Page 433 - Hand rearing birds second

426 Hand-Rearing Birds

in some areas gulls may nest inappropriately on the roofs of commercial or residential buildings and,
because of aggressive behavior, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) or state agencies may give
permission for removal of the chicks.
Fledglings may be presented when predators have attacked nest sites, or fledglings have fallen
from nest sites on roofs. Least Terns nest on rooftops in Florida and have been successfully reu-
nited with parents. Replacement may be attempted if access to the correct nest site on the rooftop
is possible. Chicks should be checked for injuries before this is attempted, and parental care should
be observed after return to the nest site before the chick is left there.

­ Record­Keeping

State agencies require record keeping, which may vary from state to state. Minimum requirements
are species, age class, location found, name and address of finder, reason for removal from nest
site, medical problem, final disposition, and release location. Endangered or threatened species
may require additional detailed record keeping, which usually is mandated by the biologists man-
aging the species’ recovery.

­ Initial­Care­and Stabilization

As with other avian species, young gulls and terns should be warmed, hydrated, and then fed.
Fluids can be given orally (by gavage) or subcutaneously at 5% of body weight if the bird is thin,
underweight, or injured. Small species such as the endangered California Least Tern have fragile
skin and often struggle when the subcutaneous route is attempted. The author prefers giving
small terns appropriate amounts of lactated Ringer’s solution or Pedialyte orally for the first
feeding, and then both large and small species can be given Multimilk (PetAg) diluted one part
powder to two parts water, or, alternatively, Isocal (Mead Johnson) or Ensure (Abbott), for
another two feedings if the birds are thin or unsteady. Multimilk contains milk proteins; how-
ever, it is low in the carbohydrates (e.g. lactose) which are not normally ingested by birds.
Nonetheless, it is available in powdered form, and is tolerated well by sea and shorebirds. Other
critical care diet options include Emeraid Piscivore (Lafeber Company) or Carnivore Care
(Oxbow Animal Health). Warming the fluids helps raise the core body temperature in hypother-
mic chicks and adult birds.
Young gulls and terns should be placed in a warm container and kept in a quiet area. Hatchlings
(downy young chicks that would still be brooded) should be kept in a climate-controlled incubator
and be given fur, fabric, or some other “tented” product to hide under as a surrogate parent
(Figure 26.1). If the chick is orphaned but healthy, one feeding of fluids can be followed by solid
food. Fish should be offered to terns, and shrimp, cat food, or chopped fish to gulls. Gulls and terns
can be fed on demand every 90 minutes to 3 hours depending on age and size.
Hatchlings and young chicks may be kept in homemade aquabrooders or commercial incubators
on paper or cloth towels. An aquabrooder (Graboski 1995) is constructed of two plastic or rubber
containers, one inside the other with water between, with an aquarium water heater providing
warmed water to heat the dry chamber, with the inside of the second container set up as a comfort-
able habitat for very young chicks. A screen top with a heat lamp provides additional heat and light
as needed (Figure 26.2). Older chicks of larger species may be kept in cardboard or plastic pet car-
riers placed on heating pads on “low” setting to keep the interior warm.