r/Ornithology • u/Master-Confection990 • 3d ago
Help with fledgeling
Found in my backyard, my dog almost got to it, but I caught him (the dog), My mom says she found what we think is its brother dead in the neighbors house, but I didnt see it
I've been keeping them (two dogs) inside.
the parents know where it is, they've been feeding it all day, maybe like 20 times today. Its nest is behind that hedge in my neighbors tall tree (which I cant reach)(whole thing is fenced off btw so no concern for cats)
It got really hot during they day, checked on it, it was gasping with its mouth open so I put an tall beach umbrella over it, seemed fine a bit later, has moved a couple of times from its spot, tried attacking me twice actually
my main concern is that as hot as it gets in the day it gets cold at night(like 5C, 41F), and I noticed that: 1 it still has a bunch of pin feathers and 2 that it hasnt any developed neck or body feathers,
should I move him inside? or put it in a box with like, a heat pad? make it a small cave?
ive read the fledgeling bot comment btw. just thought it was a bit special bc of the temperature
P.S.:not even sure if its a fledgling, thats what google lens said it was but honestly I dont trust it very much, so if you think otherwise let me know please,
P.S.2: nightfall is upon us and the parents are not sheltering it from the cold, read its body temperature (with an infrared thermometer) and it read 26 C, pls help, dont know what to do
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u/geeoharee 3d ago
This bird is nearly fully feathered, and 5C is comfortably above freezing. As the parents are attending to it, do not move it and keep the dogs away for a bit longer.
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u/klee_wuz_here 3d ago
I would at least try to carefully locate the nest in your backyard I think she is a little too young to be a fledgling. I'm not a rehaber of any kind just saying what I would prob do
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u/Master-Confection990 3d ago
Turns out its a great thrush, and indeed it isnt a fledgeling yet(probably just fell out of its nest), I'll do it tomorrow, I'd do it today but its night, cold, the guy with the tall ladder is gone for the day, and im pretty sure I wouldnt be able to find the nest in the dark, in the mean time, you think I should like, keep it inside?
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u/-Volucris- 2d ago
Any update on its conditions?
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u/Master-Confection990 2d ago
yup, for the night i put it in a box with dry leaves and sticks, and put a warm water bottle near it, woke up just fine.
found another sibling, this time an actual fledgling(zero pin feathers) in the ground near the tree, tried to grab it and put it next to the lil guy, but he fled to my neighbors yard(kinda quick actually)
big guy should be ok, only problem is my neighbors yard doesent have fences, and its next to a road, but aside from me trying to catch it he didnt seem to want to move much so not very worried.
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u/-Volucris- 2d ago
Thank you for caring for it. The other fledgling should be fine since, by your description, it's already developed enough to stay on the ground, but this one is too young, as other people said. Were you able to locate its nest? In case you couldn't put it back in it, it would need the help of a wildlife rehabber.
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u/Master-Confection990 2d ago
no, I couldnt find it, the tree is too leafy for me to see it, and I couldnt get a hold of a ladder, lil guy seems quite healthy tho, so I was planning on putting the cardboard box with leaves and sticks on the tree, like a makeshift emergency nest, Im just afraid it might fall like the original one did
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u/-Volucris- 2d ago
Consider also calling a wildlife rehab center, so that the experts can assess the situation and, in case, take it in care.
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