My rescued baby bird has feather issues and keeps falling. Help!

Hello, the little bird likely fell out of his nest. If it hasn't been too long, you can take it back to where you got him to see if his nest and mother is still there, which would be best case scenario. Otherwise, it may take him some time to learn to fly on his own and you'll have to wait until his flight feathers grow fully. In the interim, you may continue to feed him baby food, or you may start to offer seeds, fruits, and veggies. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Your best bet, with any found wild bird, is to try and find a wildlife refuge or veterinary clinic that can take him in. They are better equipped to help treat and rehabilitate sick birds and get them back into the wild safely. Until you can find a place that will take him in, keeping him in a warm hospital cage that is separate from other pets and birds (to prevent the spread of anything) and with access to food and water can help.

Thanks for reaching out about this found hawk and including photos. Most likely a young bird that fell out of a nest. A wildlife rescue group should be contacted to provide proper nutrition and management, and to be able to train to fly and socialize with other hawks. This will increase success of re-release. Good luck.

This is difficult to say. Since this is a wild bird (Cape Sparrow), there may be a number of things wrong, such as infection or injury or even poisoning. I suggest you take the bird to a wildlife station. They should be able to help you and the bird.

His best chances will be to stay with his parents. If you can see where the nest is, you may briefly pick him up to place him back in the nest. Most birds do not actually have a very good sense of smell, so your scent won't cause a problem - however, your presence will frighten the parents away. If you cannot return him to the nest, the best course of action depends on how old he is. If he's got feathers and can hop, he's probably a fledgeling who is learning to leave the nest and you should leave him alone. If he's just starting to get his feathers and seems bright (can lift his head and look around), make sure he's in a safe spot (you can make a little nest on the ground with a clean towel in a small box - but don't move him far from where you found him, so his parents can find him there too) and see if the parents come to feed him. If you're convinced he's on his own, or if he's too little to have any hope of surviving on the ground (even if the parents stop by to feed him), then I recommend finding your closest wildlife rehab location and calling to see if they'll take him. Hope this helps!

If your sparrow is having trouble staying upright, or is scratching at his face/neck there could be a few things going on. Muscular or nervous issues can cause balance problems, while something stuck in the throat or crop may be causing him to scratch at it. Parasites such as mites may also cause excessive scratching and if he's still very young and learning how to perch could cause him to lose his balance. I would make sure he is eating and drinking still, doesn't have any parasites (you can sometimes see redness or little particles at the base of the feathers to indicate this). If you can't find anything outwardly wrong and he's still losing balance, seeking veterinary care is a good next step to rule out an illness or disease.

Contact the local veterinary clinic. Ask if the have contact information for a local wildlife rehabilitator. If you can get the bird to a rehabber, it will have an excellent chance at eventual release. House sparrows eat seeds and grains. In the meantime, you can offer a seed mix including millet and sunflower seed. Some moistened dry dog food can also be offered.