Is this beast a baby sparrow?? (Bob and Cede)

j@utis

I'm not good at identifying the birds so I've decided to ask here. Is the one in the picture a sparrow?



I found it almost two weeks ago while jogging in the local football pitch. I thought it was dead because it was completely blue and there were flies sitting on him. But when I looked closer I noticed that bird's neck was slightly moving as it was breathing. So I picked it up, it was cold as stone, but after few minutes in my warm hand it started moving a tiny bit. The baby bird was just there lying on the grass in the open field, there were no trees or bushes around where the nest could have been. So I took it home, I didn't think it had a chance to survive.

Here's the pic on the day I found it:


Few days later, he's still alive. We named him Bob


Ah little Bob, he's a fighter!


The bird is getting quite active now. He's making noises when hungry, grooming his newly grown feathers and digging around his 'nest'.
I think I'll have to contact somebody to take him away soon to get him ready for release. It's a wild bird and it belongs to the wild.

Judgement Day

Incredible - I wouldn't have thought that it could survive at that age and now he seems to be thriving - you obviously have a magic touch.

snowstreams

Amazing alright. How do u manage to feed him? Worms? He looks like he could be a starling. It will be easier to know in a while when he gets a bit older and gets more feathers.

Mothman

My first thought was Magpie

No idea of size from pics and the beak seems finch like, but I'm probably just showing my ignorance. An incredible sequence of pictures, fair dues to you.

Oliverdog

The thing that's really bothering me is, why did you call him Bob ?

Seriously though, this a great effort - hope the little chap will survive.

j@utis

Bob was my boyfriend's idea. But he calls everything/everybody Bob

Bob is definately not a starling - his beak is much shorter. And magpie was most likely the reason how he ended up in the middle of the field.
Finch maybe? Bob is tiny, here:

Angus Og

Young goldfinch?

j@utis

I used eye dropper to feed him first week. First days he wasn't always opening his mouth and had to be force fed. He could not hold his head up either. Now I switched to syringe because he eats up much more. To be honest I don't know when to stop giving him food because he would eat past the point where the sack on his neck would explode His favorite is boiled egg mashed up together with dog food. I add some ground budgie food to the mix sometimes, it seems to be working and bird is growing fast.

j@utis

Angus Og wrote: »

Young goldfinch?

like this one? wow that's a very pretty bird

Morganna

is yours a green finch i wonder.By the way well done. you indeed have a magic touch .keep the pics coming .

Sundew

This is just such a heartwarming story. Fantastic pictures and such an amazing story of survival thanks to you. I hope he continues to thrive

Gordon

Aww, fair play to you for nursing the wee thing back to life.

littlebug

http://www.arkive.org/greenfinch/carduelis-chloris/image-A17784.html

Some pics of greenfinch nestlings in that site for comparison.
What a lovely thing to do OP and how wonderful that Bob surived

Feargal as Luimneach

Angus Og wrote: »

Young goldfinch?

Bill looks a bit blunt for goldfinch.
Bob looks like he has the start of a supercillium behind heis eye, plus he has the start of a wingbar. Hard to say for sure though
Problem with Bob when releasing him into wild is that House sparrows are flock birds not solitary. Bob will need to be released into a flock I would guess. Hopefully they would take to him.
Bob is hardy though, it's amazing he survived. Respect to J@utis

DubMedic

Would you not consider keeping the bird?.

Whatever it is, it's too cute to let into the wild where it's safety isn't guaranteed!.

j@utis

I'd really like him to fly free one day. I think it's unfair to keep any wild animal in captivity. Only if it's not possible to release him then I'll have to look for a new home for him.

ThunderCat

What a fantastic story. Fair play to you OP. Id say its some kind of finch judging by the beak, and given how small baby finches are, it's amazing you spotted Bob in the first place.

With regards releasing him back to the wild, id definatly do my homework on that one if I was you. Im no expert but it seems to me that Bob is currently totally dependent for food from you and even when fledged he will not have the know-how or skills to fend for himself in the wild. That is a trait that wild birds develop from their parents and as part of a flock.

I agree that as a wild bird it would be better to release him back into the wild but I think by you looking after him at home, you will ensure he is never in danger and always fed and he will have a fairly long life im guessing. His life in the wild could be very short lived indeed if released. Another thing is that becuase you got him at such a young stage, he's never experienced freedom and in that sence has never been a wild bird.
Best of luck in whatever you decide and as i said, im no expert on this and what ive said above is only my thoughts. If you did keep him, you could always get him a zebra finch from a pet shop as a companion.:)

Half-cocked

I'd have to agree with the posters above, I think releasing a captive reared bird into the wild would end badly. 90% of small birds don't survive their first winter, and a captive reared bird even less of a chance. Looks like you have a new pet! Once it is positively ID'd, you can find out what to feed it. Expect it to live anywhere from 2 to 10 years, with 10 being very exceptional. 2 to 3 years would be normal.

j@utis

Bob is overindulging on perfectly ripe mango

Feargal as Luimneach

Bob knows the craic, mangoes are feckin' tasty

Ghandee

Feargal as Luimneach wrote: »

Bob knows the craic, mangoes are feckin' tasty

Knows the craic!!! Lmfao hahaha

mgwhelan

great job, I think it's a chaffinch

Kess73

Just spotted this thread. Looks like a young goldfinch to my eyes.

Morganna

He is certainly getting bigger well done.

Mint Sauce

i'm lovin this thread, great to see bob develop the way he is, nice one OP

Ghandee

Morganna wrote: »

He is certainly getting bigger well done.

Here here

Looks like Bob has the early markings of a junior goldie!
gonna keep a keen eye on this thread

Oliverdog

Your new name - the Bird Girl of Bray.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

J@utis,
This is an excellent piece of work.

You seem to have the knack.

Although you probably don't need any guidelines; a few pointers for others who may find themselves in your position are:
Food may need water added immediately before feeding to avoid any risk of dehydration.
Food for Finch chicks, which are mainly seed eaters as adults, tends to be high in insects. Greenfly, Caterpillars and Earthworms mushed up is ideal.
Feeding this little fellow won't be much different to the process that Canary and other Cagebird breeders use. Hard boiled egg mashed into some rusk is a healthy treat. Canary rearing seed mix will be excellent as he fledges. Any good Pet Shop will advise. Or contact a local Cagebird society if there is one nearby.
Finches feed their young on a mush of seed kernels, grit and small insects such as greenfly, so replicating that should help. Grit is very important to a birds digestive system and must not be forgotten about. Again, a Pet Shop can advise as there are specific types of grit that should or should not be used.

Great work.

I'm looking forward to updates on this thread.

:)

j@utis

Oliverdog wrote: »

Your new name - the Bird Girl of Bray.

yeah right

today bob is getting very keen on his wing flapping exercise, all my computer desk where his box sits is covered with dried gras
ok, so what finch we've got here? I noticed some yellow specs in wings, tried to take pic, but he's moving too fast (it's just a coincidence that my nails are yellow too ):

j@utis

and thanks for your advice Srameen. I've been feeding him boiled eggs since the day I found him. I remember my mother used to keep small chickens and boiled egg was the ultimate treat for them - they'd kill each other for it, especially for the yolk part.
I also add some very fine sand into his food sometimes. I'm just not sure if he needs some extra vitamins/minerals added to ground budgie food as it says 'all your bird needs' i.e. vitamins are there, so does say the dog food

and the other thing is that I can't really keep him as pet for a much longer. I live in rented accommodation and I share the house with other people and I'm sure they wouldn't be happy listening to the bird's songs @5am in the morning.

MB Lacey

very cool thread, much repsect to you j@utis for going to this trouble for the little chick.
Above is a photo I took a few weeks ago of some baby goldfinches, I think you can see some similarities developing in your chick.

j@utis

ah cool, it must be a goldfinch then!

Feargal as Luimneach

Was wrong with my sparrow identification I think...
Keep the photos of Bob comin':)

Elbow

Fair dues for picking it up and looking after it

Morganna

more pics please

smokie2008

LOVED this thread, fairplay to you thats just heart warming stuff.

j@utis

Morganna wrote: »

more pics please

here ya go:


this is my bf feeding him and when he was full he pooped on my bf hand as a 'Thank you' and went to sleep

mgwhelan

Angus Og

mgwhelan wrote: »

You're right, it sure looks like Bob. Can't wait to see the outcome.

Morganna

great pics this is a lovely story .Thank you so much for sharing.Well Bob is defo from the finch family .Keep the pics coming .

Morganna

He is really coming on so well isnt he .

Khannie

Best thread in ages. Heart warming stuff. Fair play to you.

MB Lacey

this is a great thread.
we should start putting bets on chaffinch or goldfinch!
I'm sticking with Goldfinch, if I see white feathers developing at the top corner of its wing I'll change to chaffinch

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Glad to see him doing well. The beak says young Chaffinch to me. A young Goldfinch has a more slender beak. But time will tell!

j@utis

a little update - bob is now 'flying' out of his box, he's not able to gain any altitude yet, but he's very keen to get out and explore the surroundings
and also he started pecking at the things, I'm trying to trick him to eat of the ground and he does it sometimes, yeay maybe tomorrow he'll be eating himself.

Kess73

Be very careful of things like windows and mirrors from here in. You have done an amazing job with him so far.

SeaFields

Thats a great story and heartwarming.

Its a pity you cant keep him. My late grandfather always kept a singing finch. He used get up at 5am on a summers morning to hear him singing once the sun came in the window.

j@utis

we contacted local wildlife caretaker today and she said she was happy to take Bob and said it was ok to bring him to her place tonight. but when the time came to pack him and go we just couldn't. we just love him too much. it looks like he's staying with us, we're looking for the cage now

he's such a cutsie:

Judgement Day

No question now that he is a Goldfinch. Hopefully his singing will reward your care - I still can't believe that you have reared him from that scrap that you found.

Feargal as Luimneach

Make sure the cage is not too small, He's still a wild bird not a domestic bird. Make sure you get a companion for him, don't leave him on his own. Goldfinches are sociable birds.

Angus Og

Glad to see my guess was right. It's going to be a beautiful bird when it grows up. Here's one that was outside my front window. You've done a great job.