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Birding/one baby sparrow died, the other missing

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Expert: - 8/3/2007


Question
There were two baby sparrows in a nest under my back porch roof, about 7
feet off the ground. They were two weeks old. One baby fell or jumped, and
unfortunately died. Within hours the other disappeared, but I could not find it
on the ground anywhere. Parents are gone too. Could the surviving baby have
flown away? Could the parents have taken it away?

Answer
Baby sparrows rarely fall out of the nest; they jump. But they leave the nest before they can fly and the parents feed them until they can. While they are on the ground they stay hidden, as do the parents, because predators can easily get them. So they are hiding somewhere.

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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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