Feeding a baby thrush

psychic-hack

The cat brought in a baby thrush last night, but it wasn't dead and seems in good shape. We put him in the hot press for the night to keep him warm, but on offering him cat food this morning - holding it over his beak in a a tweezers - he won't eat it. He can't fly properly yet so I'm reluctant to put him back outside to fend for himself. Has anyone any advice please?

jigglywoo

We were looking after a baby thrush a couple of weeks ago too. We kept him in a box, they poop an awful lot (giant blobs of goo) so wherever you keep it make sure you can clean up after it easily.
We dug for worms in the garden and the bird devoured them, lots of them. Not really sure how often to feed it, any time we opened the box it was looking for food.
The bird is being looked after my granny now so I have no idea whether it's dead or alive at all, must ask.

gerky

If it has its proper feathers and is a good size, it probably fledged recently and was on the ground when the cat got it.
Cats are a big problem for birds in this country, especially at this time of year.
If the birds in good form and has no apparent injuries and you knew roughly where your cat got it, you could try and release it back there as the parents will be looking for it.

As regards food thrush are generally omnivorous so worms,snails,berry,seeds, with other injured birds I have found fat/lard feeding balls can be good for bulking them up a bit, I broke some off them and mixed a little water with it.
If you give NPWS a call they might give you a number for an animal or bird center that would take it in until its fit to leave.

psychic-hack

Thanks very much to both of you for that advice.
Unfortunately the poor creature died. I will be restricting the cat's expeditions early in the morning and at dusk until nesting season is over!

gerky

Sorry to hear the little fella didn't make it.

Pye

Just a note. Be very careful of feeding worms. Very often a large live worm can cause obstruction resulting in the bird becoming suffocated. Generally the mother will kill smaller worms before feeding them to their young.

Cat food is a good alternative fed from the other end of a spoon. Seeds are not a good idea as they will go right through as the bird will not digest the husks. Seed eating birds usually feed their young a partially digested form.

gerky

Pye wrote: »

Just a note. Be very careful of feeding worms. Very often a large live worm can cause obstruction resulting in the bird becoming suffocated. Generally the mother will kill smaller worms before feeding them to their young.

Cat food is a good alternative fed from the other end of a spoon. Seeds are not a good idea as they will go right through as the bird will not digest the husks. Seed eating birds usually feed their young a partially digested form.

I presumed that the bird that the cat brought in was fledged in which case it would be able for most those things, if the cat took it from the nest it might be a different story.

Also some say with young birds your better feed them dog food over cat food, I not sure whether its something that may be in the cat food or whether its just something of an old tale.