# Found a baby magpie



## golab (Jan 2, 2006)

Hi everyone, 

Just found this little magpie fledgling sitting in the middle of a road. Parents were nowhere to be seen, so I took it home. It's in a cat carrier now. Seemed quite feisty, so I don't think there's anything wrong with it. I wonder what should I feed it though. I put a bowl of water in its cage and some wild bird seed, because that's all I had. But I haven't seen it peck at the seeds.

Should I start giving it baby bird formula using a syringe tomorrow? Anything else you'd recommend?

Thanks,
Robert


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## christina11 (Jan 20, 2006)

Well you can feed it the Starling diet for now. A syringe is risky so use a straw to put the food in.

Recipe for hand feeding formula.

1 Cup soaked dog/cat food. Purina one in senior protection is good or Innova dry food.

1/4 Cup apple sauce.

1 Hard boiled egg.

1 dessolved Tums. 

Mix all ingredients together, and add enough water to make it the consistency of cooked oatmeal.

Dont add to much water and use the tip of a cut straw to feed to the bird the moister in the food is enough water for the bird if you give it water in a tube there is a great chance of drowing its lungs.

Join this site for free and they should give you all the info you need for your Magpie. http://www.starlingtalk.com/

Ps:Cute pics lol magpies are such great birds glad you helped it.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Christina's advice sounds good to me. 

Cynthia


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Hi Golab,

What a little cutie you rescued today, your becoming quite a bird magnet you know. Thanks for helping the baby out, looks like you've gotten some good advice and a good link for more info as well.

fp


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## BirdDogg10 (Aug 23, 2005)

This is probably the first time I've ever seen a magpie chick. He's pretty cute, although when he gets older any shiny metal objects that he can pick up might need to keep where he can't reach them. Since magpies, crows, raven, black birds(basically any bird related to crows) will steal shiny metal objects to use in their nest. I've seen an adult magpie steal a pearl necklace on TV 'cause the owner apparently lef the window open and the magpie basically invieted himself in.

funny huh?


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## golab (Jan 2, 2006)

Hi everyone,

this morning I mixed up some starling formula (thanks Christina) and the little magpie absolutely loved it. It was squeaking for food since the dawn. Right now it's taking a nap. How many times a day should I feed it?

Thanks,
Robert


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Robert,


If it was me..I'd go back there and see if I can decide how far from, and on which side of the road, he most likely came from...and...

Put him 'there'...

He is of an age where it is normal for him to be on the ground, or in branches, low shrubs or whatever, and for his parents and him to sort of meet up several times a day and so on.

Might be other Magpies would feed such youngsters not-their-own too, like Crows and others will...

He needs to be learning all sorts of Magpie stuff that only 'they' and his own wild experience can guide him in, too...

So...thats my take on it...for this little guy...

Sure is cute!


Phil
Las Vegas


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## christina11 (Jan 20, 2006)

golab said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> this morning I mixed up some starling formula (thanks Christina) and the little magpie absolutely loved it. It was squeaking for food since the dawn. Right now it's taking a nap. How many times a day should I feed it?
> 
> ...


Well for feathered starlings it says every 45 mins or so but I just feed my birds till they dont want any more.

Glad the formula worked and your Magpie loved it.


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## golab (Jan 2, 2006)

Hi Phil,

I'd love to release it, but it's a very busy street, so there's a pretty good chance it would get run over by a car. It's just attempting to fly now, but isn't very good at it yet. I guess I could also release it on the other side of the building, there's a lot of trees and bushes there, but also a lot of cats  

Would it be OK to keep it for a few more days, so that at least it could learn to fly a little better? BTW, it's eating like a pig!

Thanks
Robert


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

I wouldn’t return it just yet. I once saw a young magpie running through the woods where I feed the birds. Reluctantly I left it where it was because that is what the RSPB recommends and, as I had to go to work, asked a friend to go back and check on it an hour later. She did, and it was dead. 

Cynthia


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Robert, don't release the little magpie until it can fly pretty well. Too much time has passed for the parents to return to care for it. Personally, if it were me, I'd keep it at least 2 more weeks to make sure it can eat well on its own, is fully feathered and can fly. It just gives it a better chance at life.

He sure is a cutie. Have never seen one before.


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## golab (Jan 2, 2006)

Hi Cynthia & Maggie,

Yeah, I guess that's what I'm gonna do. I'll release it when it's able to fend for itself. 

Robert


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

I just looked at the photo...I may be wrong but I think that one is too young to have left the nest because it fledged. 

THis link gives more information on the Magpie lifecycle and may help you decide if, how, where and when to release it.


http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/advice/magpies/lifecycle.asp
Cynthia


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## golab (Jan 2, 2006)

*Little magpie's very sick*

I don't know what happened, it was fine jus a couple of hours ago. Seems like some kind of paralysis of the legs, it tries to get around on its wings and then falls over. Of course this had to happen on a Saturday, so I can't even take it ot a vet  Breathing's kind of haeavy too. I don't think it's gonna make it


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## jazaroo (Jan 1, 2006)

Hi Golab,

Sorry to hear that your little guy took a turn for the worse. For now, I would keep him warm and quite, a heating pad on low or hot water bottle with a towel over it at to keep him at about 87 degrees and hopefully someone will be along shorty to offer further advice.


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## golab (Jan 2, 2006)

I'm sorry to report the little magpie just died a couple of minutes ago  Can't believe how quickly it went downhill. I'm heartbroken.

Robert


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Hi Robert,

I'm so sorry to hear about your baby Magpie. You did all that you could to help the baby, and it was safe and cared for, sometimes this is all that we can do.
Don't be hard on yourself, there are many who wouldn't have made any efforts to help out.

fp


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## jazaroo (Jan 1, 2006)

Hi Robert,

I am sorry to hear you loss the little guy, you tried the very best you could and sometimes that's all we can do.

Ron


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Robert, 

I'm sorry that your little magpie chick didn't make it These things always do seem to happen at that worst possible times. 


Take care,


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Robert, being a rehabber for over 12 years, you'd think I would get used to the occasional death of a pigeon or other bird we've tried to help. But, I never do. Doesn't matter if I've had it a few weeks or a few minutes. It always hurts.

The important thing is that you tried.


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## golab (Jan 2, 2006)

Thanks guys, I just wonder if there was anything else I should have done for this bird. Maybe I should have given it some antibiotics as a preventative measure, even though it looked healthy? This whole thing was totally unexpected, because the bird was active and had a good appetite. 

You're right Maggie, this really hurts, but no matter how hard we try, we can't save them all. I'd like to thank everyone for their words of support.

Robert


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Most of us are so used to pigeons and they're incredibly tougher than just about all of the other birds. Some things will take the little birds down extremely fast--so fast that when you start seeing symptoms, it's almost already too late. Pasteurella multocida can do that. Usually, they get that from getting bit, licked or scratched by dogs or cats (it lives on the gingival surfaces) but it's pretty common and even we can carry it.

It can take a bird down in as little as twelve hours.

Pidgey


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

I am so sorry. I know you never get used to the loss of a little one.
My thought is always when you find a bird all by itself in the middle of a street, sidewalk, whatever, there is something wrong with it. I've seen this too many times.

Reti


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## christina11 (Jan 20, 2006)

Im so sorry that your Magpie has passed it can happen so fast but atleast it died in a warm place. 

My starling just passed 2 days ago it was in the car and died right in my hands and I dont know what happened.

Well you did all you could for that little Magpie and im shur there shall be more baby birds that shall need some help but for this Magpie it was time to go.


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