Expert: Roger Lederer - 8/27/2007

Question
Hi,
I found a baby hooded crow 2 months who had been orphaned. I guess this due to the success rate of the cats on this island, the large amount of black feathers nearby and the fact that he was lying on the beach without cover for 2 days before I stepped in.
Unfortunately he’s become semi domesticated as there was no one else to feed him. While I’ve been away he’s been left food by a friend and now I’m back I have found that his feathers have become very scraggy, as if they have separated and he’s lost his main flight feathers. I was wondering if this is due to a deficiency in his diet or some other factor?
He’s quite safe on the ground as the garden is very large and free from cats. The vet suggested an organic food pellet mix saying he had too much protein in his diet, which he’s now on, but I was wondering if there is anything else I can do for him?
I know that I shouldn’t have stepped in and that nature should have taken its course, but any suggestions would be helpful.
Many thanks
Huw


Answer
I don 't know what else to suggest other than the diet your vet suggested. Unfortunately, domesticating wild birds is difficult and pretty much dooms the bird to a life in captivity. If he/she is kept on a good diet as the vet suggests, the feathers ought to grow back. You might think about minimising contact with him and aim to release him into the wild as soon as possible. Thanks for your concern.