Raising Poopsie the Olive (or Karoo) Thrush

The images above show Poopsie at roughly 1 week old on the left date 13/11/13 and today, a week later 20/11/13 on the right

It is a week since our chick Poopsie fell out of his nest and into our lives.  At the end of my last post we had tried placing Poopsie in a nest tied to a tree, I climed the ladder all morning to feed him and watched through the window for signs of his mother, unfortunately she never returned to him, I think that instinct told her that he must be dead.  We had to keep him in the house for the 1st night because there was a big storm and I’m certain that if left outside he would have died.  I was so worried that this fragile little life would not make it but a week later he is doing wonderfully.

A baby bird is not cute or cuddly, Poopsie was downright ugly, with fluff and very few feathers he was all skin and bone.  His beauty lay in what he was destined to become, a creature who will soar above the earth.  I have been fortunate in that Poopsie eats so well, on average every 20 mins or so his little beak opens for food, at first he opened his mouth when I removed the lid of his box or moved the box, now when he sees the syringe he greets me with a beak wide open.  In 1 week he has consumed two 158g tins of “Hills Canine and Feline critical care” food which I mix with water.

Poopsie lives up to his name he Poops like nobody’s business, I’m concerned that someone has told him about twerking, he lifts his little bottom so high to poop that I’m sure one day he will go head over heels.

Here is a break down of his development over the past week, you can click here to see the 1st post.

Day 3 – 15/11/13 – Poopsie is eating well, between feeds he sleeps but does not seem at all unwell.

Day 4 – 16/11/13 – Poopsie started moving and stretching a bit more, when he stands his one leg is pulled up under him, I’m concerned that the leg could be injured or damaged, may take him to a rehab place to get it checked out.

Day 5  – 17/11/13 I decided to weigh Poopsie, his weight is 51 grams.  He suddenly has a lot more feathers and looks a lot more like a bird.  he is getting more and more active.

Day 6 – 18/11/13  The leg seems better now he is standing on both legs, he gets cuter every day.  He sleeps less and seems quite alert.

Day 7 – 19/11/13 Soon the shoe box will be too small, today at Top Tots a friend offerd me her unused budgie cage.  This should work well, soon he will be able to practice perching.  I may move him from the box to the cage in the next few days.  The cage should suffice as his home until he is ready to fly and be released.

Day 8 – 20/11/13 Poopsie weighs 62 grams

I sent an e-mail to a member of a bird club and she told me that Poopsie is more likely a Karoo Thrush as the Olive Thrush is not found in my area although this conflicts with the info in ‘Robert’s Book of Birds’ which says that the Olive Thrush is found in Transvaal so I’m not too sure about this.

Update – In the end Poopsie was so dependant on me and could not be left alone although released into the garden, he was taken to a rehabilitation centre where he was taught to fend for himself and then released