Birding/found baby robins

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Expert: Bluebird Bob Walshaw - 5/7/2008


Question
Some kids in my neighborhood pulled a nest of 3 baby robbins. I took them
away from the kids, who were mistreating them, and now I am not sure what
to do. They have feathers, and one is even attampting to fly. I mashed up an
earthworm (I keep them handy to feed my turtle), and they ate some of that.
What should I feed them? Do I need a warmer? Please help me, I just couldn't
let them die!

Answer
When I was a kid we would take one nearly grown one out of a nest and finish raising it by feeding it earthworms. It would bond to us and follow us outside. However we ruined their lives as they did not have their parents to teach them how to forage or to look out for predators or how to migrate south from our cold north location, and as I recall something always happened to them.

Your best bet is to make a nest in a small box and put them up in the tree that they came from. The parents may hear them chirping and calling for food and come back to them. Good luck!

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Bluebird Bob Walshaw

Expertise

I can answer almost any question on Eastern Bluebirds and small cavity nesters such as Chickadees, Titmice, Wrens, etc. Also general questions on other songbirds. No pet bird questions please.

Experience

I have had a 100+ nestbox trail for more than 20 years, I do a lot of writing, public speaking and educational work in this field. My hands-on Bluebird talks include more than 1000 people each year.

Organizations
Oklahoma Bluebird Society, North American Bluebird Society, National Audubon Society, Oklahoma Audubon Society, Oklahoma Fur Bearers Alliance

Publications
Bluebird Magazine, Oklahoma Today, Fur-Fish-Game, Birds & Blooms, Nature Society News,Back Woodsman Magazine, Tulsa World, Broken Arrow ledger, Teaching Tolerance magazine,Trappers World, OK Hole Story, Birders World

Education/Credentials
Degree in Mechanical Engineering, an MBA, Graduate of the Home Study Course in Bird Biology from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Oklahoma Master Naturalist. I am also a pofessional speaker and writer.

Awards and Honors
Chosen as a public speaker for the North American Bluebird Society, Bluebird trail accepted as part of the Transcontinental Bluebird Trail, Chosen as a panel speaker at the 2006 NABS Convention.

Past/Present Clients
Many

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