Baby thrush won't leave us!

[Birdsinchile]

Hi again! Um I know this site is more for pigeons but you guys probably know what to do...

About a week after letting our dove free we found a baby thrush or zorzal as they call it here, sitting in the middle of our yard! It was in great shape and already had a couple of full grown feathers. We knew that its parents might still be caring for him but they were no where in sight and he wouldn’t have been safe from our cats anyway with all the noise he was making. So we picked him up and made a nest for him in an open cardboard box in the bathroom. From the start he was unafraid and we put watered down cat food into his open beak like his parents would have. He started to fly so we put sticks up around the bathroom for him to practice on and began catching insects which he now eats on his own. Whenever we come in to feed him he flies onto our shoulders and he often seems to just want to be with us.

When he started to fly well we decided he was ready to go. So we locked all the cats in the house and put him in the yard. Everyone stood by the window to see how it went. For a while he just sat there squawking but when he heard our voices he began to beat his wings against the glass trying to get in to us we moved to a different part of the house but he found us anyway and in the end we gave in and put him back in the bathroom.
How are we going to get him to leave? We can’t keep him!

[Charis]

This just isn't the right time. Please bring him back inside because he doesn't know how to find food on his own yet. In the wild, the dad guides the baby bird, show him/her what to eat and where to find it. This baby wouldn't make it on it's own at this point.

[Birdsinchile]

We always leave worms in his cage for him to eat. How do we show him where to look for them?

[Charis]

He needs to know how to eat more than worms. You have Thrush coming to your yard...yes?

[Maggie-NC]

First off, thank you for coming to this baby's rescue. Thrush are so sweet and cute and, like most baby songbirds, can quickly start thinking you are their parent. Sadly, for their sake, you have to break that bond but it needs to be done gradually.

Ideally, if you had an aviary, he could be placed in it with food and water available at all times. But, if you don't have an aviary, place him in a large(ish) cage and set him in the area where you plan to release him. Make sure he has enough shade at all times so he won't get too hot, with food and water, and leave him there several hours a day. Keep your contact with him to a minimum, only to check that he is doing all right and that he has food and water. I would not leave him in the cage outside overnight because too many predators can reach in to hurt or kill him. Ideally, he needs to be in a predator proof cage with 1/4" hardware cloth on the top, bottom and sides but that isn't always possible. You will need to watch for predators during the day too. I don't know how prevalent snakes are in Chile, but watch out for them. When you bring him in in the afternoon, keep your contact limited because as long as you let him fly free and socialize with you he will become more bonded. Please make sure someone stays home and watches him while he is outside. I can't stress that enough.

I would keep the cats inside during this time.....matter of fact, keep them inside All the time and ALL the birds in your neighborhood will be safer.

After about 4-5 days of this, try releasing him again and be sure to keep food where he can get to it.

[Birdsinchile]

At the moment we keep him in the spare bathroom which is all we've got and we make sure to watch him at all times when he is outside.

[KIPPY]

We had a lot of those last year and I took them to a rehabber. Is there a rehabber in your area? I believe they are protected so a rehaber will not turn them away.

[Birdsinchile]

There is another problem. He is not in the least afraid of cats.When we open the door to the bathroom he usualy flies onto our sholders but sometimes he escapes into the room in which our toothless 14 year old cat likes to sleep. Even if she could hurt the bird she wouldn't because she understands he is a "pet". Soometimes he even landed on her head! Will he know instinctively that cats are bad?

[Birdsinchile]

What else should he eat? some thrushes do come to our yard and besides worms they like to eat the bread we put out.

[Ivor]

This post is from last year, I hope they keep it as a pet.

Ivette