Many young blackbirds are handed in and as these are one of the commonest I will use a nestling blackbird as my model.
Nestlings will need a nest. They often arrive in their original nest and can be left in this quite safely through the first stages of nursing. However I've found it to be more hygienic to make a substitute nest out of polystyrene and tissue paper. It's easier to keep them warm and clean in.
The cup shape must be retained, as its important for the well-being of the chicks. Its design is to support their tiny bodies and limbs yet keeping them snug and warm. Chicks not so supported may develop splayed legs. It's not too difficult to hollow out a similar shape in a small block of polystyrene, lining this with a number of layers of soft toilet paper. (Do not use cotton wool as this is likely to get tangled in the chick's claws.) Now place the whole thing inside a small cardboard box lined with more tissue to catch any excrement the birds send over the rim of the cup. The nest sides must be the same height as a real one, as the nestlings will want to pay regular visits over the rim, so keeping themselves and the nest-bowl clean. It's now quite easy to form a routine of changing the soiled tissues. You will now appreciate how wonderful the design of a wild bird's nest is.
Being in a box also makes it easier to take around with you while you go about your daily affairs, as they have to be fed every half-hour or so at least, or when they indicate that they are hungry. When not being fed they must be kept warm. If barely feathered, keep in an airing cupboard or near some form of gentle heat and covered with a soft cloth to emulate a brooding parent. A word of caution here, don't overheat them either. They should appear bright and perky on your approach, if lethargic and dozy they may be too cold or too hot.
FeedingWater - don't give them water directly. If you choose the correct diet they will get enough moisture from the food. You can however moisten the food if it is to dry. Water acts as a laxative, so by keeping tabs on their droppings you can regulate this.
The food - It is most crucial that you choose the correct diet for the species of bird your looking after. If you're not sure, check in a good bird book. If the correct food is not available you must decide on a suitable substitute based on what you know is right. Feed this to them and watch the droppings. They must be firm, usually black or brown with a white urine portion, all contained in a disposable sac.
I soon found out that young blackbirds need worms as their staple diet whilst in the nest, with little helpings of brown bread moistened in water. Some worms can carry a protozoan called gapeworm whose eggs lodge in the feeding bird's throat, eventually choking it to death. Gapeworm causes the bird to gasp repeatedly for air, hence it's name. Your vet can dispense you a medication for this called Fenbendazole/Panacre, but don't leave it to late. A new possibility is to make a wormary, which I will be looking into. Tinned cat or dog- food seems a good substitute for the worms if necessary, but don't feed this for too long.
Maggots (purchased from a fishing tackle shop) also
add to the diet. Let some of the maggots pupate. These will add more calcium.
Keep the main box of maggots in a fridge taking out only their daily ration.
They will last a lot longer. A word of warning: not too many maggots to begin
with as they are very rich and may result in diarrhea. When the birds have fledged
they will eat more of these and not bother with worms. Some soft fruit such
as bananas, plums and grapes can be added now and again.
Keep a regular check on their droppings, as these are the fist indication
of your feeding them right or wrong. They should be firm and healthy looking.
Worms always get good results on blackbirds. Check the consistency of their
droppings after they've eaten worms and try to feed a diet that will emulate
these. This is your best guide.
Getting very young nestlings to feed shouldn't be
a problem, for they open their gapes as soon as they sense a presence over the
nest. The older nestling will however be somewhat frightened at first, but with
a little ingenuity can be fooled into thinking your hand is its returning parent.
You may at first have to carefully coax open the beak with a fingernail, pushing
the food gently down the throat, but try the following first:
Cover their box with a dark cloth, leaving them quiet for a short spell. Then
peel back the cloth and offer them the food right away, they should respond
with open gapes. If not, touch the side of a beak gently with the pliers and
this should do the trick.
As the birds develop there will be certain little indications from them regarding their diet that you must learn to take notice of. They will let you know which food they prefer or require at that given time. E.g. They ask for food but turn their heads away when you offer them something they know isn't right for them at that moment. They seem to know when you give them too much of one item. As they grow and begin feeding themselves this will become more apparent, such as cutting down on worms as before stated and eating more maggots and bread etc.
Soon they will fledge and the fun starts. As you feed them you must establish a call sign, a whistle that must be repeated to them at each feed. Your voice also, a short "Come on", followed by the whistle, followed by the meal. You will see the benefit of this simple training routine later on.
The youngsters will begin to feather up and the nest look to small for them. Shortly before this stage I would have been placing them still in the nest-box in the thick Ivy that grows up the patio wall close to our back door. There is a hidden alcove here, which is an ideal place to have them fledge from. Above and intertwined with the Ivy is a mature Wisteria that climbs over the rear of our house. All affords good cover to the vulnerable brood, from the extremes of the weather and predators such as magpies, sparrow hawks and cats etc. We leave the back door open as much as possible to listen for alarm notes and to allow Otto, our German Shorthaired Pointer (a self appointed bodyguard to all our charges) to run in and out and keep his eye on them. To place them thus, affords them the opportunity to get used to their surroundings before they leave the nest. Then when this exiting time arrives they will each take up stations close by. If not in the Ivy then in the thick shrubbery or flowerbed close by.
Dogs such as Otto, if trained and steady, can be very useful in locating lost fledglings. He follows me everywhere and likes to get involved, inspecting every new bird or birds that come in. I never push him away, but gently impress on him how careful he must be with them, taking pains not to make him jealous. He's not let me down yet.
From now on you must encourage each bird to come to you to be fed. This is against their natural instincts, as the wild parent blackbird goes in search of its young, preferring them to stay hidden and safe. So, as you present the morsel to the gaping beak, hesitate somewhat and entice it to reach forward to receive its reward. With patience you will soon have them hopping towards you as you call, and as they grow they will fly towards you when you whistle them. Even after their meal and they hide away, keep in touch with them with little whistles. They will answer and feel comforted that you are near and stay put. All wild birds have contact sounds that they use to locate each other. You must get to know this sound and respond when you hear it, answering the chick with your own call. This way you will keep in touch and get the chicks to stay nearby. Also, and most important, you can now present them with a shallow bowl of water large enough for them to bathe in. They will need to clean their feathers regularly from now on in preparation for their first proper flights.
Warning: make sure any open pond is covered up. They drown awful quickly, as I've sadly discovered.
You must not neglect their alarm training. A sudden, unusual sound or movement, or the sight of an obvious enemy that appears to concern them can be useful as you can make an alarm call as near as you can to a blackbirds, with a half 'tutt' and whistle noise that will send them into hiding. Or clapped hands. Having said this I've noted that they have a built in response to danger such as hawks. Either freezing still or moving fast when required.
For the first week of the fledge I find it safer to collect the birds each night, before dusk and place them in a small rabbit hutch for the night, covering the front with a sacking. This is to stop them beating against the cage front each morning before you let them out, so damaging themselves. When collecting them up don't clutch them tight in your fist or they will become wary of your approach. My method is to get a bird used to you making a cage about it with the fingers of both hands, allowing it to perch on one finger as you do. The other fingers preventing it flying off, but not actually holding it. They don't seem to mind this if you're quick about it. As soon as they can fly strongly leave them out, making sure they roost high up in a tree or hedge. I'm up early at dawn the next day to call to them and make contact. They usually fly down eagerly to be fed, then hide among the garden flowers again.
As they develop they seem to lose their taste for worms, preferring the moist bread, tinned meat, fruit etc. At this point encourage them to feed themselves, by placing the proffered meal on the floor under their beaks. They soon learn to pick it up and you can begin throwing their meals to them, which makes life somewhat easier. A tray of soil and leaves is ideal for you to lace with the maggots, which will burrow under the surface and offer a good opportunity for the youngsters to practice locating insects from the soil. The local robins and sparrows etc will also soon latch on to this ready supply of easy pickings. This too will teach your brood to fend for themselves by fighting for their share.
They start poking about for themselves in a few weeks and their tails seem to shoot down all of a sudden. They will still answer your calls but take fewer meals off you. Their flights away get longer. They noticeably get wilder, not wanting you too close. Then one day they are gone and the jobs done. They are on their own.
I neglected to mention how important it is to solicit the help of other members of the household in this whole venture, for it is very time consuming and you will not always be on hand to feed them regularly, which is most important at first. As the birds get older they can be left to their own devices and in fact need to be left hungry enough to encourage self hunting and feeding.
Things might not always go according to plan. You
will make mistakes. A cat, your worst problem, may kill some, if not all your
brood. For your charges are free and must take their chances like all wild things,
but don't get discouraged. A wild blackbird faces the same problems and just
gets on with it no matter what. So must you.