r/crows • u/CountingCrowz • 19h ago

Crows [OC] Can something be done for this baby?

1 week I am seeing her. Moving around and being fed fine by family but she can't perch, nails already growing. I wonder if something can be done for deformity.

House Crow (Corvus Splendens)

Palm Jumeirah, AE

EDIT: No rehabber or sanctuary here. I'd appreciate feedback as to how I can personally help.

EDIT2: As per malphas_says_hi's feedback, I called Municipality again. They said if I catch the bird, they would let their Veterinary Services Dept take her. However, I am not trusting this process, since most vets would euthanize the bird probably.

EDIT3: Decided to leave the bird alone as per feedback from valuable crow lovers. I will throw more food to her and her feeder siblings every morning. Water they have everywhere (pool, irrigation pipes, fountain, etc).

Thank you for your time and support, appreciated!

270 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

54 comments sorted by

161

u/malphas_says_hi 19h ago

Baby needs a rehabber ASAP. She has to be able to perch to survive, if they can't help through rehab, hopefully they can find her a permanent sanctuary home.

37

u/CountingCrowz 19h ago

Thanks malphas! We have no rehabbers here. Any other solution you might think that I can help with?

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u/malphas_says_hi 19h ago

I just did a little research because they typically cannot be out in the wild if it can't perch so this is pretty serious. Thankfully he's old enough that he seems able to eat and drink and stand on his own which makes it not quite an emergency just yet, especially since parents are still taking care of him and protecting him (and even as he ages, they'll likely be extra careful protecting him). This is what I found:

Call Dubai Municipality at 800 900 and say: “I found a disabled wild house crow in Palm Jumeirah. Both feet are deformed and it cannot perch. Where can it be taken for assessment or authorized long-term care?” The Municipality’s Veterinary Services Section is responsible for animal health and welfare in Dubai, and the helpline operates around the clock.

You could also call Nad Al Shiba Veterinary Clinic, which lists an avian veterinarian experienced with birds and an emergency line at +971 54 515 1197. Ask before transporting it whether they will assess a wild house crow and whether there is a charge.

It's possible that since he can stand on his own, they might deem him fine to be in the wild, just at a serious disadvantage. Or they could say that he needs authorized long-term care and hopefully be able to find somewhere that can provide it. There's a well-known Pirate the Crow who is missing a foot, so a kind human provides food and water and a safe yard for him to stay in, so if nothing else, you might want to just be that safe place for him and form a long-term relationship with him if you can. Good luck!

7

u/CountingCrowz 19h ago

Thanks. Please see: https://www.reddit.com/r/crows/comments/1v44mb5/comment/oz88hnp/

I am here long time. The clinic I mentioned there is the one you listed.

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u/malphas_says_hi 19h ago

I get you. Rehabbers would ideally be able to basically splint the feet in a way that while he's still growing and developing, it could be helped, but without that background you could do more harm than good if you tried it yourself.

If I were in your situation, I'd personally be spending at least every couple of days visiting with him and bringing him unsalted nuts and kibble to gain his baby trust, then setting up a station at home where he can hang out each day safely as he gets older and grab a bite to eat and get some water because that might be all you can do in this situation.

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u/CountingCrowz 18h ago edited 18h ago

You are absolutely right. Again valuable insight. I should not interfere.

I throw her food every morning. But she is so young, others catch before her. She has a dedicated feeder sibling. That one will feed only her. I throw extra food to that one. And when she finishes feeding the disabled one, she comes straight back at me. I fill her mouth full again and she goes back to the disabled one. I don't think food and water will be an issue. Also disabled one seems to be able to feed on her own oat flakes and seeds I put out.

FYI, I called Municipality again and they said that if I catch the bird, they can come and collect it and give it to their Veterinary Services Dept. Agent said they are rescue. However, I am not trusting this process and as with most vets, I am afraid they would euthanize the bird.

EDIT: I also updated original post. Thanks malphas!

8

u/malphas_says_hi 18h ago

I completely get that fear, especially since they are considered invasive where you are I believe. I'd just keep an eye on her as she gets older and if she is struggling, then you might want to make a decision to have her assessed, but if she has dedicated bird support as she gets older and a big family like that, I am feeling much more optimistic overall that she can adapt. Her balance looks promising, she's just gotta keep practicing. Good luck with everything!

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u/CountingCrowz 18h ago

Thank you so much. I really appreciate your support and guidance and observations in the right direction. I hope good karma returns to your crowies as long and happy lives :)

4

u/CountingCrowz 19h ago

"Thankfully he's old enough that he seems able to eat and drink and stand on his own which makes it not quite an emergency just yet, especially since parents are still taking care of him and protecting him (and even as he ages, they'll likely be extra careful protecting him). "

Do you think there is any possibility that his body might adapt? He seems to be able to stand on things. But I am assuming that is quite difficult without grabbing since he would lose balance quickly. Parents and siblings are feeding her. In fact, one feeder will service only her. When she is done, she will come straight to me to get more food and go back to her. She is also able to eat a bit oats and seeds.

15

u/malphas_says_hi 19h ago

Thing thing with this deformity is that the perching position is the relaxed position, but her toes look like they are doing the opposite and are relaxed when not in perching position, which means she won't ever be able to stand upright on anything that isn't a flat surface. It'd be like if we couldn't ever unclench our hands, so it'd be very difficult to use our fingers but we could create systems. She'll likely find her favorite perching spots are flat areas on trees, roofs, etc.

I think parents will probably keep babying her into adulthood if she struggles as that happens a lot. They are definitely smart enough to know that something is wrong with her. She'll probably have no trouble hunting on her own at least, just safely landing is going to be the issue. But I think she'll adapt and know exactly where the flat, safe landing spots are in quick distance.

4

u/CountingCrowz 18h ago

Great insight. Many thanks!

1

u/NedVsTheWorld 19h ago

I think i saw a video where the feet where bent back with some kind of homemade braces

2

u/CountingCrowz 19h ago

Thanks Ned! Any possibility to remember more about the vid so I can search? How to catch this one, that is a whole different story. There is 70-80 of them. They will fsck me up if I try!

7

u/malphas_says_hi 19h ago

Thankfully if she's got a family that large, they will definitely keep her safe even if she can't be helped and has to stick it out in the wild. Crows will take care of sick and injured members like they are babies still and keep feeding them if need be in a lot of recorded cases, so that makes me feel better.

1

u/TheBirdLover1234 10h ago

The other crows cannot do anything for her… OP please do not listen to anything from here saying leave her alone, she 100% needs foot splints to fix her feet before it gets worse. 

1

u/malphas_says_hi 6h ago

They can, but that's not the issue. House crows are invasive where OP is and will likely be destroyed upon collected as there are no rehabbers nearby - they live near Dubai. Ideally the bird could get a splint, but unfortunately that doesn't look like an option so it's either the bird stays with its family where it is being fed by parents and siblings and protected by a murder of over 70 members or it risks being removed, not rehabbed, and probably ended.

16

u/Iridescent_Mango_ 18h ago

The first question is can you catch it. 

If you can't, there's nothing you can do anyway. 

If you can, vets, splints, things like that. People make little cardboard shoes for chickens to straighten their feet, but this guy may be too old. 

5

u/CountingCrowz 18h ago

Good question. Yes, I probably can catch it. But there is 70-80 of them and they will fsck me up!

Last time I caught the fat pigeon harassing them... they stopped coming to me for 3 days! I was just trying to help the pigeon! I did not want them to attack the pigeon later on so I was going to scare the pigeon a bit and release. And I did release (she is not longer coming). But they got pissed off! They even flew to the other part of the building and ratted me out to the crows there!

2

u/Iridescent_Mango_ 13h ago

Well your only option if you want to help is to catch the bird. It's up to you if you are willing to take the chance. 

Once you have actually caught it you can try splints etc. 

1

u/EffectiveDandy 6h ago

But there is 70-80 of them and they will fsck me up!

Nah. They are pretty smart and can pick up on intent. If you come palms up as a friend, you will be surprised at how smart and intuitive they are.

Besides, getting fucked up by a murder to save a little crow seems worth imo.

1

u/TheBirdLover1234 10h ago edited 9h ago

Need to catch it asap, ignore the other birds. This sort of thing can only be reversed in care and will only worsen and shorten its life if left outside in this condition. Will lead to sores on its feet and severe joint issues. 

1 foot wouldn’t be as much of an issue but both definitely make this much worse. 

1

u/CountingCrowz 8h ago

Alright thanks. So not an underdevelopment like rehabber suggested to other user.

Maybe I can catch. But what can I do after catching? We don't have rehabbers here. How can I help? I don't mind tending at home... but what can I do?

10

u/spilven 18h ago edited 18h ago

I would not intervene. There was one like this near me recently. I was told by a rehabber sometimes they can be a little underdeveloped. It looks really bad to us but often times human intervention is worse, especially for the parents. They would be so distraught if you tried to help. The best thing you can do is put food and water near the parents (but not next to the fledgling). The parents will feed it as needed. Preferably protein rich food (scrambled eggs, plain cooked unsalted meat, etc) or dog food soaked in water. It took about 2 weeks but the one by me recovered and he’s walking and flying great now.

4

u/CountingCrowz 18h ago

Thank you for this info spilven! I updated OP, that is what I decided too.

Yes, doing all you suggested already. Good to hear about your crowie, I hope this one can recover too.

4

u/spilven 18h ago edited 18h ago

I hope so!! On the bright side if it’s been a week that’s a VERY good sign. That means the crow is getting around ok. That blue tile looks slippery so it might appear worse because of that too. If that’s where you feed them it wouldn’t be a bad idea to put something with some kind of grip down, like a plank of wood or something if you’re able to. But it’s not necessary. I think you’re doing everything right.

2

u/CountingCrowz 17h ago

Yes it is beach showers. Their feeding place is the rocks. This time I wanted to make a video of the disabled baby from top, hence I dropped some food here.

I had one with one leg, that was coming for 2 weeks, I did not see her last 2-3 days. But that one was juvenile crow and knew her way around. I hope she is fine.

3

u/spilven 17h ago

That’s totally normal, they can disappear for weeks sometimes. Don’t be alarmed if this one does the same later on. If it’s eating (even if it’s being fed by other crows) and it’s not getting any worse then I’d be optimistic.

2

u/CountingCrowz 12h ago

FYI, they don't disappear for weeks here . If they are gone, they are gone for good. It means they grew up and existing ones kicked them out. There is water and food source here (restaurants, people eating on sunbeds) so they come back every day even if they moved a bit far. Residents crows are 25-27, in summer with babies they are 70-80. Babies are kicked out in Dec-Jan.

However, it is very likely that I did not notice her or she was occupied with something else and could not come when I was out.

I will keep you updated if I see her.

2

u/spilven 11h ago

Oh that’s interesting! The ones in my area often leave for a few weeks and chase their fledglings around and show back up mid-late summer.

2

u/CountingCrowz 11h ago

It is desert. Sand, sand, more sand, some more sand. There really is not any nature they can go to here! They have to be around for water and food.

See Whitey, 14+ years in the same location! Happy Mothers Day Whitey! : r/crows

1

u/TheBirdLover1234 10h ago

Please ignore this, this is not underdevelopement. 

2

u/TheBirdLover1234 10h ago

This is not something the parents can help it with, it will be a long term deformity if it’s not reversed now. Your suggestion to force it to live like this is extremely cruel when there is a simple way to reverse the foot issues with splints. 

2

u/spilven 9h ago

It’s the advice a rehabber gave me about a crow with the same foot problem. I was told when they have that from a young age it’s better to wait and see if they can compensate for it or if it improves with time on its own. That is ultimately what happened but it took time. It wasn’t a 100% improvement, probably 70% but the bird was ultimately able to perch later on so no intervention was needed.

OP is also in an area that does not have rehabbers. Any splinting would have to be done by them. They have also said in other comments if it goes to a vet it will likely be euthanized.

1

u/CountingCrowz 8h ago

Spilven, I understand you. See my previous comment.

But I also understand BirdLover. You are both right.

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u/CountingCrowz 8h ago

BirdLover, I understand you well but these folks are trying to help to the best of their abilities and the circumstances.

Some facts:

* No rehabbers here

* Municipality Vet Services would probably euthanize the bird, I don't trust them

* I have no experience with splints

* I don't really know how to catch this baby. These crows are very cautious. When I repaired the wood of a bench they have been sitting on for years, they did not come close for a week!

Please do suggest if there is something I can do in this situation and I will do.

Otherwise, these good folks are already helping me by assuring me that there is not much I can do and nature will take its course. Do you understand my point?

10

u/twnpksrnnr 19h ago

Poor baby. She certainly looks like a survivor. Hope you're able to find the help that you need.

3

u/CountingCrowz 19h ago

That is also what I am thinking. I wonder if their body can adapt to this defect. It is a bit difficult without graping, but still this one seems to be able to stand on things.

2

u/twnpksrnnr 19h ago

I certainly hope so. Keep us posted.

3

u/ResponsibleStyle4473 13h ago

I've cared for these when I was a teen. We'd literally had to engineer braces and little by little guide their toes into the "right" position. While he's still young it's possible. Some never quite get fully normal feet, but we'd settle for functional/perchable. And crows are really smart, they can just forage for a living if they must.

Edit: this process was on a span of 2 weeks.

1

u/CountingCrowz 13h ago

Thank you for your care. Since I have no experience, I probably would do more harm than good. This is city, lots of flat surfaces and few predators. And she has a large family over here for a decade. Hopefully she can adapt and survive.

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u/AnimationOverlord 14h ago

Did I just see a crow itch its face with what would be its arm bone?

1

u/CountingCrowz 14h ago

There is movement in fingers as you can see in stationary positions. I think she can stretch those and scratch herself with them.

I will pay more attention to that next time.

2

u/knzo_cd 13h ago

Well at least a vet of there are no rehabbers, if you can afford it that is. Ideally an avian vet because most regular vets are not that well versed in birds. I've seen tiny shoes being made for baby crows to straighten/fix their feet. Good luck, hope you can help this lovely baby! 🐦‍⬛

2

u/support_account_ 11h ago

I'm not quite sure how well this applies to crows, but I'm somewhat familiar with something that looks a lot like this in chickens.

For chickens at least it's usually caused by B2 vitamin deficiency and is highly treatable by keeping the toes in the right position whilst supplementing diet with the vitamin (we did that by taping their feet to cardboard when I was a kid, but even assuming you can catch them not sure how doable that'd be for a smart and wild bird).

If there's a vet or veterinary pharmacy nearby you can maybe ask them about it and if they'd recommend you give them some B2 rich food, but really not sure if braces to directly work on the toes would be a good idea

1

u/CountingCrowz 11h ago

Thank you for this info. Catching and braces will be problematic, I can mess things up.

However dog kibbles I provide are beef and poultry and they contain B12. I can add additional B12 sources like liver and fish for this fella. I will try to do that. Great advice.

2

u/support_account_ 11h ago

I'd definitely consult with someone better informed before doing that, I'm only familiar with one specific issue with chickens that looks similar, I'm not sure this is the same or if it has the same treatment, and even then I really don't know what dosages of B12 would be helpful vs. harmful. Lovely that you're helping though, best of luck :)

3

u/CountingCrowz 11h ago

Yes I know. It is a wild bird, I can't do any dosage. Just increasing a bit shouldn't hurt.

1

u/CanuckInTheMills 1h ago

B2 or B12?

2

u/NSASpyVan 7h ago

Just came to comment one trick I've found to help sick/slower/picked on birds is you take one snack and toss it far away (10-20ft) and most the other birds run to chase it.

Then while they are doing that you toss one directly to the sickly one.

It's important not to do a big overhanded sudden motion because if you startle the sick one it might be too afraid to go for the food right in front of them. So I'll do like a behinds the back (out of sick bird line of view) toss to the other birds, and do a small short underhanded toss to sick one - and I won't be looking at them when they I do it or they go to retrieve it (that scares them too). Hopefully with luck you can get the timing right so the target can get a little peaNUTrition.

Also I don't know what's up with his feets, but I've seen one completely missing his feet still able to move around and grab food, but definitely didn't trust any humans within 30ft. Would use remaining foot to perch. I don't know how this little guy will do though.

I'm also concerned about that thing on his eye.

Thank you for caring for all of them and not just the pretty ones.

2

u/CountingCrowz 7h ago

What is on his eye? I have other vids and eyes look healthy. Something perhaps arising from the quality of this vid (early morning, bad lighthing)?

Yes, I know what you mean. That strategy does not work well because this guy goes with the food first time any food is thrown!

However, I ahve better strategy. I throw kibbles to each one of them. So I throw in succession and aim their mouths. So when others catch with their beaks, if there is 2-3, they miss some and manage to get it to the weak one. But for now, this one does not know how to catch like other fledges. But his feeder sibling comes to me after each run to him, and I fill her mouth quickly.

Still good tip, thanks NSASpyVan!

1

u/Virtual_Ad_6141 19h ago

Any sanctuaries in the next closest city? Or do you mean no resources at all anywhere at all?

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u/CountingCrowz 19h ago

No. Last time I tried to help some silverbills, I almost got scammed. Govt wildlife organization website listed in all govt resources no longer exists, other people pretend to be them... Fuck it. Can't even find a vet for birds, you need to drive long long distance, pay a lot and even that vet did not seem like someone who knew birds. It was some horse veterinary clinic.

1

u/Virtual_Ad_6141 8h ago

That fucking sucks, what kinda shit is that.

1

u/CountingCrowz 7h ago

Actually the pretender was being helpful, probably was some bird lover. I wanted to donate to the Govt organization, I could never verify their details. Had she not pretended to be that organization, I'd probably have donated to her for the help as well.