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Hello from NY. Question about fledgling robin. (1 Viewer)

LorettaAR

New member
United States
Hello everyone,

I am new here. I have been caring for a robin fledgling for 2 weeks now. Some background: I am a teacher, woke with special needs students. A student picked up the bird. We don’t know where the nest was. Student gave bird to fellow teacher who is a retired vet. We both took turn caring for bird.
It was brought indoors at night and brought home 1st weekend. Throughout the day, it was left outside and we would feed it every few hours. He was hopped around and learned to fly short distances. The area is a bird paradise with feeders, birdbaths and perennials. Anyway, bird was finally left out over night hoping it would find its parents. Next day, it was nowhere to be seen in the morning, but around lunch time it flew down and landed on a students head. It was Friday so I took it home for the weekend. It wasn’t safe with our students and needed a more secluded space.

Since then, it has been outside. It went from taking feedings from a syringe to now foraging. It is picking up things from the ground. It still comes to me for feedings, and will peep louder when I go outside, but now it is taking worms that I throw on the ground. He then flies or hops away when it is full. Seems like he is not eating as much so I think it is finding some food. I am wondering, how long do they take to feed on their own? He is flying really well now. Goes back and forth across my 1 acre yard.

First photo was yesterday. 2nd is from the first few days. He looks even bigger today. It’ll be 2 weeks tomorrow since he was found. He could fly very short distance by 2nd day we had him. Thanks everyone.
 

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Hi Loretta and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators. After hatching they spend about 2 weeks in the nest before they fledge. After that the adults will look after them for days, not weeks, by which time they should have all their feathers (he still has some coming through I think) and be fully independent.

They are a migratory species, so the urge to migrate will probably be very strong when the time comes. Well done getting him to this stage.

I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I look forward to hearing your news.
 
Welcome to Birdforum. It sounds as though it is feeding independently now, so I’d just leave out food and go back inside rather than letting it come to you for food.
 
Here’s a photo from today. He/she is getting so big. Anyone have an idea on age? Also, I’m feeding him meal worms now, but I have seed too
Hi Loretta and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators. After hatching they spend about 2 weeks in the nest before they fledge. After that the adults will look after them for days, not weeks, by which time they should have all their feathers (he still has some coming through I think) and be fully independent.

They are a migratory species, so the urge to migrate will probably be very strong when the time comes. Well done getting him to this stage.

I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I look forward to hearing your news.
Thank you. Trying hard to make sure he is able to live on its own outside.
 

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Welcome to Birdforum. It sounds as though it is feeding independently now, so I’d just leave out food and go back inside rather than letting it come to you for food.
Thank you. I will try that! I don’t know if I leave mealworms in something, that he will go to it and eat. I have been tossing them on the ground where he can see them move. They are alive so if I leave them out, they will hide.
 

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