These species are from the families Alcedinidae, Cuculidae, Picidae.

Chicks of these species are infrequently presented for hand-rearing. Advice may be sought from specialist rehabilitation centres and zoos/aviculturists with experience of keeping these species.

Initial Care:

General bird information:

• On arrival any young bird should be weighed, warmed, and given supplementary fluids by an appropriate route to counteract dehydration.
• Cold, weak chicks may benefit greatly from a short period, for example 30 minutes, left in a dark cardboard box at 30-35°C.(P19.1.w4)
• The age should be determined if possible.
• See: Hand-rearing of Orphaned Wildlife for further general information.  

General Care (including warmth and hygiene):

General altricial/semialtricial bird information: 

• Young birds, particularly altricial or semialtricial unfeathered/poorly down-covered nestlings, have poor ability to maintain body temperature and are prone to hypothermia, hyperthermia and burns.
• Keep out of draughts but ensure ventilation is adequate.(V.w5)
• A thermometer should be placed beside the nest box to indicate the temperature at which the chicks are being maintained.
• An artificial nest may be made from a round container, similar in diameter to the natural nest for the species.
  • Plastic tubs are commonly used.
  • Line with paper towels.
  • A cardboard box may also be used.
  • (D24, D29, B203)
• The nest should be placed within a larger box:
  • Sand substrate is suitable within the larger box.
  • Absorbent paper towel may also be used.
  • Keep covered with e.g. a wire mesh cover or net curtain material (allowing light in).
  • (D29, B203)
• Keep warm, but avoid overheating.
  • Heat lamp or brooder may be used to provide heat.
  • Alternative means of heating include placing the artificial nest on top of a towel-wrapped hot water bottle, placing the artificial nest in a small warm space such as an airing cupboard, placing the container near a radiator or raising  the ambient temperature of the room.
  • More heat is required for featherless nestlings than for older, birds which have some feathers.
  • Keep at about 27-32°C (B118.5.w5); 28°C (B203), 30°C/86°F (D26) until feathered.
  • Note both thermometer temperature and behaviour of the chicks in adjusting the temperature (chicks which are too cold will feel cold to the touch; chicks which are too hot will have their necks stretched out, panting, keeping away from one another).
• (B118.5.w5, B151, B203, D24, D26, D29)

Woodpeckers and wrynecks specific information:

• A dull emitter lamp or bottom heat (e.g. a heat mat) not a bright light bulb for heat is important for hole-nesting species.(B118.5.w5, B224)

Food:

Kingfisher specific information:

• Small, freshly-killed fish e.g. minnows or guppies.(B186.8.w8)
• Fish from fish-fingers has been used successfully, and may be used if other fish is not available.(B118.18.w18)
• Mixture of 5 ounces canned dog food, 1 ounce turkey starter, 2 drops vitamin supplement, 1 brewer's yeast tablet.(B150.w2)

Woodpeckers specific information:

• Insectivorous birds in general may be fed on insects, parts of insects (such as bodies of moths) and artificial diet mixes designed for insectivores.(P24.204.w1)
• Where little information is available for a species the normal approach would be to review the information available on species with similar feeding habits such as, in this case, other insectivorous altricial birds. 
  • A variety of diets suggested for insectivorous passerine chicks are described in Hand-rearing Garden Birds (Small Passerines).
• The use of "St Tiggywinkles Bird Glop" has been suggested.(B151)

Wrynecks specific information:

• Insectivorous birds in general may be fed on insects, parts of insects (such as bodies of moths) and artificial diet mixes designed for insectivores.(P24.204.w1)
• Where little information is available for a species the normal approach would be to review the information available on species with similar feeding habits such as, in this case, other insectivorous altricial birds. 
  • A variety of diets suggested for insectivorous passerine chicks are described in Hand-rearing Garden Birds (Small Passerines).
• Ants form a major part of the diet of these birds (B163); ant eggs, if available, may be a useful food for wryneck chicks.(V.w5)

Water:

• Chicks may be at risk of dehydration, particularly as they are being kept in a warm box.
• Dipping alternate mouthfuls of food in water, shaking off excess, has been suggested. (P19.1.w9)

Utensils:

• A narrow spatula or tweezers may be used to offer food to nestlings. (P19.1.w4)

Feeding Frequency:

Kingfisher specific information:

• Feeding every hour  is generally suggested for altricial nestlings. (D24, D26, D29, B118.5.w5, J34.9.w1, P19.1.w9)
• Hourly, dawn to dusk. (B186.8.w8)

Woodpeckers specific information:

• Where little information is available for a species the normal approach would be to review the information available on species with similar feeding habits such as, in this case, other insectivorous altricial birds.
  • Feeding every hour  is generally suggested for altricial nestlings.(D24, D26, D29, B118.5.w5, J34.9.w1, P19.1.w9)
• It has been suggested that woodpeckers should be fed every ten minutes, dawn to dusk.(B151)

Feeding Technique: 

General altricial bird information:

• Healthy nestlings will usually gape on stimulation (e.g. at a slight  tapping or hissing noise) but older birds (fledglings) may require the bill to be opened  initially. (B118.5.w5, D26, D29)
  • If necessary, hold fledgling in left hand, ease bill open with thumb nail of right hand, hold bill open with thumb and first finger of left hand than place food as far in as possible, using forceps in right hand. (P19.1.w4, D29)
• For small nestlings:
  • Give food on the tip of a fine artists paintbrush (3/16 or 1/4 inch); small amounts of water may be given in the same manner. (D24, D26)
  • Feed by gavage directly into the crop, using a small syringe with a teat cannula attached. (B151)
• For larger birds: roll food into blunt pellets and feed using blunt forceps or tweezers:
  • Portion size: e.g. 13mm x 3mm (1/2 inch by 1/8 inch) for small nestling to 25mm x 13mm (1inch by 1/2inch) for large species. (B118.5.w5, D26, P19.1.w4)
  • Feed larger birds with e.g. a coffee stirrer for thrush-size birds, with a "spatula end" full given into the throat.(B151)
• Clean face and bill with e.g. baby wipes or the moist end of a clean small paint brush after each feed.

Kingfisher specific information:

• May take fish if these are offered.
• Force feed with fish if the chick will not eat.
• Alternatively tube feed with fish purée.
• (B150.w2, P24.204.w1)

Woodpeckers specific information:

• Feed with e.g. a coffee stirrer a "spatula end" full given into throat or crop. (B151)
• Clean face and bill with e.g. baby wipes or the moist end of a clean small paint brush after each feed.

Quantities:

Kingfisher specific information:

• May take six guppy-size fish per hour.(B186.8.w8)

Toileting: 

General altricial bird information:  

• Remove faecal sac with tweezers after first cropful of each feeding session.(B151)

Weighing: 

General bird information:  

• Regular weighing provides a good indication of growth, however a balance must be chosen between the frequency of weighing for accurate monitoring of progress and the stress which may be caused by repeated handling.
• Individuals in a brood or being reared in a group must be individually identifiable in order to allow the progress of each chick to be monitored. 
  • Temporary identification may be made possible using small colour marks applied to the feathers. An appropriate non-toxic material such as coloured correction fluid (e.g. Tippex) or nail varnish may be used for this purpose.
  • Alternatively, for larger chicks, lightweight leg rings made of flat plastic may be used. These are available in a wide variety of colours. Rings must be of an appropriate size and changed as the bird grows.
• (B150.w2, V.w5, V.w26)

Weaning:

Kingfisher specific information:

• Add mealworms, waxworms, live insects from 2-3 weeks (as for insectivores), plus small slivers of fish, aquatic and terrestrial insects, crustaceans. 
• Add thiamine (25mg/kg fish) if frozen rather than fresh fish used.(B150.w2)

Woodpeckers specific information:

• Once eyes open, offer appropriate adult food but continue supplementing with hand feeding.
• Wean after about two weeks.
• Wean onto clean white maggots, pinkies, mini-mealworms, waxworms.
• Maggots should always be fed "clean", that is starved overnight so that no black line of the gut is visible along the body.
• (B151)

Release:

• General bird information:
  • Move to an aviary for at  least two weeks prior to release, to allow exercise, flying, and exposure to the weather.
• See: Release of Casualty Miscellaneous Birds

• Wild animals should not be taken for hand-rearing unless they are definitely orphaned or abandoned, injured/visibly unwell, or in immediate danger.

• A considerable input of time and effort is required to hand-rear these birds.

• There is always a risk of damaging the bill if opening it manually.(V.w6)

• Foodstuffs are available among household items or from supermarkets and good pet stores.

• The initial time commitment for birds requiring frequent (e.g. hourly) feeding is extreme and would be prohibitive for most people.
• Manual dexterity is important for caring for these very small individuals.
• Requires empathy, observation skills and the ability to "read" the body language of the animal.
• Experience with hand-rearing is useful and likely to greatly increase the success rate.

• Cost of food for one or a few chicks would be minimal.
• Cost of building appropriate aviary for pre-release accommodation may be considerable.

• Hand-rearing should not be started unless the carer is prepared to give the time and effort required for rearing to release, or to ensure that appropriate care will be continued through to release.
• Consider whether hand-rearing is the best option for the individual compared with leaving it in the wild.
• Consider whether euthanasia is a more humane/kinder option for the individual than attempting hand-rearing.
• An offence may be committed under the Abandonment of Animals Act 1960 Section 1 if a released animal does not have a reasonable chance of survival (i.e. a chance similar to its non-rehabilitated peers). It is an offence under this Act for a person having control or charge of an animal to abandon it permanently or otherwise in circumstances likely to cause unnecessary suffering. This may include release at an unsuitable site, in the wrong territory, unfit, not having learned to hunt, at the wrong time of year etc. (J35.147.w1, B156.21.w21, B223, W5.Jan01)
• See: Legislation relating to Wildlife Casualties.

• B118.5.w5, B118.18.w18, B150.w2, B151, B186.8.w8, B203, J34.9.w1, P19.1.w9, P24.204.w1, D24, D26, D29, V.w5, V.w6   
• J35.147.w1, B156.21.w21, B223, W5.Jan01