Please help this sick baby red wattle bird

[ceecee]

We found a wild baby red wattle bird fell off her nest a week ago, but the baby bird is too young to fly, so we go and check the baby bird everyday.



Two days ago, we found the baby bird got some kind of disease, there are some cysts (tiny, round, yellow things) growing around her neck as well as the feathers falling out (as per attached photos). We don't really know what is it, it looks like a kind of bacteria or fungal infection. We check her again this morning and found it is getting worse now!



We were going to take her to Vet, but Vet said as a wild animal, we have to leave the baby bird to them and can't bring back to her parents, and they refuse to see the baby bird's photos. I think it is cruel as her parents still feeding her and the baby bird needs her parents' care.



So I come here to ask people's help! Does anyone know about what is happening to the baby bird? and how to help the bird?

[avinet]

I am not sure I am going to be a great help here since I am not familiar with baby Red Wattle Birds - I don't see them up here in my part of Queensland. However I do wonder if those bumps you are calling cysts are the start of the development of the birds wattle. It does not look like an infection to me. Birds do have bare areas of skin - from the photos you provided they look like areas naturally without feathers. How is the baby behaving - is it acting sick - is it eating food from it's parents enthusiastically? If it is still behaving normally then I would think the best solution is to leave it alone to be fed by it's parents until it is able to fly away with them. Presumably it was not possible to replace it into the nest.

I can understand the vet's approach - in most states it is illegal to look after a wild bird that is sick or injured unless you have a rescue license - and that is normally only given to those who belong to a rescue organization, such as WIRES in NSW. If you had taken it to the vet he would have had to pass it on to a wildlife carer after assessing the baby's health. If the baby is sick - looking sleepy and not eating or reacting when the parents come to it, and if it feels thin - the chest keel bone will feel very sharp and prominent - then it would be best for it to go into care and be raised to weaning and release age by someone experienced with looking after baby wattle birds.

cheers,

Mike