The blackbirds (Turdus merula) are intelligent and affectionate animals that must always live freely in their natural habitat. But, sometimes, we must keep them in captivity. This would be the case of the hatchlings that we can find outside their nest and that do not know how to fend for themselves as they still cannot feed themselves, but adult blackbirds that present an injury or illness may also need help.
In this article on our site we are going to focus on feeding the Eurasian Blackbird as a fundamental part of its recovery before release. Do you have a rescued blackbird in captivity? Don't you know what is the most suitable food for blackbirds? Then this article interests you, keep reading!
Characteristics of the Blackbird
The blackbird is a common bird in Europe. It presents sexual dimorphism, which means that the female and the male are different at first glance. Thus, the male is totally black and has a yellow-orange beak and eye ring, while the female is dark brown with a brown beak. Its size is about 25 centimeters in length.
They are insectivorous, so they have a fine and elongated beak, and they breed during the months of April and May, making nest in bushes, hedges, sheds, woodpiles, etc. The nest is made with various materials. They lay about 4-6 eggs. They also agree to feed on berries, caterpillars, molluscs and even human food.
The young at birth do not know how to fly or feed themselves, being totally dependent on their parents, who share their care. The eggs, speckled and bluish in color, hatch approximately 2 weeks after they are laid and another 2 weeks later the young leave the nest, remaining hidden in the ground. The young develop the ability to fly and feed themselves at the same time. The still immature male is black with a blackish bill. Its habitat is gardens, hedges, scrubland, trees, etc. We will see in the next section the importance of feeding the blackbird for the young.
How to feed a newborn blackbird?
As we have said, blackbirds are insectivorous birds, although they may consume some other food. During their first weeks of life they are fed directly by their parents, who put food inside their mouths The young remain in the nest, opening their spikes whenever adults approach. Without their parents their survival would be impossible, since they don't know how to use their beaks to get hold of food on their own.
Therefore it is vitally important, if we find a blackbird breeding out of its nest and lost, without the possibility of it returning to its parents, that we feed it as we are going to explain. First we must make a breeding paste with the following ingredients:
- Food for cats
- Boiled egg
- Bread crumbs
- Water
The preparation of the pasta is as follows:
- Cover a handful of feed with warm water until it softens so that we can easily crush it with a cutlery.
- Cook the egg and remove the shell.
- Crush the egg and the feed and mix them.
- Add breadcrumbs until the paste is solid enough to be picked up with tongs, but not 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 have leftovers.
How to make a pigeon open its beak?
It may happen that the bird does not open its beak to feed, something frequent if it has been fed previously by its parents. Below we explain how to administer the breeding paste to feed a newborn blackbird chick, taking into account the following indications:
- The most difficult thing is getting the little blackbird to identify us as an adult of its species and, consequently, to open its mouth. At first, it is normal that we have to open its mouth very delicately, which we can do by gently pressing both sides of the corners of the beak.
- With the mouth open, insert the paste with tweezers as far back as possible, always very carefully.
- Once the bird associates our pincers with food, which usually happens after the first day, it will open its mouth as soon as it sees us.
- We should give him the paste approximately every two hours, being able to rest during the dark period.
- You have to give it, at each feeding, as many times as necessary until we see that it is satisfied and stops asking for food.
This paste is recommended for insectivorous birds, so it fits the correct diet of the common blackbird. If the baby we pick up from the street is of another species or we have doubts, we can always consult a specialist Of course, we should only pick up a baby if it is not He may be reunited with his parents and his life is in danger.
How to feed a blackbird in captivity?
If we pick up an wounded adult blackbird feeding will be much easier, since they can eat by themselves. We can search the market for pasta for insectivores, grain food for insectivores and we can even buy insects directly, such as worm larvae, among others. We can find these products in physical stores of pet products, online stores and in veterinary clinics for exotic animals.
Care for blackbirds
In addition to feeding the blackbird, it is important to observe the following recommendations for its care:
- If we have found a baby blackbird, we must place 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 outside stimuli that can scare it. We can also use it to transport it. We will keep the box normally open and we will only close it, always leaving openings for air to pass, when necessary. In a cardboard box you won't get hurt.
- In your box it is recommended that we install a stick sufficient for its size, placed at half height and crossing it from side to side. The blackbird will love perching on it to chirp, eat and rest.
- On the floor of the box we can put pads or any material that protects the cardboard and can be removed and replaced to keep the floor always clean.
- We can put the box in a high place, because they like to be at a certain height and, in addition, it will be able to practice flying when the time comes.
- You have to bear in mind that they are going to make their depositions anywhere, since they are not used to using a certain surface or place.
- We can deworm it (in fact, without deworming internally, we can hear them cough if they are infested), always consulting products and doses with a specialized veterinarian.
- If we pick up an adult in poor condition, they 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 should 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 are about two weeks old From that moment we can plan your release. If it is an adult blackbird, we can release it once it recovers from the damage that prevented it from fend for itself. In the next section we will see how to take this step safely.
How to free 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 the wild. As we mentioned, the first step is for the baby to learn to feed itself and fly or for the adult to be fully recovered.
If we have taken care of a baby blackbird, it is important that it does not interact with more than one person since, otherwise, it runs the risk of getting used to it and having difficulties once it lives in freedom, as it could approach who does not owe so much if we talk about people as other animals. We must look for a wildlife recovery center, since it will be in these facilities where the reintroduction to the environment can be carried out with guarantees, especially if we are talking about a young.
In these places the blackbird will be ringed and moved to a closed enclosure so that it develops the ability to catch its own food. Once it has been verified that it can feed itself, it will only allow it free access to the outside so that it can adapt to its new life while still having a safe source of food nearby.
