Expert: Roger Lederer - 12/6/2009

Question
I believe it is a cardinal...brown with mild bright red spirts around face, tail and scattered small amounts on chest.

Seems young as if she is at age to start flying cuz she has regular feathers but seems smaller than a regular cardinal would be. Fits in my hand...maybe about 5 inches long from head to tail.

My 20 year old found her flipping around grabbed her gently and found ice on her feet. I held the ice gently in between my fingers to melt it, then brought her inside as she couldnt fly. she leans to the left as if her left leg / foot is injured. She moves well and eats seeds, drinks water.

Are seeds enough?
Should I feed her anything else? I put her in a cage as she only moves around the bottom of it where she has seed all around her and have some bedding on ground for her. Even have an old wash cloth in there for her to lay on. Now she has worked her way to the corner and is sleeping comfortably after 4 hours, but is doing well. She looks at me and allows me to hold her gently. She seems to feel safe now. I cover the cage so as she can get some sleep. Breathing well, not heavy or fast...just a nice even rythum.

Take her to a Vet?

What can I do? I want to help her. I want to take care of her well and then release her when well. When well, should I wait till spring? We have bird houses outside where birds use them constantly in spring, and we have feeders out in our yard too. So I figure if I release her in spring, she will always be able to get food until she learns.

Please help!

Thank you....
Julie

Answer
Well, first of all, it doesn't sound like a Cardinal as they are 8-9 inches long and have no spots. Probably not a young bird this time of year, but could be an immature - maybe that's what you mean. Don't know what kind of bird it is because you don't tell me enough about the bird or where you live. If she/he is eating and drinking, that's a good sign that you have done the right thing. Best thing to do is call your local wildlife official, wildlife rehab center, or vet for help or advice. Once she/he has recovered, let her go. The longer he/she is in a cage the more dependent it will be on humans. It may or may not be the kind of bird that uses birdhouses - not that many do. Can't tell you much more because I don't know what kind of bird it is. If you can take a photo and send it to me at rlederer@csuchico.edu I might be able to tell you more.