Cedar Waxwing

So, in fairness, not my pet....just my new buddy.

When I am not working shows, I work at a coffee shop. I have a bird, I call Cracker. He is a sparrow. He walks in the door, yells at me, and I grab some granola and meet him outside and feed him.

But he is not the bird I am speaking of.

We found a Cedar Waxwing. He is beautiful. He can't fly, but it looks like he is not physically injured. I hand fed him berries. Gonna leave him overnight and see what happens.

Anybody have any ideas to help him out?

Thanks.

*chirp*
(He said thanks also)

a reply to: theatreboy

Ordinarily, I'd suggest taking it to a bird rehabber. But I don't think many are accepting birds right now because of the bird flu.

originally posted by: theatreboy
So, in fairness, not my pet....just my new buddy.

When I am not working shows, I work at a coffee shop. I have a bird, I call Cracker. He is a sparrow. He walks in the door, yells at me, and I grab some granola and meet him outside and feed him.

But he is not the bird I am speaking of.

We found a Cedar Waxwing. He is beautiful. He can't fly, but it looks like he is not physically injured. I hand fed him berries. Gonna leave him overnight and see what happens.

Anybody have any ideas to help him out?

Thanks.

*chirp*
(He said thanks also)

I raised birds for many years, and can tell you the best thing to do first is heat. I put injured birds in a cage with a clamp-on hooded light, 25 watt bulb, only shining on half the cage (covered) so they can get away if the get to warm.

Water in a lid, like a mayonnaise jar has, in a corner.

Cedar waxwings have an appetite for protein the summer, like mayflies and dragonflies. They cover our spruce tree every year, eating moths. I don't know if an offering of meal worms would appeal to them, or not- but they do like their berries.

More often than not, a bird that doesn't appear injured may have been stunned by flying into a widow, and a brief rest with some extra heat will revive it.

Sometimes, it's because the bird has recently 'fledged', and wasn't quite confident enough to go it alone. The parents may even have been nearby, watching it. It's not uncommon for it to take a day or two for the young one to get up enough courage to fly off, and the parents will continue to bring it food during this time.

Hope you find some of this information useful; good luck with your foster!

You're lucky to even see a cedar waxwing. Where I now live cats have decimated the bird population.

I'm lucky to see a cardinal.

a reply to: theatreboy

For a perfect cedar waxwing carcass, you want to use the small game arrow… hold on, wrong forum!

nvm… my bad.

a reply to: theatreboy

I had to look up Cedar Waxwing b/c have not met one before! I found this interesting note about them, so I wonder if your bird-friend is simply drunk, lol...

Cedar waxwings predominantly eat berries, even those that are past their prime. When those aged berries become fermented, the birds tend to overindulge and wind up intoxicated.

Just an update...

Arrow...my daughter named him...flew away this morning. Thanks for all your input. The heat lamp seemed to work.