Expert: Julia Booth - 10/19/2009

Question
QUESTION: I saved him when he fall from his nest. He was probably 2 weeks old, and when I tried to put him back to his nest but the father was picking on him, and was trying to kill him, and that's why I took him home.
They were 2 newborns in the nest, and the father killed the other.
Thank you again,

(this is an answer back from the 1st question)

Celinda


ANSWER: I must say I've never heard of a male cardinal killing its offspring. But he's definitely old enough to fend for himself now.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Julia,

Don't you think he's going to get hurt by other birds?

Answer
No. He'll be fine. Usually we worry about re-releasing birds into the wild when they are predatory, because once they've imprinted on a human they lose their ability to fend for themselves. But this is not the case with birds like sparrows, finches or cardinals.

And he may very well hang out by the homestead. There's no telling.

You did a good thing to rescue him. But he may be happier now in the wild, especially since his basest longing will be to mate and procreate.

Julia