The Blackbirds ( Turdus merula ) are intelligent and affectionate animals that must always live in freedom, in their natural habitat.But, sometimes, we must keep them in captivity.It would be the case of the offspring that we can find outside their nest and that They do not know how to assert themselves because they cannot yet feed themselves, but they may also need help from adults who have an injury or illness.
In this Animals and Pets Online article we are going to focus on The common blackbird feeding as a fundamental part of its recovery before releasing it.Do you have a blackbird in captivity rescued? Don't you know which food is most suitable for blackbirds? Then this article interests you, keep reading!
Characteristics of the common blackbird
The blackbird is a common bird in Europe.It presents sexual dimorphism , which means that the female and the male are different with the naked eye.Yes, the male is totally black and yellow-orange beak and eye ring, while the female is dark brown and with the brown beak.Its size is about 25 centimeters in length.
They are insectivorous , so they are provided with a thin and elongated beak, and they breed during the months of April and May, making nest in bushes, hedges, sheds, piled firewood, etc.The nest is made with varied materials.6 eggs They also accept feeding on berries, caterpillars, molluscs and even human food.
The babies at birth do not know how to fly or feed themselves, being totally dependent on their parents, that share their care.The eggs, mottled and bluish, hatch approximately 2 weeks after laying and another 2 weeks after s young leave the nest, remaining hidden in the ground.The young develop the ability to fly and feed themselves at the same time.The immature male is black with the blackish beak.Their habitat is gardens, hedges, low hills, woodlands, etc.We will see in the following section the importance of feeding the common blackbird for the young.
How to feed a newborn blackbird?
As we said, blackbirds are insect birds , although they can consume some other food.During their first weeks of life they are fed directly by their parents, who introduce them the food inside the mouth .The little ones stay in the nest, opening their beaks every time the adults approach.Without their parents their survival would be impossible, since they alone do not know how to use the beak to make themselves With food.
That is why it is of vital importance, if we find a blackbird that is raised outside its nest and lost, without the possibility of returning with its parents, that we feed it as we will explain.First of all we must make a breeding paste with the following ingredients:
- I think for cats
- Cooked egg
- Breadcrumbs
- Water
The preparation of the pasta is as follows:
We cover with a warm water a stiff of feed until it softens so that we can easily crush it with a cutlery.We cook the egg and remove the shell.We crush the egg and the feed and mix them.We add breadcrumbs until the pasta is solid enough to be able to catch it with tweezers, but without it being too hard.Administer at room temperature.We can keep it covered in a glass container and we must make a new one every day, even if we get over it.
How to make a pigeon open the beak ?
It may happen that the bird does not open the beak to feed, something frequent if it has been previously fed by its parents.Next we explain how to administer the breeding paste to feed a newborn blackbird chicken, taking into account the following indications:
The most difficult thing is to get the little blackbird to identify us as an adult of his kind and, consequently, open his mouth.At the beginning it is normal that we have to open his mouth with a lot delicacy , what we can do by gently pressing both sides of the corners of the beak.With our mouths open, we will introduce the pasta with some tongs as far back as possible, always with great care.Once the bird relates our tongs with food, what usually happens after the first day, will open his mouth as soon as he sees us.We must give him the paste approximately every two hours, being able to rest during the period of darkness.We must give him, in each shot, the necessary times until we see what remains satisfied and stop asking for food.This paste is recommended for insectivorous birds, so it fits the correct feeding of the common blackbird.If the breeding we collect from the street is of another species or we have doubts we can always Consult with a specialist .Of course, we should only pick up a baby if it is not possible to meet with her parents and her life is in danger.
How to feed a blackbird in captivity?
If we pick up a wounded adult blackbird the feeding will be much simpler, since they can eat alone.We can search the market for insectivorous paste, grain food for insectivores and we can even acquire insects directly, such as worm larvae among others.These products can be found in physical stores for pet products, online stores and in veterinary clinics for exotic animals.
Care for blackbirds
In addition to feeding the common blackbird, it is important to observe the following recommendations for care:
- If we have found a baby blackbird, we must install it in a cardboard box of the appropriate dimensions.This box will keep it at a good temperature and, in addition, it will isolate it from external stimuli that can scare it.We can also use it to transport it.The box will be kept normally open and only closed, always leaving openings to pass the air, when necessary.In a cardboard box it will not hurt.
- In its box it is recommended that we install a stick sufficient for its size, placed at medium height and that it crosses it from side to side.The blackbird will love to perch in order to trill, eat and rest.
- On the floor of the box we can put soaps or any material that protects the cardboard and can be removed and replenished to keep the floor always clean.
- We can put the box in an ele vado, because they like to be at a certain height and, in addition, so you can practice flight when the time comes.
- You have to take into account that they will make their dispositions anywhere, since they do not get used to use a certain surface or place.
- We can deworm it (in fact, without deworming internally, we can hear them coughing if they are infested), always consulting products and doses with a specialized veterinarian.
- If we pick up an adult in poor condition, we will need veterinary assistance, which we can obtain at a clinic with a veterinarian trained in birds or at our nearest wildlife recovery center.In these cases we must keep them in a large cage to avoid stress.and anxiety.
We should also know that blackbird pups begin to be able to feed themselves and fly practically at the same time, when they have about two weeks of life From that moment we can pla Nify its release.If it is an adult blackbird we can release it once it recovers from the damage that prevents it from fending for itself.In the next section we will see how to take this step with guarantees.
How to release an adult bird?
After reviewing the feeding of the common blackbird and its basic care, we will see what to do to be able to return it to wildlife.As we commented, the first step is for the young to know how to feed itself and fly or that the adult is fully restored.
If we have taken care of a baby blackbird, it is important that you interact only with a person because, otherwise, you run the risk of getting used to and having difficulties once you live in freedom, because it could approach those who do not owe so much if we talk about people as well as other animals.We should look for a center of wildlife recovery , it will be in these facilities where the reintroduction can be taken to the environment with guarantees, especially if we are talking about a baby.
In these places they will ring the blackbird and transfer it to a Enclosed enclosure so that you develop the ability to catch your own food.Once it has been proven that you can feed you, you will only leave free access to the outside so that you can adapt to your new life while still having a safe food source nearby.
If you want to read more articles similar to Common Blackbird Feeding , we recommend that you enter our Basic Care section.
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