[love4nature3]

Does anyone know a place I can call that will take care of the robins egg I found I can't take care of it

[LadySam]

Most likely it was kicked out of the nest by mother, unless you've had strong enough winds to have blown it out. And depending on how long it has been out of the nest, it may not be viable at this point.
You should call a local wildlife rehab if there is one in your area.
You should be able to get the number from a vet or after hours vet clinic.

[Alty]

I'm sorry, but chances are that no matter what sort of care you, or anyone provides, it's not going to hatch.

The mother most likely threw it out of the nest, like Lady Sam said. There's a reason for this. A mother bird knows when an egg is not viable, or when something is wrong. To make room for the healthy eggs, she throws out the duds.

Even if the embryo was still alive when it was thrown out of the nest, it most likely didn't survive the fall to the ground below.

Having had experience with finding hatchlings, I can tell you that unless you've found a rare species, it's unlikely that any wildlife association will even bother to come out and look at the egg, not even a hatchling.

This is mother nature. Just throw the egg out.

I do commend you for caring about this, and I'm sorry that there's really nothing you can do, but it's the circle of life. Nature usually knows more than humans.

[FirstChair]

Any possibility of placing it back in the nest and giving it a second shot of surviving? I've seen it done and the egg hatched to a lively baby bird. I think it's worth a try, unless it is already too late...

[Alty]

Any possibility of placing it back in the nest and giving it a second shot of surviving? I’ve seen it done and the egg hatched to a lively baby bird. I think it’s worth a try, unless it is already too late...

It's not a bad idea, but there is some risk. Disturbing the nest, even by going to put an egg back, can cause the mother bird a lot of stress. Robin's are very fickle. I've seen Robins toss out all of their young just because one was put back in the nest after falling out. In fact, I saw it firsthand because I was the one that put the hatchling back, only to find the entire nest of hatchlings thrown out of the nest a few hours later. It's risky, especially to save an egg that sadly, I'm fairly sure is already beyond saving.

The OP could try to hatch it herself, but it's a lot of work. I've rescued a few baby birds, one of my own, a finch, that was tossed out of the nest 3 times within 2 days. At first I was going to let nature take its course, but I decided to hand raise this baby. It was around the size of my pinky finger nail when it was tossed out of the nest. It lived. But it required a heat pad, getting up every 3 hours to feed it, not being able to go anywhere because of the feeding schedule, and a lot of work. It took over an hour to feed it when it was little, because the beak was so tiny, and I could only get a very small amount of food in at a time, with a toothpick.

She grew up, and she was a lovely little bird. We named her Meemo.

But that was pure luck. After Meemo a few more nestlings were tossed, I tried hand raising them too with no success. It's hit and miss, and it's not easy.

I've also tried to save wild birds tossed out of their nests. Since I was around 4 years old my dad and I rescued around 5 baby birds at the campground we went to every weekend. Four were swallows, one was a woodpecker that was actually already pretty much full grown when a storm knocked down the tree they were living in. The nestlings couldn't fly yet, so we put them all on a shed roof so that no other animal could get them. All but one was okay, the one we tried to save. When the tree fell down it must have injured the bird. The bottom of his beak was cracked from tip to throat. He lived for 3 days, but feeding him was difficult and no wildlife center would take him in, mainly because he'd never be able to care for himself.

If you ever go to Calling Lake, go to the woods, there's a little grave site with 5 birds, all the birds I tried to rescue when I was younger.

Since then I've had a few encounters with wild hatchlings and nestlings, but I've never been successful at keeping one alive. In fact, one of those hatchlings is on this site, as I wrote asking for help when I found it.

My Uncle on the other hand has rescued many, even had a robin a year or two back. But it was older when he found it.

Still, if the OP is willing to try, that may be the only chance this egg baby has. But don't be too upset if it doesn't hatch, or, if it does hatch, if it doesn't live. There is a reason for everything, no matter how unfair and sad it is.

[ma0641]

Feeding is one thing, hatching is another. Unless you have an incubator and know that the egg is viable, you have no chance of hatching . Sorry.

[FirstChair]

Feeding is one thing, hatching is another. Unless you have an incubator and know that the egg is viable, you have no chance of hatching . Sorry.

I grew up on a farm with family hatching baby chicks and we kids got to watch when the chicks hatched. I remember them being in an enclosed container that was very warm and bright. We could look through and see them. I remember one time all eggs turned out to be all roosters, not a hen in the batch. That got some laughs…not one laying hen! So you are right about special care for any bird eggs or hatchlings, even more so those living in the wild, but it's in our nature mainly as woman to want to nurture. Could be some nurturing men posting here too. :-)

[FirstChair]

It's not a bad idea, but there is some risk..

Enjoyed reading the full story you posted about all your experiences with birds and sad too at your efforts to help them and it didn't work out... I have a story about a starling I would like to share. Some people don't like them and seek to kill them. Starlings have no protection in America because they originate from Europe. Anyway, one day this baby starling was pushed or fell out of its nest on my property. My female Parson/Jack Russell ran and caught it up in her mouth and took off running with it. She was told to stop and put it down…and she did. The little starling had no feathers, completely featherless, its eyes were still shut and it had a wide yellow beak for its small size. I took it inside and the long journey began with day and night care. I looked on the Internet for information as to what to feed it and handfed it around the clock. It would open wide its bright yellow beak and it had a very good appetite. At first I wasn't sure what kind of bird it was and found that information eventually on the Internet and knew for sure as it grew from fledgling to juvenile and adult that it was a starling. Also, it begin to mimic human voices and talk…not just one word at a time, but phrases and its favorite phrase was, “Mama's little baby” Probably because this is what I would say to it mostly, not knowing at first that it was in the family of talking birds. At this point I thought if I tried to introduce it into the outside world it would not survive. Besides deep down I knew it was impossible because we had interacted with her a lot and having to hand feed her she had depended on me and bonded. Can you imagine how the other birds would treat a talking bird and not only this, but I learned it had the human imprint because the first thing it saw when its eyes finally opened was humans. I felt a little sad that she never really knew its own domain, but I do believe there is an animal kingdom/heaven so I feel it will realize its own kind and be with them, but hoping it will find me beyond this life and visit now and then. She had no fear of humans or animals so we had to watch out for her. She did escape to the outside one time without being in her cage and flew way up in the sky and came back down landing in the middle of a large flock of starlings. The flock of starlings were alarmed when diving down and landed among them. They all took flight and I thought she took off with them. We went running after them to the back side of the property acreage and then stopped part way thinking it was hopeless trying to find her. I started freaking out, crying and saying to my husband at the time, she won't survive, she's never eaten bugs or worms, she doesn't know she's a bird…they won't accept her! He was trying to comfort me and lo and behold as we were walking back there she was on the ground where she had landed in the middle of all those other starlings! I was so relieved and she didn't try to fly away when picked up. I was so glad that day when she was safe again when for a while thinking it was hopeless finding her.

[love4nature3]

Thank you for replying. You may be glad to know that it was the winds so I found a nest and put it in because I found out that robins steal other robin eggs so it might not matter too much but I checked the nest and there were still the three counting the 1 I put in.

[FirstChair]

Thank you for replying. you may be glad to know that it was the winds so i found a nest and put it in because i found out that robins steal other robin eggs so it might not matter to much but i checked the nest and there were still the three counting the 1 i put in.

Good for you! I hope it works out and a baby robin will hatch and survive... healthy and chirpy! I've heard that too that some birds will steal other eggs from nest. At least it has a chance now...

[theghastlyghost]

I also found 2 today under a nest in my backyard. I have noticed a couple Cardinals harassing the area of the nest and just wanted to take a look. I could not see inside the nest but did notice two sitting on the ground un-cracked. I am assuming these may have been jostled out by the Cardinals but of course it could also be the mother kicking out the unwanted ones. I used a soft plastic ladle to gather each and placed them back in the nest carefully. Being that it's Mother's Day, I found it to be my duty... Even though there is an inherent risk of her discarding the entire group (if there were others still left). I read all of this great feedback and feel confident I did it the right way. I could not bear to see them left on the ground, especially without damage.

Thanks for all the great feedback!

[theghastlyghost]

Meant to say even though THERE... not their!

[love4nature3]

Wow I didn't know cardinals were vicous guess so. The don't look it they are so cute and bright red I never knew they could be mean.

[FirstChair]

Wow I didn't know cardinals were vicous guess so. the dont look it they are so cute and bright red i never knew they could be mean.

About cardinals... me neither, but I've heard mixed reviews about blue jays stealing eggs, but running off preditory birds.