Quote from Chiri;31702:
.-. I hope you didn't touch them... Or they'd have human smell and their mom won't take'm back.
This is a myth.
I worked rehabbing animals for about two years and have worked with everything from tiny newborn birds to a mountain lion. First thing you need to do is search around and find out if there is a wildlife rehab or sanctuary in your area. Baby birds are extremely hard to take care of and require A LOT of constant attention. It is not something I would recommend to someone who has not dealt with raising a wild animal before.
If you insist on keeping them, here's what you're going to need:
- a few old towels and blankets
- a hot water bottle
- a syringe with a long nipple (maybe in a pet store? Not sure where we bought these) or a rubber tube at the end
- a blender
- worms, crickets (again, get these from a pet store, worms from a bait store)
- a shallow dish (like a peanut butter jar cap) for water
- canned dog food
- dry dog food
- dog biscuits
First off, be prepared to feed them every 15~30 minutes.
Food should be a blended mix of the dog food, crickets, a pinch of dirt and some water. This mixture should have a pasty consistency - do not make it watery. You can add hard boiled egg or soaked dog biscuits to this for variety once in a while. As they grow - perhaps in a few weeks - you can add the bugs to this mix. When they are big enough, you can try giving them some soaked dry dog food or biscuits to see if they're ready for solids yet. Soak dry dog food or biscuits in milk. Once they are big enough to be off of the syringe, you can add things like berries, grapes, and other various fruits and vegetables to their diet in addition to the soaked dog food. You can try giving them seed when they begin to eat fruit as well.
Do not let them go more than half an hour with no attention. Yes, this includes overnight. They will make it obvious when they are hungry. When you feed them, make sure you are very slow and careful about it. They will tilt their heads back/look straight up, and sometimes they will act like they want to swallow the whole friggin syringe, lol. Stick the syringe in their mouth and make sure it goes over the tongue. Do not go too far or you will choke them. Make sure that food is not getting stuck or flooding up in the gullet or under the tongue. At this age they are in danger of literally inhaling their food, which will sit in their lungs and kill them. I cannot stress how terribly important it is to feed them very slowly and very carefully.
Keep them in a cage with a perch and a nice layer of folded towel. Put a hot water bottle or heated blanket under this towel and keep it somewhat warm, not warm enough to burn the babies, but still a bit warm. Only keep half of the cage heated at a time, so they can shift around and adjust their temperatures as needed.
Listen to them. They will tell you when they need something. Be prepared to wake up every hour overnight.
Things like perching and flying will come instinctively, so just give them lots of time, don't push them, and do NOT handle them unless you are feeding them. WHEN, and not IF, WHEN you release them they need to be as detached from you and as fearful of humans as possible. Do not coddle, coo, snuggle, etc them. It is hard - animal rehabilitation in general is a very emotionally trying process because you have to care for and love these animals without becoming too attached to them.
Keep their cage very clean. They are young and weak and susceptible to infection. Do not use chemicals right out of the bottle to clean their cage. A mixture of three parts water, one part bleach, one part dish soap followed by a rinse in water will disinfect the cage. I suggest using white towels. Switch between one or two every day. Wash it in hot water, dry it on high heat, and if it's white, bleach it.
As they grow and near being flight-ready, begin hiding their food somewhere for them to find - in your yard, your room, bathroom, wherever. Make them work and forage to find it, give them LOTS of exercise, and let them fly around under your supervision for a few days. Once they've acclimated to being active and having to search around for their food successfully, they're ready to release. I suggest popping a bird feeder into your backyard and maybe a birdhouse so they can stick around for a while still under your watchful eye :)
Check them over carefully and gently for injuries. Run your fingers over their spine, wings, and legs. Don't press down - you're just feeling to see if any bones move around much and feel broken, or if the birds react in a certain way that might indicate injury. Set them on some white paper towels for the first night and inspect them for any blood in the morning. If any of them seem injured AT ALL, take it to a vet immediately. If you do this, be prepared to hand the birds over.
It is important to remember that raising them is illegal without a rehab permit. This is a big reason why I stress that you need to find the professionals in your area. Your local wildlife and fisheries service may have information that would help you find a place to rehabilitate them.
I Found a Baby Bird. Food and Care
More decent reading on the subject, and good luck. Feel free to PM me if you need any more help. :>