[Chigglesworth]

About 8:30 PM yesterday evening, one of the neighbor kids came over with a small box. Inside that box was a very weak, small goldfinch fledgling. A nest had blown down to the ground from a storm and their dog got to it and two others were dead and covered with ants. (I got the survivor) I can't give you a direct age of the baby, but he/she has almost all of their juvenile feathers in, can walk and hop around pretty well. I can post a picture if anyone needs it.


My husband and I rushed to Petsmart to buy baby bird food. Upon returning home, it took us a while to get him/her to wake up and it was a long process feeding him/her with an eyedropper. (I have a bit of experience from hand feeding my dovies) A little while later, there was a dropping! (the neighbors had him/her for 4 hours with nothing). Over time, he/she has become very comfortable eating from the dropper and the only problem is trying to clean the messy face. He/she is very snuggly and energetic and I'm considering making her a permanent addition to my bird family. He/she seems young enough to be impressionable to be comfortable around people as he/she gets older. (I hope)

I have no idea how to do the weaning. Any advice?

(I hope I'm posting in the right place because this isn't a direct emergency, but it's non-pigeon and I will need the advice very soon)

 

[Maggie-NC]

Want to mention that Goldfinch are migrating birds and protected so it is a no-no to keep them.

I would put food in the little guy's cage, and just watch to make sure it is beginning to peck around but would continue to feed it until it learns to eat fully on its own. They are seed eaters but like most of the seed eaters they will eat mealworms and fruit and soaked cat/dog chow. Of course, they are notorious for loving thistle seed.

We had one in about a week ago that had hit something and he really loved all small seed but I did see him eating a sunflower seed. You may want to google about their diets so you can keep him as healthy as possible while you have him.

They are so beautiful. Ours weighed only 10 grams - not much more than a thistle himself! He was very congenial and friendly but I have found that most finches are. Good luck!

 

[spirit wings]

a pic would be neat.....now will he be ready this fall to migrate? you may want to call and ask a rehaber or wildlife department on when to release. you may have to keep him for the winter???? I say this as that happend to a sea turtle we had here at the vet for accupunture, he missed the window of opportunity to go with rest and had to stay the winter.

 

[little bird]

You really need to get it to a rehabber if it has any chance of surviving in the wild, it must be taught to find food & water and associate with it's own kind.

 

[Grimaldy]

If you give it to a rehaber, they may just decide to put it down rather than do the work required to get the bird back into the wild. It will need about a month of attention and the rehabers are not willing to do that for the most part. The worst part is that they will then tell you it is illegal for them to give it back to you and they will keep it.

It is not illegal for you to rescue a protected bird and the statute has an exemption for rescue. As far as weaning the bird, look at the label on a can of KayTee Exact Baby Food, it provides the directions.

 

[Claudiamarie]

I Found one

i found a goldfinch yesterday, its a lil baby. and ive done some reserch and i think its a male. ive called the wildlife place twice and no return phone call. i tried to feed it some cat food and it pecks at it but dont eat alot. i have no idea what im doing and i need help!

 

[altgirl35]

re,

where are you located?