the other day I found this really tiny baby bird by itself. feathers all ruffled, crying, kept falling over, looked very overheated and disoriented. usually you're not supposed to mess with baby birds and should wait to see if their parents come back first so that's what I did.
eventually the mom came back and tried to shepherd it around but they weren't having much success. the bird seemed exhausted, kept tripping and wandering off near dangerous places (like behind the neighbor's tire and next to a storm drain). so I carefully moved it in to this little patch filled with dirt where there was seeds, water, shade and a safe place it could keep warm overnight. and of course I made sure the mom knew where it was so she could take care of it since that's the most important part (tiny birds like that can't even chew food on their own)
the baby bird really liked this little smooth stone thats shaped like a clam and spent most if its time resting in there. the last time I saw it was at 10 PM last night and it seemed comfortable. no crying or other visible signs of distress and was just pruning its feathers like normal. the mama bird continued looking after it and taking care of it until the end and it was able to fall asleep calmly
this morning I woke up to find the baby bird was dead
I found it huddled up in its favorite stone clam like it was sleeping but with no sign of life. it seems like it was just sick and there was nothing else that could have been done. usually when baby birds end up outside the nest like that they're already done for and this little guy seemed particularly weak and sickly. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that it had everything it needed and there was nothing more I could have done to prevent this but I still felt devastated
at the very least I was able to make its last moments comfortable and ensure it didn't suffer or anything. I just love birds so much. I basically don't cry ever, the last time that happened was when I had a mental breakdown almost got arrested irl, but this bird genuinely moved me close to tears. I hope it's in heaven somewhere and is happy
eventually the mom came back and tried to shepherd it around but they weren't having much success. the bird seemed exhausted, kept tripping and wandering off near dangerous places (like behind the neighbor's tire and next to a storm drain). so I carefully moved it in to this little patch filled with dirt where there was seeds, water, shade and a safe place it could keep warm overnight. and of course I made sure the mom knew where it was so she could take care of it since that's the most important part (tiny birds like that can't even chew food on their own)
the baby bird really liked this little smooth stone thats shaped like a clam and spent most if its time resting in there. the last time I saw it was at 10 PM last night and it seemed comfortable. no crying or other visible signs of distress and was just pruning its feathers like normal. the mama bird continued looking after it and taking care of it until the end and it was able to fall asleep calmly
this morning I woke up to find the baby bird was dead
I found it huddled up in its favorite stone clam like it was sleeping but with no sign of life. it seems like it was just sick and there was nothing else that could have been done. usually when baby birds end up outside the nest like that they're already done for and this little guy seemed particularly weak and sickly. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that it had everything it needed and there was nothing more I could have done to prevent this but I still felt devastatedat the very least I was able to make its last moments comfortable and ensure it didn't suffer or anything. I just love birds so much. I basically don't cry ever, the last time that happened was when I had a mental breakdown almost got arrested irl, but this bird genuinely moved me close to tears. I hope it's in heaven somewhere and is happy
