Expert: Bluebird Bob Walshaw - 7/10/2011

Question
Hi Bluebird Bob,

I had a robins' nest in an arborvitae in my back yard.  My crazy dachshund found it and knocked it out of the tree, with the baby birds in it.  The babies already had full feathers.  Unfortunately, my dog apparently bit one of them, and the other one had some wing feathers missing.  I'm guessing the dog pulled them out.  Needless to say, I was absolutely horrified.  I put the babies back in the nest, and dad (or mom, I'm not sure because this is all new to me) fed them the rest of the day.  I checked on them the next morning and all was well.   I had been keeping my dog under close supervision to keep him away from the nest, but a houseguest let the dog outside and he went directly to the nest and knocked it out again.  I ran screaming like an idiot, no joke there, and put the nest back together in a plastic container and put the poor birds back in again.  Well, this time they both jumped out of the nest.  I read that this is what they do, and it's best to just let them go instead of risking them jumping over and over and getting badly injured.

The next day, the bird that the dog bit died.  Yes, I cried.  (Head shaking here).  I was more determined than ever to save the other one, which seemed less likely to live than the other one.  He's still hanging in there, 3 days later.  Mom or dad feeds him all the time, it's just amazing to watch!  The baby hops around inside our fence, never straying far from one particular corner where the nest was.  I live in a small-yard neighborhood, my property is fenced in, and the bottom third has a pvc coated chicken wire attached to keep my dog in (though I'm not too happy with him at the moment and am considering removing the wire....just kidding).  Mom feeds him through the fence.  I'm not sure why she won't feed him from inside the fence, but she feeds the baby nonetheless.  

Okay, the question.....the baby is missing feathers, maybe 5 or 6, from his right wing.  I read that he will not get new wing feathers when he moults this summer.  They retain the wing feathers til next summer.  He has tried to fly, but doesn't get more than a few inches off the ground and I've only seen him try twice.  Granted I don't watch him 24-7, but he seems content to just sit in the corner waiting to be fed. Will he surely die if he can't fly til next summer or fall?  Is there anything I can do to protect him?

Answer
It may seem harsh, but in situations like this it is best to let nature take its course. As it is being fed it may survive OK. Predators get the sick, injured,the slow and the dumb which helps to keep the species strong. Mother Nature is a good mother, but she has to make some tough decisions. The survival of the fittest is what allows species to survive. First year young have a very low survival rate which is why birds have so many babies. Robins may raise three broods per year, and if they all survived we would be up to our hips in birds. Good luck!Bluebird Bob.