So today I got a call at work about a fledgling Mississippi Kite that was stuck in a tree. The nest was at the top of a huge oak tree. The elderly man that lives at the house spends most of his days on his front porch bird watching.
Apparently the baby kite’s parents hadn’t been seen for several days. Today the baby fell out of the nest and into a small tree straight below. Luckily low enough for me to easily reach with a ladder. So of course after getting the call, I rushed out of work and went to the rescue! The baby had been stuck for about 5-6 hours in the heat. Once I got him home, I assessed him and thankfully he has no obvious injuries.
But he’s EXTREMELY sharp…meaning he’s so thin that his keel (breast bone) has hardly any muscle or fat on it. He wanted to attack my face, but I dripped some water into his mouth to hydrate him. I put him back in the cage and offered food, not thinking he’d take it (scared birds normally don’t), but he ate like he hadn’t ate in days! Poor little thing. So until I’m able to get him transferred to the rehabber, I’ll be fattening up this little cutie!”
By Lacy Byles