What do you feed a baby magpie that has fallen out of it's nest?

My next door nieghbour has found a baby magpie and it won't eat or do anything besides just lie down, what does she do?

[ireneo]

First I'm surprised that you still have baby birds in your area. Usually by this time of year most birds (except pigeons) have finished their breeding and are getting ready for migration. Any idea how old the bird is? That is - does it have feathers or down? Does it have any tail feathers yet - stubby or long? If it has feathers over most of its body and some stubby tail feathers, then it's a fledgling. The behavior is not good. It could have some injuries that you haven't found yet. A small puncture wound from a cat or internal injuries from a fall. Call around to your local Humane Society or Dept. of Fish and Wildlife to locate a wildlife rehab center near you.

Another thing to consider is the fact that the Magpies are part of the Corvid family and are being hardest hit by West Nile Virus. So this bird may be sick. Don't worry about touching the bird since WNV is typically passed by way of mosquitoes. I handle thousands of wild birds every year and haven't picked up WNV yet.

One last note: Magpies are omnivores and eat most anything. So soaked cat chow, hard boiled eggs, fruit and insects would provide a decent diet in the meantime. Still, the bird sounds sick or injured and needs professional help. Good luck.

[Gordonchilds]

I just founda baby magpie, it only has a few feathers on it's back and wings, and down on the rest of it's body. It seems ok. But what I want to know is will it survive and can I feed it pet mince or just normal mince?

[ireneo]

If it appears to be normal and is alert I'd strongly recommend taking it back to where you found it. If it's not mobile then put it in a box (shoe box for example) with some tissues and tack it up high on a tree or fence so the local cats won't pick it up. If it is moving around like a normal fledgling, then return it but hide it under a bush. A bird that age won't stay in a nest anyway. This is the time they have to be out to exercise, learn to fly and to find their own food. The parents will continue to care for it. It's OK that's you've touched it. Most birds don't have a great sense of smell.

[courtneyjohn269]

hello, i just found a baby bird, it could be a cross between a magpie or a crow, it is black but also has some white feathers on its tail, but the colour hasnt come out on its wings yet. it has a yellow strip at the joining of its beak,  what do i feed it, and does it drink anything??? and it dosent do anything when i pick it up, only squaks. xx
thank you xx

[ireneo]

I'm not sure what part of the country you live in but in the northern hemisphere birds (except pigeons) are not breeding. It's most likely a small adult bird of some kind. As for food, so much depends on what type of bird it is. Seed eaters like finches eat seeds. Omnivores like crows and jays would eat a little bit of everything.

My guess is the bird is injured or sick. Please find a wildlife rehabber in your area that can help. This is hard since it's a holiday today (if you're in the U.S.) Check with your local vets, the zoo and the fish and wildlife folks to see if they can recommend where to take the bird. For now, keep it in a quiet, warm spot with a small dish of water. Not so big the bird can fall into it and get soaking wet or drown. Don't try to force food or water into its mouth. Their glottis (air hole) is on the tongue and it's too easy to get water in their lungs unless you know how to do it properly.

[alleyop98]

i found a baby magpie back yard,  and when i went to shoo it away it stayed still, my dog tried to attack it and it just fell over so i took it to the front and i gave it some water and i soaked bread in it, but it wasnt eating. It's been quiet until about half an hour ago, its mum came but isnt doing anything, should i continue looking after it or let it be free?It has down on its chest (which looks swollen) and has a stubby tail so it cant fly, please get back to me soon, thanks.xx

[alleyop98]

i would feed the baby magpie bits of bread soaked in water or something mushed up or soaked, but you could always use live worms.

[ireneo]

Without seeing the bird, I'm not sure why the chest is swollen. From impact or bite injuries birds can get ruptured air sacs. The air leaks into the body and under the skin which gives them a bloated look. If you were to part the feathers, it would look like a little plastic bag of air bulging out. That requires medical treatment. It also explains why the bird is so lethargic and unable to move well.

Bread is not the best food to feed any bird. A magpie could eat bits of soaked cat chow (pour hot water over the chow and let it sit till the whole nugget is spongy soft). But this little bird in his condition won't be able to eat. I'd recommend taking it to a vet or finding a wildlife rehabber in your area.

[voodoo14]

I have just found a baby magpie that has fallen out of a tree and a cat has had it what should we do on feeding it and we also given it some mealworms and oats. But can you help us please

[mfmckay95]

Hi we've found a fledgling magpie in the back garden. It has fallen from its nest and it can't walk or barely fly. The Mum keeps looking for it but we're worried she's been rejected. What do we need to do with it?

[ireneo]

Most birds when first fledging from the nest will not know how to fly yet. That's one reason they leave, to have the room to move around and flap their wings and build up the muscle strength required to fly.

If the bird is pretty well feathered (on the wings and most of the body, has stubby tail feathers) then it's a normal fledgling. If the bird is unable to stand at all, then it may have a leg problem and should be taken to a rehab center for evaluation and care. If the bird seems to be too young, try putting it in a small box or basket up in the tree. That will get it away from predators and the parents will continue to feed it. The parents will not reject the bird because you've touched it. That's an old wives tale since most birds have a very poor sense of smell.