The parent bird has been doing this “chip…chip…chip” call for the last few days which I thought was a danger or predator call. Today we went outside and there is a juvenile bird on the ground. He has all his feathers but his wings and tail are short. He is hopping forward, doing the same “chip…chip” call and spreading his wings, over and over.
The parent is watching from the fence and calling back to him. I’m assuming he is a fledgling and will learn to fly soon, and that the parents will take care of him on the ground. We won’t interfere with him, but I’m a little concerned about feral cats, kids, etc.
How long will he be on the ground? Is there anything we should do to protect him? I guess he knows a lot more about being a bird than we do.
You’re exactly right - leave him alone. Good on you for seeking more info before acting. Well-meaning people and their tendency to “over-rescue” drains resources for legitimate wildlife rescue needs. The wing-spreading behavior might be food solicitation aimed at his parents.
If you can, keep watch for cats and other potential threats. He should be strong enough to hop up into low branches soon, so you could reposition some potted plants or broken boughs to give him somewhere sheltered to retreat to.
He’ll be out of your hair in a day or two. Enjoy the show!
I’ve been volunteering at a wildlife rescue lately and I swear a good half of the birds brought in are FINE and should have been left alone, and now they might or might not make it because some kind soul kidnapped them. Unless a bird is injured or in an unsafe place you should probably leave it alone. Hereis some general information.
My yard has about 27 oak trees (not that I’m counting) and I don’t have anyone living behind me so I get tons and tons of squirrels and rabbits. So my garden is fully enclosed, with a wire & wood rectangular contraption my SO built for me. Over the years the wood has warped, so there are small gaps, but it is still hard for anything to get in. Or so I thought.
I came home a few days ago and found a baby cardinal in my garden. He had his flight feathers but not his full color yet, and his parents were anxiously perched on the sides of the box, chirping to him.
I have no idea how he got in. Was he flying and somehow fell on the gap between the door and the cage? Wriggled his way in? Did he see the beans and go for them?
Anyway I went out there and of course Mom and Dad flew off and watched from some distance away. I opened the door and lifted the top - it props up - and went back inside the house to watch.
I kid you not, it took this little guy 20 minutes to fly out. I could see he was unhurt, just…a little empty-headed, so I let him be and just watched. Every so often he would take a little flight around the cage, landing on all sides, sometimes landing amongst my strawberries (that’s probably what he went for!)
The parents did not come back but I presume they were watching. FINALLY he took another flight and magically found the four foot opening in the roof and flew off into the woods.
But he was so cute! He just had the beginnings of his little tuft on his head and he just looked so confused.