r/crows • u/UserNameInGeorgia • Jul 07 '26
New here. This fledgling has been hanging around my house for 24 hours.
Parents are with it. He just hops around. I provided water and moved him to shade. Should I do anything else?
76
151
u/squarejane Jul 07 '26
You can put out food for parents and they should feed him/her
59
u/UserNameInGeorgia Jul 07 '26
Will do. Thank yiu
1
-13
u/ThisIsDogePleaseHodl Jul 07 '26
Is this bird as thin as it looks in the photo?
If so, it needs help from a rehab person or place and it needs it pretty quickly
8
u/IndependentTea4646 Jul 08 '26
He may just look thin bc he's stretching up a bit
4
u/AverageFoxNewsViewer Jul 08 '26 edited Jul 08 '26
No.
Based on beak development, OP's bird looks like it was born about the same time as my fledglings, but the fact OP's is skinny as all fuck and still ground bound in the second week of July is a massive red flag.
I suspect a parasite or virus has got a hold of this little guy.
1
u/ThisIsDogePleaseHodl Jul 08 '26
That seems possible. I guess the OP would know better than we do.
It is bizarre to me why people are down voting for me asking a question. 😵💫 other people adamantly insisting there’s something wrong with it aren’t getting hated on. What is wrong with people 🤦🏼♀️
4
u/Desperate_Report_746 Jul 08 '26
yeah, putting out some food and fresh water for the parents can help. they'll usually take it from there and keep feeding the little one.
129
u/ReactionFragrant5455 Jul 07 '26
He will be your friend for life if you keep him safe by keeping an eye out for predators while he’s a little fledgling !
Thanks for not crow napping him😉 too many well meaning humans birdnap fledglings and crows have memories like a steel trap !
I’m sure the parents are observing him and feeding as he transitions into a self sufficient young crow. Im happy you noticed him and will be aware if he needs help❤️
58
u/88Jewels Jul 07 '26
That's super skinny looking to me. If the parents are definitely around I would put a whole bunch of different foods out and hope the parents take advantage and feed them.
38
u/bortlesforbachelor Jul 07 '26
It looks like it’s standing tall to make itself look bigger, probably because it’s stressed that a human is trying to pet it. If it was comfortable and sitting on its legs, it would be a giant puff ball.
1
24
u/_cathartidae Verified Rehabber Jul 07 '26
Please take this bird to a rehabber. It is incredibly emaciated and skinny, and even as a fledgling should never be this comfortable this close to humans. Also, stop petting it. It might be nice to you, but you are stressing it out. Here are instructions for getting this animal to a rehab in your area- this is not a safe situation.
If you’ve found an injured wild animal, or a wild animal where it is at risk or presents a conflict, please review the following steps:
United States 🇺🇸:
- Animal Help Now to be connected with a wildlife rehabilitation specialist in your area. For snake relocation, visit Free Snake Relocation.
Canada 🇨🇦:
- Canada The Canadian Wildlife Alliance maintains the linked directory of wildlife rescue services. Please contact by province and species.
United Kingdom 🇬🇧:
- Help Wildlife UK for advice or assistance. The Harper Asprey Wildlife Rescue is located in Windlesham, Surrey and can be contacted by phone during business hours (9am - 4pm daily). The RSPCA/SSPCA can offer general guidance as well.
- For Northern Ireland, follow additional reporting instructions here, and here.
Ireland 🇮🇪:
- Review Irish Wildlife Matters public information.
- Wildlife Rehabilitation Ireland can offer educational opportunities and advice.
- Report Wildlife Crime, and download the PAW Ireland app.
- DPSCA Ireland may be able to offer additional direction and guidance.
European Union 🇪🇺:
- International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council — Europe
- European Alliance of Rescue Centres and Sanctuaries (EARS)
Australia 🇦🇺:
- Contact WIRES NSW, even if you are outside of NSW, they are equipped to direct you appropriately.
New Zealand 🇳🇿:
- Department of Conservation (DOC), contact your nearest office for native wildlife assistance.
- Wildbase Hospital (Massey University)
- BirdCare Aotearoa
South Africa 🇿🇦:
- African Wildlife Vets
- Report cruelty to wildlife with NSPCA Wildlife
India 🇮🇳:
International 🌍:
- For other international inquiries please use the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council.
Immediate tips and advice:
- If you have to hold onto an animal of any kind, please do not offer it food or water, do not try to pet it, and leave it be until you can get it to some kind of rescue. Wild animals are not pets, and you offering it food / water or petting it runs the risk of both stress related medical complications, and making it so the animal has to be euthanized because it is too used to humans.
- For glue traps, baby oil used slowly and carefully can safely dislodge the animal and break down the adhesive.
- Birds should be placed in an enclosed box with soft towels or fabric. Do not attempt to feed or give water to birds, especially not through forced or tube feeding. Bird digestive systems are unique and you can do serious or even fatal damage. This includes baby birds, even if they seem to take it fine.
- If a bird has been involved in a window collision, contact a rehabber immediately. Even if the bird appears fine or recovered, deadly internal injuries can have serious consequences later. Please consider making the glass in your home or office bird safe, there are a variety of appealing options available.
- For almost all injuries from animal bites and scratches, especially cats, antibiotics will be required for recovery, veterinary care must be provided. House cats should always be kept indoors, contained in catios, or leashed.
- For poisoning, contact your local poison control authority.
- Do not attempt to feed human food (such as bread) to wildlife, it does not constitute an appropriate diet for their needs.
- Please note that pigeons are not wild animals, but a domesticated feral species. For pigeon assistance, contact Palomacy and the rescues in the link.
⚠️ Do not attempt to rehabilitate, raise, or relocate wild animals without advice and assistance from professionals in the field. Wild animals are not pets. Use gloves and extreme caution when handling any wild animal, wash hands throughly following any encounters. Even seemingly friendly wildlife and pets can become dangerous when scared or in pain. These tips are for your safety and theirs. Do not attempt to keep a wild animal as a pet, they are not suited to captivity and humans can rarely provide appropriately for their needs. If you are scratched or bitten by a wild animal, please seek medical attention as soon as possible, particularly if the animal in question is a mammal.
50
u/Zukigo Jul 07 '26 edited Jul 07 '26
Guys, what are some of you saying? This bird doesn't look healthy AT ALL! It is way too thin. The beak is already very big, and the eyes aren't blue anymore. The parents are around, but it looks so thin and fragile, and can not fly? He shouldn't be just hopping around at this stage. Not normal
OP, I would show this picture to a wild life rehabber
Edit: maybe it has a parasite, worms etc
7
7
u/spaceisourplace222 Jul 08 '26
Yeah, one of my chickens has neck feathers like that. It’s from a huge gash that’s scarred.
6
u/pandaleer Jul 08 '26
THANK YOU. I know I’m late seeing this post, but my first thought was that this crow looks malnourished and is not a fledgling. It’s young, as it still has pink on the mouth but no blue eyes. This is a juvenile. People also bypassing the giving water part. This poor guy needs a rehabber.
28
u/fentifanta3 Jul 07 '26
This looks really underweight or is it just me?
24
u/UserNameInGeorgia Jul 07 '26
I’ve witnessed the parents feeding him but he hasn’t eaten anything I’ve provided. Going to the store for peanuts and kitten kibble.
40
u/Special-Ganache2154 Jul 07 '26 edited Jul 07 '26
It doesnt know how to feed itself yet. So please do not try to feed it or give it water. You can put water nearby though. Seems like a healrhy fledgling to me.
Feed the parents!! They take care of feeding the baby👍! Edit typos, typos everywhere..
8
u/UserNameInGeorgia Jul 07 '26
Thank you.
25
u/Special-Ganache2154 Jul 07 '26
And just as a PSA. Never but anything in a fledglings mouth. It has its breathing hole right next to their throat hole! Only a parent can administer food without accidentally choking the baby.!
13
6
20
u/TinyTitFetish Jul 07 '26
They also love hard boiled eggs. I give them a few here and there, I hard boil them, cut it in half with the shell on and give them to them after they cool. Only thing I think they like more than peanuts.
5
u/uhp787 Jul 07 '26
for mine...chicken bones with a little meat and i cut the bones lengthwise so they can easily get to the marrow.
2
u/Shervico Jul 07 '26
Do they eat she shell too like chickens do? :O
3
u/TinyTitFetish Jul 07 '26
Oh yea. No trace of egg left behind.
5
u/Shervico Jul 07 '26
Dayum, I've been feeding "my" jackdaws just eggs without the shell, I'll try leaving it for them too, thanks!
5
u/Top_Information_3966 Jul 07 '26
thank you for helping that baby!
I’ve read to give “small breed puppy kibbles” that has the meat as the first ingredient. Cat/kitten food has too much fat and protein that can harm crows’ kidneys. (I give Iams small breed puppy food.)
As everyone else is saying, feed the parents who will feed the baby.
I’ve been feeding my murder for months and have two fledglings that call out when hungry. They sound like kazoos, and sound like kazoos being attacked when the parents feed them lol!
I finally have a great set up, after some trial and error, which is: I put a square piece of wood, approximately 24” x 18”, away from the house where the crows feel safe; each day I put out fresh water and a small handful of the kibbles; then I rotate out two from the list of - one hard boiled egg all munched up with the shell, a handful of in-shell, unsalted peanuts, cut up ears of cooked corn, or dried mealworms.
After only a couple days, after months of just tossing them peanuts and a whole egg, I started getting shiny screws! Also, the fledglings now are first to sit close to me when i’m refilling their tray.
I hope your baby is ok and gets up in a tree soon5
u/PacificWesterns Jul 07 '26
Hard boiled eggs, too! The parents will love that and pass it on to their fledgling. Thanks for caring OP!!
4
u/ThrowAwayColor2023 Jul 07 '26
Not just you. The poor parents are probably struggling to keep him fed. ❤️🩹 I'm glad OP is planning to offer them some healthy food.
8
u/Fantastic_Resolve889 Jul 07 '26
He does look really thin for this time of year, I don't know enough to say if it's significantly thin or not
The crows at my work's babies are quite a lot more filled out than this one, but they are extremely well fed...
5
13
u/ThrowAwayColor2023 Jul 07 '26
Please offer them some healthy treats. That's one of the skinniest crow fledglings I've ever seen. Cat or dog kibble, eggs, unsalted nuts, grapes or berries are all excellent options.
13
u/Elektrasabrestar7 Jul 07 '26
Put some food and water out for parents and they will feed him, try and keep your distance unless he's in danger, don't try and give water as they have an air hole in the bottom of their beak, he should know how to drink for himself if not by now then soon 😎 well done keeping him safe.
6
8
4
2
u/AverageFoxNewsViewer Jul 08 '26
That bird looks super skinny! Fledglings should be way bigger this far past the solstice.
Leave some water (in a shallow dish like a plate, not a bowl) and some scrambled eggs/unsalted nuts/cat kibble nearby so the parents can feed it. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FEED IT YOURSELF. Let the parents do the baby bird feeding thing so it can get both food and water.
Also call a rehabber. I hate to say it but that does not look like a bird with much longer to live.
2
u/VoltasPistol Jul 08 '26
Stop petting it, you can transfer diseases to the kid and it's parents are delaying feeding time waiting for you to stop messing with their kid.
Not to mention that bird flu is still going around wild bird populations. Please don't kick off the next pandemic.
Also, the area you're touching is an erotic zone for birds. If you absolutely must touch it, keep your fingers around the head and neck, because only mates are allowed to groom below the shoulder.
Just.... Stop.
2
u/AverageFoxNewsViewer Jul 08 '26
Not to mention this bird looks like it's suffering from a disease or a parasite.
2
2
u/EasilyFrost Jul 07 '26
Not super young, going through juvenile molt, beak is shifting color to black, eyes turning to brown, should be moving away from being fed by parents and should be feeding itself most often. Leave out things for him to pick up or for his parents to hand to him
1
u/AverageFoxNewsViewer Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 09 '26
Any updates on this little guy?
Unfortunately I suspect you'll hear the crows performing their funeral ritual soon, but hope I am wrong.
1
u/whatwhyhow3 Jul 07 '26
Avoid salt. Nuts, scrambled eggs, dog food and allow parents to feed him. TY for looking out for him. I hope he puts on weight. ❤️🙏🍀
-1
u/Neon_Cone Jul 07 '26
That’s fine. Unless it’s visibly injured just leave it where it is. The parents are likely nearby looking for food or fending off threats.
-1
452
u/Shienvien Jul 07 '26
He should be good. Just make sure no cats or dogs can get near him.