Reptile & Amphibian Forums

HI Everyone

This weekend, we found an injured young fishers lovebird in our backyard. We caught it - it wasn't hard as he can't fly and he's very tame anyways. (We're obviously trying to find it's owner, but if we can't we'll give it a home ourselves).

he's very young. I went to the petshop and he's literally half the size of the ones that they are selling there. He's also holding his wing at a bit of a funny angle - we're taking him to the petshop tonight.

Any advice about how to care for such a young bird - he's got all his flight features, but he can't fly, and he's still quite baby-downy around the tail, which is really really small too, would be very much appreciated.

I already love him so much - he's got such a cute little personality !

cheers
T

By the time a baby is fully feathered they should be more or less their adult size. If this baby is indeed half the size of other lovebirds then there could be something very seriously physically wrong with it.
I highly recommend taking this bird to an avian vet, not to a pet store. An avian vet will be your best source of help and information. You can look for vets in your area at www.aav.org, or you can search in google for `avian vet (your state).` If you still can`t find a vet, call any local bird clubs, bird rescues or bird stores to see who they use and recommend. You can also call the nearest avian vet and ask if they know of anyone closer to you.

If this is indeed a young baby it won`t be old enough to feed itself. It will need to be handfed to survive. Handfeeding can be difficult and dangerous, done improperly it can kill the chick. You will need help from a trained handfeeder to do it safely.
Handfeeding formula is available at most pet stops and it should include specific directions. Get a thermometer and be sure to use it when preparing handfeeding formula. If the chick is not eating on its own and is begging for food, try to get it to a vet or breeder for help. If you can`t, follow the instructions on the bag explicitly and you can try feeding the chick from a spoon. Let the chick slowly scoop small amounts off the spoon as you tilt it slightly down into the chick`s mouth. The point is to let the chick feed itself, instead of shoving food down its through. This is messy, but much safer. The bird will have far less a chance of aspirating (breathing the food into its lungs).

Goodluck!