Hand-Rearing Birds

Rebecca S. Duerr, Laurie J. Gage, Rebecca S. Duerr, Laurie J. Gage

• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9781119167754
• eBook ISBN: 9781119167785
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Medicine
• Subtopic: Veterinary Medicine

This book presents a detailed guide to hand-rearing techniques for raising young birds, providing complete coverage of a wide variety of avian species and taxonomic groups for all avian care professionals. Chapters are written by expert rehabilitation, aviculture, and zoo professionals, and include useful references and bibliographies for further reading and research. Each chapter provides valuable information on appropriate intervention, housing, feeding, and care.

Hand-Rearing Birds, Second Edition presents 50 chapters, including 12 new chapters on species or groups of species not featured in the previous edition. It also features color photographs that help illustrate many concepts pertinent to birds. This important reference:

• Offers a detailed guide to hand-rearing techniques including species-specific guides to caring for and raising young birds
• Covers a wide variety of avian species and taxonomic groups
• Discusses how to examine a chick to identify problems such as hypothermia, dehydration, injuries, and common diseases, and what to do
• Combines information on the science and skill needed to successfully hand-rear birds
• Presents full-color photographs throughout

Hand-Rearing Birds, Second Edition is an essential resource for avian rehabilitators, breeders, veterinarians, and zoo staff.

1
Baby Bird Basics

Rebecca S. Duerr

Introduction

Many circumstances occur where people hand‐rear birds. A small number of easily‐raised species are propagated to become human foods. Other species are kept as companion birds, or in zoologic collections as part of conservation programs, or when a health problem occurs with parents or chicks. Several hundred thousand injured and orphaned wild birds are presented for care annually in the United States alone (Borgia 2004), with an unknown number of wild birds hand‐reared for release back into the wild throughout the world. In some of these circumstances, a strong human–animal bond is crucial, while in others, special techniques may be needed to avoid development of this bond to allow the young bird to grow up wild, both physically and psychologically.

There are over 9600 recognized species of birds in the world, taxonomically divided into 32 orders, although as more genetic information is acquired, this number continues to evolve. This diversity garners broad differences between species during hand‐rearing, many of which will be discussed in the chapters of this book. Throughout the hand‐rearing process for any species of chick there are certain commonalities of care that will be discussed in this chapter. Chapter 2 provides information to narrow down the species of an unknown chick, and Chapter 3 provides extensive details around incubation and hatching of eggs, including advice on assisting a chick with a difficult hatch. Subsequent chapters cover the finer details, quirks, and needs of specific species or groups of species. Most avian orders have at least a few representatives covered in this book, and a major goal is to provide at least general guidance for any species of bird by discussing the needs of commonly hand‐reared examples of close relatives.

Human Safety and Biosecurity

Some species of young wild birds may be dangerous to novice handlers. Heron relatives may forcefully stab with their bill, even through the air holes in a pet carrier; young raptors have very strong talons with which to pierce whatever human body part they can grab; juvenile pelicans may strike at faces with their very powerful bills. Wild chicks, or any chick that is frightened, may attempt to protect itself with whatever weaponry it has, due to the reasonable expectation that any creature that is not its parent is likely planning on making the chick lunch. Protective goggles and thick leather gloves may be needed with some species.

Viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic diseases are common in wild birds, and may be problems in captive collections as well. Caregivers with health concerns should discuss the risks of activities involving handling of chicks with their physician. Good hygienic practices are always warranted when handling animals of any kind, especially wild animals. Personal protective equipment such as a face mask, gloves, dedicated clothing, and foot baths may be useful to both reduce caregiver exposure to zoonotic diseases and to reduce exposure of chicks to human flora and pathogens. Although many parasitic diseases of wild birds require intermediate hosts and as such are not commonly transmitted within care centers (e.g. helminths), some are zoonotic (e.g. Giardia lambla) or transmissible between birds (e.g. Trichomonas spp.). Bacterial pathogens may become problematic in kitchen or other areas (e.g. Salmonella spp.). Viral diseases are of particularly high concern when raising poultry (see Chapter 7), and fungal organisms may become a risk in some environments or when feces is allowed to accumulate in housing.

Disposable gloves are useful, and frequent handwashing is imperative. Routine cleaning and disinfection of caging, food dishes, and feeding implements helps control risks to everyone involved, both birds and their caregivers. Nursery protocols should be thoughtfully planned to avoid pathogen transmission between groups of chicks, while also allowing for appropriate socialization as dictated by each chick's intended adult lifestyle. An avian veterinarian can be extremely helpful in planning nursery protocols that protect both human and animal health.

Criteria for Intervention

Chicks found in the mouth of a dog or cat, alone in an inappropriate location such as the middle of a parking lot or prone on a baking hot sidewalk, or that are cold, injured, covered with parasites or ants, entangled in a foreign material, or otherwise in obvious trouble, are indeed in need of rescue. Alert, active, fully‐feathered, mobile chicks that are found without evidence of trauma or distress in the environment in which their parents nested, whether that is a backyard or natural area, should be left alone. If the parents are providing care and the chick is uninjured, the risk of “cats in the neighborhood” is not sufficient reason to bring a found chick into captivity. This risk is faced by most wild birds in the world, and it is always preferable for a wild animal of any species to be raised by its parents. This enables the youngster to best learn the finer details of species‐specific social and survival skills it will need to navigate its wild environment.

Precocial vs Altricial

There are two principle types of chick development, although this is an oversimplification of the diverse strategies birds have evolved for raising their young. Precocial chicks are those that hatch with their eyes open and are mobile and able to leave the nest shortly after hatching, following after the parent who provides protection, warmth, and guidance regarding what to eat. These chicks are sometimes found alone, apparently parentless. Once precocial chicks hatch, the family group usually leaves the nest area. Consequently, it may be very difficult to reunite separated chicks with their parents, although some species will foster extra chicks if an appropriate family group with chicks the same age can be located. Precocial chicks in obviously bad locations, such as running in the street, should be immediately rescued or shepherded out of traffic to rejoin their family. Mallards will sometimes nest in urban fountain planters or near swimming pools, and when chicks hatch, they leap into the water, cannot get out, and eventually drown. Often all that is needed is to place a ramp that allows chicks to exit the water.

Altricial chicks hatch blind, naked, helpless, and completely dependent on the parents for every aspect of care. The family is dependent on the nest site remaining safely hidden from predators until the chicks grow up, which is generally a short few weeks. If a chick is found, check it for injuries; look for blood, asymmetrical limbs, parasites, and other problems. If these are found, the chick will need captive care. Fallen, uninjured chicks may be replaced in the nest if its location is known. Always check to make sure that the chicks in the nest are of the same species as the chick being replaced, although some chicks may be days older or younger. If the whole nest structure has fallen and the chicks appear uninjured, the nest can be replaced by placing it in a larger wicker basket (or other container with drainage holes) that is attached to the tree as close as possible to its former location. Choose the location such that the nest is high enough to be safe from predators and not in direct sunlight. Nests that have been replaced should be monitored from a distance to ensure that the parents return to feed the chicks. If it is near dark and the parents have little daylight in which to find the new nest, bring the chicks inside and provide warmth overnight before re‐nesting them in the morning. Unfeathered altricial chicks too young to be outside the nest that are unable to be reunited with parents will need hand‐rearing. It is a myth that humans having handled a chick will cause a parent bird to reject it or abandon its nest. Persistent disturbance, however, can cause nest abandonment.

Altricial chicks normally have periods of time when they are fully feathered and old enough to begin exploring their environment, but are not yet able to fly away from danger. These older chicks are still cared for by the parents, but no longer require moment‐to‐moment attention. Chicks of this age group are at high risk for capture by domestic pet predators or kidnapping by well‐intentioned people. If chicks of this description are in an area, keep dogs and cats inside for the few days it will take the birds to become fully flighted. Monitor such chicks from a distance to watch for parental attention. The parents will usually visit the chick frequently for feedings. These chicks quickly finish growing flight feathers and soon will be able to follow the parent in flight while learning to be proficient at foraging and other skills.

Parents of certain species may “dive bomb” humans or pets in an effort to save their young from perceived or real predation. The best thing to do in this circumstance is to allow the birds privacy to finish raising their young, which should be over within a few weeks. It may be seen as a hardship to vacate one's backyard for a short period of time, but bear in mind that one's backyard may be the only habitat the birds have. They cannot move and finish raising their chicks elsewhere. It also may be against federal, state, provincial, or other laws to remove migratory bird nests or chicks, as many species have legal protections.

If a person observing from a distance has not seen a parent visit a suspected orphaned chick within an hour or more of continuous observation, the chick may be in need of care. If the parents are known to have been killed or injured, the chicks should be rescued, because they will starve without parental support.

The Humane Society of the United States has a webpage with links to each state's listings of permitted rehabilitation groups at https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/how‐find‐wildlife‐rehabilitator. The International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (IWRC) maintains a website that provides answers to frequently asked questions about orphaned chicks and other wildlife issues at https://theiwrc.org/resources/emergency, and includes contact information for organizations both outside and inside North America.

Legal Considerations

The chapters in this book make the assumption that any reader applying the knowledge contained herein to protected species possesses the appropriate permits. See local, state, provincial, or federal wildlife permit offices, and regional wil...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Table of Contents
• Notes on Contributors
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• 1 Baby Bird Basics
• 2 Identification and Aging
• 3 Incubation
• 4 Ratites
• 5 Ducks, Geese, and Swans
• 6 Sea Ducks
• 7 Domestic Poultry
• 8 Wild Turkeys, Quail, Grouse, and Pheasants
• 9 Loons
• 10 Grebes
• 11 Flamingos
• 12 Penguins
• 13 African Penguins
• 14 Shearwaters and Petrels
• 15 Cormorants
• 16 Brown Pelicans
• 17 Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns
• 18 Ibis
• 19 Vultures
• 20 Diurnal Raptors
• 21 Eagles
• 22 Coots, Gallinules, and Rails
• 23 Cranes
• 24 Shorebirds
• 25 Alcids
• 26 Gulls and Terns
• 27 Pigeons and Doves
• 28 Turacos
• 29 Yellow‐billed Cuckoos
• 30 Roadrunners
• 31 Owls
• 32 Goatsuckers
• 33 Swifts
• 34 Hummingbirds
• 35 Mousebirds
• 36 Hornbills, Kingfishers, Hoopoes, and Bee‐eaters
• 37 Toucans
• 38 Woodpeckers
• 39 Wild Parrots
• 40 Lorikeets
• 41 Insects and Other Arthropods as Food
• 42 Corvids
• 43 Small Insectivores
• 44 North American Swallows
• 45 Thrushes, Mimids, and Thrush Relatives
• 46 Towhees
• 47 Grackles, Blackbirds, and Other Icterids
• 48 House Finches, Goldfinches, and House Sparrows
• 49 Grosbeaks and Cardinals
• 50 Java Sparrows
• Appendix A: Appendix ARecord Sheet ExampleRecord Sheet Example
• Appendix B: Appendix BEnergy Requirements for Growing BirdsEnergy Requirements for Growing Birds
• Appendix C: Appendix CSongbird Washing InstructionsSongbird Washing Instructions
• Index
• End User License Agreement