Right, I rescued a bird... help?

You need to get the bird to a wildlife rehabilitation group as soon as possible. It is illegal to keep wild birds--even babies--in your home for more than twenty-four hours and if the raven (more likely a crow, actually) is going to have a chance of surviving and being released it will need to go to someone who is trained to care for it and familiar with the process of raising it. Young birds need to be fed every half-hour to hour from sunrise to sunset, and their nutrition is very complex. It's a big responsibility to take on and that baby needs to be raised with others of its kind and on a proper diet so it will be able to be released and be free again like crows are supposed to be.

Please locate a wildlife rehab group near you as soon as you can and have them take the bird in. That way the bird will get the best care it can and will be able to be returned to the wild. Raising it yourself will most likely either kill the bird or lead to a bird that is malnourished and imprinted on humans and will then have to be put down. If you can get the bird to a rehab group soon, though, it will have a very good chance at surviving and being released. :)

I apologize if any of this sounds harsh--I don't mean it to! You did a good thing rescuing the bird. I've just seen a lot of birds that people have tried to raise without proper training and it usually ends in tragedy. I hope you're able to find a rehab group soon, and good luck! Please don't listen to any answerers that tell you to raise the bird yourself, as that is not the right thing for the bird.

We probably rescue about two a year. Usually after being hit by cars or flying into windows. Often all a bird needs is a couple of hours in a dark quiet place to pick themselves up. We did once keep a wee bird that had broken it's wing and we had to keep her as she could never fly properly again. We gave her the whole bedroom to flap about in and put up branches and things to play with. She was a friendly bird and lived a lot longer than she would have in the wild. We feed the wild birds every day. Some of them are really smart.

If the bird is fully feathered, it is most likely a fledgling and has left the nest on it's own and it's parents are caring for it. It is normal for birds to leave the nest before they can fly. You need to replace it where you found it..preferably in a scrub or tree so it is relatively safe from predators, and the parents should come back to feed it. If it is unfeathered...then look for a nest and if you can find it...replace it into the nest. Do not worry about your scent being on the chick..birds have a very poorly developed sense of smell and will NOT reject a baby that has been touched. If you cannot find a nest, get the bird to a local wildlife rehab for it's best chance of survival. Also, keep in mind, it is illegal for you to try and raise this bird on your own. Look for a rehab here:

http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contact.htm

Ignore phoenixflame. I have seen her answers before and she has made up false qualifications and following her advice is a death sentence.

It is not illegal to look after an injured bird and to say otherwise is just crazy.

There is not much you can do. Just try and keep him in a safe area and avoid too much contact with. The last thing you want to do is imprint on him.

cool u found a raven..well the best thing 2 do is go 2 the vet for a check up they know what ther doing. and maybe the vet could even take care of it for a while. hope this helps=]

Call a Vet. They can help you, and make sure you are doing things right and give you suggestions or offer info on where you could take the bird.

You really should call the local wildlife control. They usually take in injured or abandoned animals and rehabilitate them then release them back to the wild.

Is the bird eating on its own? Are you keeping it away from your parrot?If you call your local wildlife coalition they should take it in.

I can help:

Stop beginning conversations with, "Right", and you'll sound a LOT more intelligent!

See? That helps a lot!