Amoxycilin and Tylosin that treats a wide range of danerous bacterial diseses.

I was too thinking of 4-5 days of continued tratment but am waiting for some guidence on this and posted on Starling Talk as well.


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

I just got a reply from the Starling Talk site Administrator and she advised me to not administer any more antibiotic and focus on feeding it. I will continue that and give it security and comfort as well.


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

I looked at the possibility if getting sardines as per Phil's advice but all they had at my grocery store was the kind soaked in tomatoe sauce so I may have to look around. Littlestar, thanks for the special recipe. I got part one and will await your part two! Thanks to all.


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## littlestar (May 11, 2005)

Hi Victor, 
I'm glad I could help. That diet is almost to their diet in the wild, and everyone who raised their starlings on it, took them to avians vets and had them checked out to find the were very healthy. I have 7 and they are very healthy according to the avian vet.
Mary Ann


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

I went in the warmer office to check on him, and he accepted a whole wet kibble piece and a small piece of grape. He is eating today. He is producing some purple droppings, which I understand are normal for a starling. And it poops as Maggie said... quite prolific!


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

*Rest in peace*

I was getting ready to leave work tonight. I went in the next office to get him, and I found that the young Starling had passed away. I had just checked on it an hour ago, and he was looking right at me and huddled under a piece of a paper towel. I should have given him another dose of the antibiotic. My daughter in law said she told me the night he was found that a cat DID have it in its mouth. I must have misunderstood her and now he is gone. I am sorry.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Hi Victor,

This was already beyond your control when you got the bird. It could have been the cat situation, but it could have been many other things too. Please try not to take this too hard .. I know that's not easy to do. None of us can save them all, but we do try for each and every one.

You did everything you could, and bless you and your family for helping yet another bird.

Terry


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Victor, 



I'm sorry...


Good try..!

These guys are no where near as robust as our Pigeon youngsters are...they are pretty fragile on a good day. If he'd been Cat caught, then yea, the pasturella or other bacteria might have got him. 


Best wishes...thanks for helping him out...

Phil
Las Vegas


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

I am so sorry, Victor.

Reti


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Victor,

I'm so sorry to hear the news.  

Sending comforting thoughts and prayers your way.


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## kittypaws (Sep 18, 2005)

I'm sorry too Victor - it is very hard when you think that they are going to make it and they don't. 

I found a starling last May ( a fledgling) and took it to the wildlife hospital - all the time I was travelling with it in a box, it was pecking madly and moving around quite robustly and I though it would be fine. But a call to the Wildlife hospital the next day ( where of course they do have the right drugs etc) advised me that it too had died - it had been bitten by a cat! and they couldn't save it. 

You can take comfort that it spent it last couple of days in warmth, love and special care. 

Tania xx


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## littlestar (May 11, 2005)

Hi Victor,
I'm so sorry to hear of Casper's passing . You did the best you could, and sometimes our best just can't save them no matter what we do. At least he was warm, safe, fed, and loved. 

If this helps, a week ago yesterday I had two starlings, and baby mocking bird come in, the two starlings were caught in a net, instead of the guy cutting the net to get them out he cut the foot off of one and messed the legs up on the other one. Being they are fragile little birds the guy did more damage to the one with the messed up legs, and no matter what I did it passed away . The baby mocking bird had internal injuries and it passed away in my hand. I cried and still cry because I felt my best wasn't good enough. You are a special person for trying to help a starling in need, a lot of people would of turned their backs.
Your in my thoughts and prayers.
Mary Ann


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Victor, bless your heart. That is the downside to rehabbing. You just can't save them all but you had great instincts about what to do for this liitle bird. You gave him love, warmth and food. And, he gave you something too - new knowledge of how nice starlings are.

I'm so sorry.


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## nabisho (Nov 18, 2004)

*Hang in there Victor*

You did your best. Perhaps these litle fellows can cheer you up a little. They were in a nest between the grill and the radiator on one of our trucks last weekend. and they got driven 40 miles B4 anyone noticed them, they are all 4 thriving now and they all have feathers and are singing loudly and slapping their wings around, I think they may be flying by next weekend. I'll post up some updated pictures in the morning - you won't believe how fast they have grown.

NAB


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