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Abandoned Baby House Sparrows (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter WabbyTwax
- Start date
WabbyTwax,
Here are better pictures. Some of the ones I posted last night are blurry. I'm just figuring out how to do all this. The first four are one day after I found her in my garden. The last one shows some of the trees, shrubs and brush behind my house. It's much more dense to the right of the window. This picture caught an area that is less dense than most of area behind our house.
Here are better pictures. Some of the ones I posted last night are blurry. I'm just figuring out how to do all this. The first four are one day after I found her in my garden. The last one shows some of the trees, shrubs and brush behind my house. It's much more dense to the right of the window. This picture caught an area that is less dense than most of area behind our house.
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I'm not a professional so I am only speaking from things I've picked up. I don't think its a good idea just yet to mix seed into its food. I wasnt when my birds were at the stage yours is in. The reason I decided not to is because I Know that they do not have a digestive system like you and I. They store the food in their "crop" where its broken down usually with help from "grit". Wild birds get grit from swallowing tiny granules of sand and pebbles they find on the ground. You can get a box of small bird grit in the pet bird section of your local Wal-Mart or any pet store. Its a box of special sand basically. You just sprinkle it on the bottom of a birds cage where they can pick bits of it up at will. I introduced it into my birds' cage when I introduced the bird seed. I think the seeds you have mixed in will not harm the bird because if its finch millet it should easily pass through their system although they will probably not gain the nutrition they would normally need from it not being able to properly digest it. I feel that as long as you've made it available to the bird it will figure things out when its ready. If someone reads this and knows of anything I said differently please correct me.
Beautiful bird btw! It looks exactly as my birds did a week or so ago. I haven't even seen any of mine today yet but I left a spoon of their food as well as a dish of a special finch food seed mix for when they might come around.
As far as you thinking it may be injured. Watch for if the bird stretches its wings out as mine would do that alot, usually after eating. If it can stretch its wings out (sort of looks like someone stretching out their arm while yawning) I think it should be just fine. If not just give it some time and nuturing. Another theory of mine is that you are the only thing in this birds life so appropriate or not it still needs some kind of interaction. Normally the mother bird would be visiting the babies repeatedly to feed them and prune them. Also there are usually other birds in the nest which they socialize with and mimic one anothers' behaviors. Because yours has no mother bird or siblings now I think its important to give it some attention while feeding it. Like mine, I'm sure once its grown enough to fly around outside it will find other birds to follow around. I've already seen two of mine that seem to stick together alot following around an adult male on the neighboring rooftop.
Oh also I did this sometimes maybe it can be helpful for you. There are websites that have the sounds of House Finches that you can play through a computer or notebook. Here's one that I've used to play sounds from.
http://whatbird.wbu.com/obj/105/overview/House_Finch.aspx
You can find other sites im sure by using Google.
Beautiful bird btw! It looks exactly as my birds did a week or so ago. I haven't even seen any of mine today yet but I left a spoon of their food as well as a dish of a special finch food seed mix for when they might come around.
As far as you thinking it may be injured. Watch for if the bird stretches its wings out as mine would do that alot, usually after eating. If it can stretch its wings out (sort of looks like someone stretching out their arm while yawning) I think it should be just fine. If not just give it some time and nuturing. Another theory of mine is that you are the only thing in this birds life so appropriate or not it still needs some kind of interaction. Normally the mother bird would be visiting the babies repeatedly to feed them and prune them. Also there are usually other birds in the nest which they socialize with and mimic one anothers' behaviors. Because yours has no mother bird or siblings now I think its important to give it some attention while feeding it. Like mine, I'm sure once its grown enough to fly around outside it will find other birds to follow around. I've already seen two of mine that seem to stick together alot following around an adult male on the neighboring rooftop.
Oh also I did this sometimes maybe it can be helpful for you. There are websites that have the sounds of House Finches that you can play through a computer or notebook. Here's one that I've used to play sounds from.
http://whatbird.wbu.com/obj/105/overview/House_Finch.aspx
You can find other sites im sure by using Google.
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You gave it a better chance than it had on its own and you tried your best. Try not to let it get you down too much nature can be cruel =/ You have to think about what the percentage is of babies that actually make it in the wild to adulthood as I'm sure its not great and they weren't meant to be saved. The good news is that these birds can lay eggs year-round so maybe the mother bird has already started preparing for a new family.
One bird came to the deck and ate a little bit from me and didn't stay long. Showed signs of independance and kept its distance. This comes after a couple days that I haven't seen any of them so I'm certain now they have moved on. It was nice seeing the one even for a short while and I see juveniles around that I wonder are mine but theres many in the neighborhood now and no way to tell them apart.
Have you seen your birds in the past few days? Did any more come to eat? What about if you put out just the bird seed? Although I imagine you would get more than just your birds coming for supper! I guess the only way you could tell which ones are yours is if you had put an identifier on each of them, like they do with birds and animals that are released back into the wild. You must miss having them stop by to say hi.
I wonder if my bird died suddenly because I had just started to mix a little bird seed in with the food and since birds store the food in their crop it took a few days to affect her. Or if the stress of nine hours in several thunderstorms with no food caused her immune system to collapse. Her feathers were fluffed out all day which is a sign of fever and I could see her breathing hard even while she slept. She looked in a great deal of pain the last few minutes before she died. I can't seem to help myself looking in my gardens for baby birds in distress. I realized too late I had become very attached to her.
I wonder if my bird died suddenly because I had just started to mix a little bird seed in with the food and since birds store the food in their crop it took a few days to affect her. Or if the stress of nine hours in several thunderstorms with no food caused her immune system to collapse. Her feathers were fluffed out all day which is a sign of fever and I could see her breathing hard even while she slept. She looked in a great deal of pain the last few minutes before she died. I can't seem to help myself looking in my gardens for baby birds in distress. I realized too late I had become very attached to her.
Haven't seen any of my birds at least that I know of for a while. I don't think I will knowingly see them any more. We had a cookout yesterday and I suspect one I saw on the roof above me might have been one of mine but now its hard to tell because there are so many birds of the same species and age flying around. I know that the last time I've seen each of them they were happy and healthy so I have no doubt they are off doing their bird things.
I've had several animals includings pets of mine die some even as I tried to save them so I know the frustration and sorrow you feel. You will feel better after some time passes. But its a good sign that you feel the way you do because so many people don't share these feelings and show no regard for wildlife. It's nice to share our thoughts and ideas with other people who are as compassionate as you are.
I've had several animals includings pets of mine die some even as I tried to save them so I know the frustration and sorrow you feel. You will feel better after some time passes. But its a good sign that you feel the way you do because so many people don't share these feelings and show no regard for wildlife. It's nice to share our thoughts and ideas with other people who are as compassionate as you are.
Wonderful thread!
Yesterday, my dogs found a little bird stuck in some mouse trap glue under the patio table. We tried to clean it, but only succeeded in upsetting the poor thing. I found a suggestion on the net for using vegetable oil. That did a good job of making the stuff unsticky, but it takes time.
In the meantime, I was using some tweezers to try to get some of the hairs and stuff unstuck from her legs. At one point, (I think she was still too sticky) she became upset and wanted to jump on my chest for safety. I was adopted. I think she became attached quickly because of her inability to move causing her fear. I hope she will readjust well once she gets all her movement back.
She (?) appears to not quite be full grown. Once some of her feathers fluffed out, I could see some baby fuzz underneath so I guess that makes her a juvenile. She rested most of the day yesterday, seemed to sleep well last night and is full of spit and vinegar today. She finally started eating (seeds) with gusto. I believe that as soon as her feathers fluff out, she will fly away.
In the meantime, can anyone help me figure out what she is? I kinda thought she was a house sparrow, but her beak is mostly blackish with bright yellow where the frown would be (sorry, hard to describe). I hope the picture shows up well enough. She is about the size of a finch right now, but as I said, not quite full grown so I can't tell how big she'll be. That pic is from yesterday. she looks MUCH better today. I'll try to take another pic, but she's not being very still like she was then.
Yesterday, my dogs found a little bird stuck in some mouse trap glue under the patio table. We tried to clean it, but only succeeded in upsetting the poor thing. I found a suggestion on the net for using vegetable oil. That did a good job of making the stuff unsticky, but it takes time.
In the meantime, I was using some tweezers to try to get some of the hairs and stuff unstuck from her legs. At one point, (I think she was still too sticky) she became upset and wanted to jump on my chest for safety. I was adopted. I think she became attached quickly because of her inability to move causing her fear. I hope she will readjust well once she gets all her movement back.
She (?) appears to not quite be full grown. Once some of her feathers fluffed out, I could see some baby fuzz underneath so I guess that makes her a juvenile. She rested most of the day yesterday, seemed to sleep well last night and is full of spit and vinegar today. She finally started eating (seeds) with gusto. I believe that as soon as her feathers fluff out, she will fly away.
In the meantime, can anyone help me figure out what she is? I kinda thought she was a house sparrow, but her beak is mostly blackish with bright yellow where the frown would be (sorry, hard to describe). I hope the picture shows up well enough. She is about the size of a finch right now, but as I said, not quite full grown so I can't tell how big she'll be. That pic is from yesterday. she looks MUCH better today. I'll try to take another pic, but she's not being very still like she was then.
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It looks like a very newly fledged house sparrow. I wonder if its parents are still around, as it may be too young to fend for itself. If the bird is fit enough perhaps you could try returning it outside in a safe place and watch to see if the parents return to feed it.
Regarding glue traps - I hope you don't feel I am lecturing, but these are not a humane form of 'pest' control. If mice are a problem perhaps an alternative more humane method of control could be sought. Is there a source of food that is attracting them, if so then removing this may help. (I would think the dogs would act as a deterrent.) I have woodmice in my garden which are all part of the wildlife and providing they live outside, I personally have no problem with them.
Good luck with the little bird.
Jo
Regarding glue traps - I hope you don't feel I am lecturing, but these are not a humane form of 'pest' control. If mice are a problem perhaps an alternative more humane method of control could be sought. Is there a source of food that is attracting them, if so then removing this may help. (I would think the dogs would act as a deterrent.) I have woodmice in my garden which are all part of the wildlife and providing they live outside, I personally have no problem with them.
Good luck with the little bird.
Jo
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Thanks!
We don't have a mouse problem (not for a long time) and I hate glue traps too. We tried them once and won't use them again. To make a long story short, I found it behind the couch and put it out on the table to throw away and forgot it. Believe me, I didn't like them before, but now I hate them.
We used to have a problem with rats and mice getting into the shed and occasionally the house, but now we have a resident hawk - one of the main reasons why I can't put this little birdie outside until I know she can fly.
She seems to be less dependent as she gains mobility. Yesterday, she would only eat off my finger. Today she eats on her own. Once she can fly again, she'll be less likely to want my protection. That may be as early as tomorrow.
I really thought she was a fledgling house sparrow except for the beak. I can't find a picture of a fledgling to know for sure.
We don't have a mouse problem (not for a long time) and I hate glue traps too. We tried them once and won't use them again. To make a long story short, I found it behind the couch and put it out on the table to throw away and forgot it. Believe me, I didn't like them before, but now I hate them.
We used to have a problem with rats and mice getting into the shed and occasionally the house, but now we have a resident hawk - one of the main reasons why I can't put this little birdie outside until I know she can fly.
She seems to be less dependent as she gains mobility. Yesterday, she would only eat off my finger. Today she eats on her own. Once she can fly again, she'll be less likely to want my protection. That may be as early as tomorrow.
I really thought she was a fledgling house sparrow except for the beak. I can't find a picture of a fledgling to know for sure.
Thanks for the reply.
Sounds like she's doing okay. Good luck with her release. (The colour of the beak does vary in sparrows). Following is link to photo of fledgling house sparrow which maybe of help.
http://www.birdinfo.com/A_Images_H/HouseSparrow_0002.html
Jo
Sounds like she's doing okay. Good luck with her release. (The colour of the beak does vary in sparrows). Following is link to photo of fledgling house sparrow which maybe of help.
http://www.birdinfo.com/A_Images_H/HouseSparrow_0002.html
Jo
That's it!
Thanks so much for the picture, Jo! That really looks a lot like my bird! The thing about the beak is that the frown part is bright yellow. I believe my little one has much less fuzz and more feathers though - much closer to independence. Either younger or older and I doubt I could have saved her.
I named her Mia.
Mia Sparrow.
Pam
Thanks so much for the picture, Jo! That really looks a lot like my bird! The thing about the beak is that the frown part is bright yellow. I believe my little one has much less fuzz and more feathers though - much closer to independence. Either younger or older and I doubt I could have saved her.
I named her Mia.
Mia Sparrow.
Pam
Hello,
I have a baby sparrow which is about to fledge. I've had success once before raising a baby sparrow nestling and letting it go in the wild. However, this time, after a lot of research on the internet, I have found I may have released the first one too soon. When I did release him near the parents and the original nest he fell out of, the parents starting feeding him so I hope he made it. Just to be sure this time, I want to make sure the baby is ready. Right now, he is scampering around his box and off his hocks. I estimate he (she) is 10 days old. The tailfeathers are almost half way unsheathed. I feel I should move him to a bigger enclosure so he can hop around and start to look at things. Should I move him to a box or to a cage? At what age should I release him? Do you think I should put him in a cage and let him do what they call hard time outdoors?
I have a baby sparrow which is about to fledge. I've had success once before raising a baby sparrow nestling and letting it go in the wild. However, this time, after a lot of research on the internet, I have found I may have released the first one too soon. When I did release him near the parents and the original nest he fell out of, the parents starting feeding him so I hope he made it. Just to be sure this time, I want to make sure the baby is ready. Right now, he is scampering around his box and off his hocks. I estimate he (she) is 10 days old. The tailfeathers are almost half way unsheathed. I feel I should move him to a bigger enclosure so he can hop around and start to look at things. Should I move him to a box or to a cage? At what age should I release him? Do you think I should put him in a cage and let him do what they call hard time outdoors?
scarletheart
New member
baby bird
yesterday i found a baby house sparrow i didnt know how old it is but we think it is about 6 days old it fell out of a nest in my stables and it was too high to put it back again does anyone know anything about them??? and if so how old do they have to be before flying???????o
yesterday i found a baby house sparrow i didnt know how old it is but we think it is about 6 days old it fell out of a nest in my stables and it was too high to put it back again does anyone know anything about them??? and if so how old do they have to be before flying???????o
Your right. Not related to a sparrow at all. I know this is an old thread, but a house sparrow and house finch are the same thing. What you have is a Starling.
yesterday i found a baby house sparrow i didnt know how old it is but we think it is about 6 days old it fell out of a nest in my stables and it was too high to put it back again does anyone know anything about them??? and if so how old do they have to be before flying???????o
I know its been a month since you posted. Go to starlingtalk.com They have info for sparrows as well.
cmiller217
New member
I have been raising an abandoned House Sparrow since the day after it hatchef. It just learned to perch a couple days ago and today it starting flying for the first time. Im so proud of my little girl. My intention from the begining was to raise her until I could train her to be reintroduced to the wild and still plan on doing so but I have grown so attached to the little gal. I have been feeding dog food and catfood mush she is not yet interested in seeds and other foods but we are getting there. U had mentioned that it is not illegal to keep house sparrows? I know they are not a native species but I thought it was illegal to keep any wildlife w/o a license.... Im in kentucky , does anyone know if these guys are legal to keep captive or not?
TippieTheHouseSparrow
New member
Need Help
Well 2 weeks ago my oldest son brought home a baby bird that he had rescued from the parking lot in front of my shop since he thought that with my wide variety of bottle feeding wild animal would some how apply to knowing just what to do for a wild baby bird lol. Which in turn I have learned in the last few weeks hasn't really transferred from furry friends to feathered ones.
I'm hoping to be able to raise this lil one we have come to call Tippie for another fine addition to our ever growing family of animals. I'm hoping to both add information on here for others but also to receive helpful information on how to do this process. I have read all the post on here and have gained alot of helpful information already for the food mixture for hand feeding.
The problem that I have already seen with Tippie is that for some reason on one side of her head she has no feathers or covering it is completely bold which judging from pictures is very odd for her age being about 3weeks old is very strange. How ever with that being said everything else with Tippie seems to be fine she is very active loves to fly takes food anytime offered and loves to be talked to. Anytime I enter a room she is quick to perch on the side of the cage with such delight with her chirping with all being said I'm afraid I have greatly imprinted already on her with spending all my days with her since she has come into my care. She travels back and forth to work with me in her cage now.
Last week in a effort to give her another bird to copy we purchased a society finch now named Duckie and Duckie has tried her best when Tippie gets on her chirping phase of wanting to be feed to fly up to where Tippie is perched and back down to the feeding bowl she does it over and over again to no avail lol Tippie only wants her dropper of food she has however messed with the seed to do what looks like a dust bath of throwing seed everywhere out of the bowl it is haliourious to watch not so funny to clean up once it has been thrown yards outside her cage leaving Duckie with no food.
Tippie which is a House Sparrow we have a ton of them in the signs above my shop but due to the horrible storms here they have been blown out everywhere in case I hadn't mentioned Tippie's breed. I'm trying my hardest to do everything I have read on so many different websites to leave random different food options in here cage she has a mullet spray, mealwormies, grit/gravel,finch seed, crushed cat food, biscuit, applesauce, I even wounded a grasshopper for her which she played with to death but didn't eat him. Tippie I believe is very stubborn to say the least on waiting for her dropper of food and only her dropper of food everything else is just for entertainment in her cage lol.
Any suggestions on what to move Tippie to eating as a adult and when to start introducing it to her and how? Because I looked at a lifespan if a House Sparrow and its can be 12-15yrs in a home which is a bit long for bottle feedings lol.
And for those that want to re-post to this that are against having a wild pet I understand your points truly I do and had I of researched this bird before hand would have gone about this differently but with the very odd weather the south has been having rehabitors here are swamped! And I would have less interacted with Tippie than I did but with her feeding being something I wasn't prepared for seeing how that bottle feeding a bird is completely different than bottle feeding a furry creature I messed that up from the beginning with handling her. And I'm afraid with her being a very slow learner and lets face it me becoming very attached to her in my everyday routine I'd miss her so she is here to stay I'm only wanting to gain information to keep her healthy and happy
Well 2 weeks ago my oldest son brought home a baby bird that he had rescued from the parking lot in front of my shop since he thought that with my wide variety of bottle feeding wild animal would some how apply to knowing just what to do for a wild baby bird lol. Which in turn I have learned in the last few weeks hasn't really transferred from furry friends to feathered ones.
I'm hoping to be able to raise this lil one we have come to call Tippie for another fine addition to our ever growing family of animals. I'm hoping to both add information on here for others but also to receive helpful information on how to do this process. I have read all the post on here and have gained alot of helpful information already for the food mixture for hand feeding.
The problem that I have already seen with Tippie is that for some reason on one side of her head she has no feathers or covering it is completely bold which judging from pictures is very odd for her age being about 3weeks old is very strange. How ever with that being said everything else with Tippie seems to be fine she is very active loves to fly takes food anytime offered and loves to be talked to. Anytime I enter a room she is quick to perch on the side of the cage with such delight with her chirping with all being said I'm afraid I have greatly imprinted already on her with spending all my days with her since she has come into my care. She travels back and forth to work with me in her cage now.
Last week in a effort to give her another bird to copy we purchased a society finch now named Duckie and Duckie has tried her best when Tippie gets on her chirping phase of wanting to be feed to fly up to where Tippie is perched and back down to the feeding bowl she does it over and over again to no avail lol Tippie only wants her dropper of food she has however messed with the seed to do what looks like a dust bath of throwing seed everywhere out of the bowl it is haliourious to watch not so funny to clean up once it has been thrown yards outside her cage leaving Duckie with no food.
Tippie which is a House Sparrow we have a ton of them in the signs above my shop but due to the horrible storms here they have been blown out everywhere in case I hadn't mentioned Tippie's breed. I'm trying my hardest to do everything I have read on so many different websites to leave random different food options in here cage she has a mullet spray, mealwormies, grit/gravel,finch seed, crushed cat food, biscuit, applesauce, I even wounded a grasshopper for her which she played with to death but didn't eat him. Tippie I believe is very stubborn to say the least on waiting for her dropper of food and only her dropper of food everything else is just for entertainment in her cage lol.
Any suggestions on what to move Tippie to eating as a adult and when to start introducing it to her and how? Because I looked at a lifespan if a House Sparrow and its can be 12-15yrs in a home which is a bit long for bottle feedings lol.
And for those that want to re-post to this that are against having a wild pet I understand your points truly I do and had I of researched this bird before hand would have gone about this differently but with the very odd weather the south has been having rehabitors here are swamped! And I would have less interacted with Tippie than I did but with her feeding being something I wasn't prepared for seeing how that bottle feeding a bird is completely different than bottle feeding a furry creature I messed that up from the beginning with handling her. And I'm afraid with her being a very slow learner and lets face it me becoming very attached to her in my everyday routine I'd miss her so she is here to stay I'm only wanting to gain information to keep her healthy and happy
