I got home from work around 3:30. I heard this tweet, looked around a little and found this tiny, baby bird with fuzz still on it sitting on a limb, near the tree trunk. This limb is about five feet off the ground. I guess the bird flew to that spot. I do not see how it could have climbed or jumped there. Anyway, it has been sitting there for almost three hours now. I walked over and looked at it. It looked back but did not appear to be afraid. I mean, no scampering or fluttering. This morning I saw this same bird pirched on my hedge. The top of the hedge is about four feet off the ground. I watched this bird try to fly off but each time it ended up on the ground. Just couldn’t get going. Oddly, each time it flew toward the house. There is less than a foot between the edge of the hedge and the house. It would get under the hedge and start climbing up again. I watched it about three times. When I got home this afternoon, I could hear it chirping so I investigated. It doesn’t look hurt, but then I couldn’t tell really. I think it is strange that it is just sitting there for so long. I have watched for the parent bird. She was around this morning but I have not seen her this afternoon. I feed the birds in the back so she may be around. I am worried that a kitty will eat this young bird up if it can’t fly.
Suggestions anybody?
Thanks.
Best thing to do is leave the bird be. Touching it or moving it will only leave your human smell on it and attract more predators to it.
Whatever you do, DON’T try to put it back in it’s nest, assuming there is one nearby. If you try to put it in the nest, any other babies in there will panic and jump out.
It sounds like it might be learning to fly… how big is it? And by fuzz, do you mean it’s mostly naked? Are it’s eyes closed or open? It’s suprising, but some of the most pathetic looking “baby” birds are really the equivalent of awkward teenagers.
It certainly has a coat of feathers but the top of its head has some fuzz on it. Eyes are open. I would guess that it is about 2 inches tall. From the tip of its beak to the end of its tail, it is about 4 inches. Maybe 3" 1/2. It looks exhausted. But it is standing or pirching ok.
I will not handle it. I am just wondering how long it takes for them to fly. It seems pretty vulnerable.
Thanks.
Jacksen there are many bird species whose fledglings hang out on the ground for a few days as they just start getting their good, “grown-up wings”. The parents keep an eye out and continue to feed the youngster on the ground.
Fledlings look like mini-adults and are almost entirely feathered, but they still have tufts of downy fluff poking out here and there and can flutter-hop but not really fly.
Some birds, like starlings, can damage their new “flying feathers” in the cramped quarters of the nest which can house little wee babies comfortably, but not so much the teenaged birdies. So the parents kick them out when they can safely flutter to the ground, but can’t quite get themselves airborne. The parents will still care for them as if they’re in the nest.
You may have seen this with sparrows: The adolescent birdies line up on the ground and momma puts food in their gullets as if they were still hatchlings in the nest. (Cute!)
Don’t mess with the little critter, but if you see any cats around, give 'em a soggy shot with a super-soaker (the cat, not the bird obviously).
For the most part the “don’t touch! human smell!” thing that we all heard when we were kids is pretty much baseless (or so said the vet at the wildlife center where I fostered critters, and IIRC, someone posted the same info elsewhere on the SDMB recently). I think it’s mostly to keep kids from accidentally interfering with fledglings and/or coming into contact with potentially diseased or infested wildlife.
I once did have to move a starling fledgling because a big, old tomcat was stalking it. Oh, the parents showed up REAL quick! Man, oh, man did its parents ever get mad at me – the shrieking was insane. I thought they were going to go all Hitchcock on me! The parents continued to feed and watch over the youngster and a few days later they were all flying (though the young one was pretty lousy at it).