AboutRoger Lederer Expertise Any and all about wild birds - the science of ornithology. Information about birdwatching, ecology, conservation, migration, behavior, banding, rehabilitation, feeding, songs, binoculars, identification, and careers in ornithology. No questions about pet or caged birds, please.
Experience Have a PhD and thirty eight years as a professional ornithologist - research, teaching, author, speaker, webmaster of Ornithology.com . Have written thirty scientific papers, two bird field guides, a textbook in ecology and two recent books entitled "Amazing Birds" and "Birds of New England". Have traveled to over 80 countries watching birds.
Question My children rescued three baby cardinals from two cats. we had no idea where to even begin looking for the nest because we found the birds over a two day period over more than an acre of land. Two of the babies died, but one is alive, and healthy as far as I know. This was almost 2 weeks ago. I feed the baby dog food, sunflower seeds, and wild berries. I do not keep him caged or anything. He lives in the yard. I just figured he would learn to eat on his own and fly away. However, he is still here...and has not flown yet (he was fully feathered when we found him). Also, even though he can eat on his own, when I get home he screams at me and does that little flappy thing with his wings and wants me to feed him. Since I don't know if he has eaten all day, I do. Tonight his crop was so engorged I'm afraid I over fed him...is that possible? Anyway, I know the recommendation is to find a wildlife rehabilitator. But the closest one to me is 2 hours away and has a reputation for simply putting "average" birds down, so I refuse to drive 4 hours to simply have the little thing I have spent so much time caring for put down. So...long story even longer...Is it normal for a cardinal this old (maybe 20-30 days) to not fly? Should I stop feeding it totally? If it can't fly, what should I do? Thank you.
Answer The bird should be flying by now. The best thing to do is ignore him. Baby Cardinals will beg for food from their parents as long as they can and this bird will beg from you forever if you keep feeding it. Don't feed him. Throw some seed around the yard and slowly cut back on the amount and he'll ultimately go off on his own. If he gets too used to humans, he will eventually be done in by a cat, dog, or some kid with a bb gun. Also, it is illegal to keep a wild bird in captivity, so let nature takes its course. And thanks for your concern.
