Birding/baby cardinals

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Expert: - 7/16/2007


Question
I have a nest of baby cardinals in my lilac bush in my backyard. The parents are feeding them, however, one baby was in the opposite side of the yard yesterday in my hostas, and flew out and my dog caught it in it's mouth and killed it! I was very upset. I know there is at least one more baby in the nest. I have fencing around the bush, but when they will fly out and land in the yard my dog will kill them. What to do?  Help!

Answer
Baby cardinals cannot fly when they leave the nest and will spend a week or so on the ground where their parents feed them. But this is not a bird question; it is a dog question. The obvious thing to do is restrain your dog because moving the nest is not an option.

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Roger 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 over forty years as a professional ornithologist - research, teaching, author, speaker, webmaster of Ornithology.com . Have written thirty scientific papers, three bird field guides, a textbook in ecology and two recent books entitled "Amazing Birds" and "Birds of New England". Have traveled to over 90 countries watching birds.

Education/Credentials
PhD in Zoology/Ornithology; Emeritus Professor of Biological Sciences; former Dean of the College of Natural Sciences at California State University, Chico

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