Oh and yes, the story is the little fell down the chimney in a barn, the person that found the bird was concerned as there were also Barn cats, now weather the little one did have an encounter with a cat before being found is a question, the injury could be from a cat, hard to say.

I have never worked with such a small bird, I took the bird out and placed onto the ground, this bird simply can't fly, I am thinking I better stick with my first remarks, this bird is young and is in fledge.
When the young go down instead of up the parents do there best to defend there young while grounded, they continue to feed and encourage them to fly.
I do not know how long this little one has been down and or when he/she was last fed by the parent, I do know the breast bone is prominate and the bird needs nurishment and rehydrated.
I have delt with many cat related injuries and the injury I am seeing doesn't appear to be from a cat attack but more of a scrap type of wound, so I won't risk the baytril for now.
I will catch me some insects...(yuk) and crush them up into the formula with a ritters solution for re-hydrating...
This little one perks up when seeing and hearing the birds outside, so placing the cage outside provide hope and this is much needed.
I will keep you all posted.

Well I rounded up some ants and a fat beetle (yuk) and crushed them up and added them to the Kaytee & Ritters solution and fed the little bugger, boy can this little one scream, best scream...he/she knows now faking being dead isn't working....LOL
I will snap some close up photos of his flights, the bird in the picture has long Primaries, this little one doesn't...there kinda straight accross.
Both legs are fine, boy are they, this little one can really hang onto things.
The bird will slowly regain his/her strength, rehydrating will help a great deal.
When feeding I power feed to get in there and out, so human contact and the stress is limited, he/she seems to be doing much better outside.

I can't keep up with you. Swallows used to follow me when i was racking the hay or out riding - they'd swoop around & around. They are wonderful birds to have around. Our old farm house had a big veranda & the swallows would build nest under it - sure made things messy but they weren't alone as the bats had the inside of the veranda.

I know i had good results with the organic cat food i was giving my sparrow.

All the best with this one.

I started the thread thinking this was a Swallow, I done some re-search and found this little one to be a Chimney Swift, they eat insects and such...
I have rehabbed squirrels, wabbits, pigeons, doves, ground squirrels, blue jays, black birds, robins, but never a bird this small, at first I thought he/she was a baby wren, then the finder said the little bird fell from a chimney in a barn, barn cats were mentioned, so I assumed he/she was a Barn Swallow injured by cats.
Well, long story short, I have been doing some reading and found out what species this is and what there diet consists of.
the information I read also states they are seed eaters, so this is what I am providing...
The primary wing feathers are not fully developed yet, this little one simply can't fly.
The small wound ontop the head appears like a scrap not a puncher wound like one would find inflicted from a cat, but the bird does appear to have been in the mouth of something...more than likely...a cat...so I might add a half cc of baytril in the next feeding..

I hope the seed and baytril gives him a boost. Do you think that possibly the flights could have been plucked out by his attacker?

I will snap some photos of both wings later, just finished doing some cleaning, half way done
Still have the dreaded wipe down to do...LOL
But when I feed the little one I will take some snaps and post them.

The Chimney Swift
These sites are copy write protected
Chimney Swift - Whatbird.com
http://ccb.wm.edu/opportunities/swif...ch_chimney.htm
Wildlife Photography - Species Profile

Well something has happened to this little guys feathers, they are no where near what is pictured on these sites.
A very fascinating little bird.

I sure hope I can keep this little one alive so his/her feathers re-grow in time for migration.

I will take pictures after the next feeding.

That last link from nature photographers.net was particularly interesting. I never knew that much about swifts! What fascinating birds, and members of the same order as hummingbirds, who'd a thunk it? And able to reach speeds of 150mph? No wonder they are called Swifts! I've got some left over cement chimney blocks laying around, I think I'll see about building a Swift tower!

Arty, if it is indeed a Swift, and I think it is, I stand by my thoughts of an insect diet. Swifts are exclusively flying insect eaters, mosquitoes being a favorite. Thoughts and prayers for the little feller from here.

I have a Racing Pigeon down to go and pick up, but soon I will be feeding this little Swift, then I will snap some photos of the wings, If there was something wrong with the wings the bird wouldn't use them, or try but couldn't use them, this isn't the case.
I simply can't place whats going on, and handling this little one is like OMG, "way fragile", Even my smallest syringe looks way way big it his/her beak...
They arrive here in March, and migrate in September, I have a short time period to get this little one back into the sky..
Imagin these birds even bathe while in flight, now that has to be fun to watch.
The tail feather appear as those of the Common Swift and the Chimney Swift, the other species are different.
Sooooo, The Common or Chimney is what I have here.
Talk soon