baby blue jay (1 Viewer)

Hello everyone, I had a question about mites on a baby blue jay. I've been keeping an eye on a blue jays nest in my tree for about a week or so. I know that there were at least three babies, but today there were none, and i thought maybe they all flew the coup. Until today when my nephew spotted a baby on a shelf in my shed. He seemed "stuck" not able to fly well. So I tried to pick him up, but he got away and, just coasted to the ground where I was afraid my cat or dog would get him. I picked him up again with the idea to put him back in the nest., but by the time someone grabbed a ladder for me, my hand was full of what I believe were mites coming off the bird. At that point I didn't know what to do to help him so I ended up putting him back in the nest. Now he seems to be gone, but I was wondering if this amount of mites were normal or if he had an infestation, and was probably going to die anyway. Is there hope for this little guy? and could there have been more I could have done for him? I know I couldn't take him in ,and put my Parrot into jeapardy .Should I have called wildlife rehab in this situation? Is there a mite killer I could have used on him natural or otherwise? Thank you to whomever with any help on this, it is nagging me that I should have done more.

hello karen,
There is not a lot you could do in the situation, and you never know all could be well. Mites are a natural occurance on birds and killing them off could have done as much harm as good. It may have seemed like a lot on you but your warm hands on the bird would have triggered the exodus.
Its hard to know if this particular bird was a little early in leaving the nest, may be it was the last hatched and couldn't keep up with the rest. On the other hand it could have been anemic from the mites and therefore struggling.
If so many decamped to your hands then maybe that got rid of enough to give it a chance.
I am no expert on these matters but I think you did the right thing putting it back in the nest and letting nature take its course. I think there is a good chance it made it.
Lulie

Hello Karen,
On behalf of the staff, welcome to the Birdforum, and I agree with Lulie, putting the young bird back in the nest was the right thing to do. The young birds often leave the nest before they are able to fly and spend several days in low shrubs or the ground with the parents still looking over them and feeding them. Sounds like yours ended up on a shelf instead of a shrub.

blue jay

Thank you so much Lulie, and Dave I feel little bit better now about the baby blue jay. I was thinking the same thing about the mites being on my hand maybe enough of them came off the bird to give him some relief. Poor thing. I knew I had to get him back into that nest even if it meant climbing half way up the tree with one hand because my other was holding him. lol