Help! We found a baby Crow... (1 Viewer)

[airrunner]

Hello All,

I am looking for some guidance, if possible! My mother found a baby Crow (Although now we believe is a rook). We found the baby screeching on the ground on a cycle path near ourselves. My mother decided to take the baby home, raise the baby for a few weeks and hopefully it will be able to start it's life in the wild again.

It didn't work out like that. This bird has obviously created a strong bond with my mother. Each day - we take the cage for him into the garden, leave it open for him to do his thing. He/she flies off for an hour or two, then spends all it's time in the garden. Then in the evening we have been taking the bird in and repeat the next day.

Our questions are - is it better for the bird finding a rehabilitation centre?
Our main concern is that he is crying for attention a lot and isn't bonding with the other birds. He seems to be nervous of his rook neighbours.

Is it possible to train these birds? For example to call them to you - to prevent them going into danger? Our worry is if we kept this bird, that it may become too trusting to humans. If he flies down to the wrong person - it could spell trouble.

Otherwise we are looking for some good general advice. Thank you very much for your time!

 

[Mono]

Are you still feeding it?

If not then it is clearly capable of fending for itself and I would just let it go. It will soon get fed up of coming to your garden if it gets no reward. Maybe take it back to where you found it and release it there.

If you are still feeding it then I would consider contacting a rehabilitation centre they will be better at weening it.

You can train corvids but I would suggest that the last thing you want to do as you want to make it less dependant on you not more.

 

[airrunner]

Are you still feeding it?

If not then it is clearly capable of fending for itself and I would just let it go. It will soon get fed up of coming to your garden if it gets no reward. Maybe take it back to where you found it and release it there.

If you are still feeding it then I would consider contacting a rehabilitation centre they will be better at weening it.

You can train corvids but I would suggest that the last thing you want to do as you want to make it less dependant on you not more.

Hi Mono - Grateful for your response. Yes, we are still feeding the bird. In the last few days, the bird has started to grasp to eat out of the palm of our hand - somewhat. Although not particularly competent at eating by itself completely yet.

I certainly think rehabilitation sounds like a great option - which we are looking to pursue. I'm not confident that the bird will thrive without some direction. The rook won't bond with the other birds and there is almost a bit of a disconnect with it's on species. When we have watched him in the garden he sits on the fence for hours alone - which seems a little sad, as we are conscious they are a social species.

 

[KC Foggin]

As Mono mentioned, I would definitely bring it back to where you found it and perhaps a parent is nearby and will take over the care.