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Hi Jeanne,
I'm glad you were able to save the little bird! I volunteer at a wild
bird rehab center (the Chattahoochee Nature Center in Atlanta) on weekends.
I am by no means an expert in bird rehab. I'm basically an assistant who
cleans cages and feeds the baby birds, but here's what I can offer:
- first off, it's illegal to keep any wild, native bird species.
- at the Nature Center, we release our mockingbirds and other such small
species after hand raising without any kind of "life in the wild" training.
With mockingbirds, most hunting behavior is instinctive, so no parents
needed.
- when you release him, you should provide food as a backup until the
bird gets the hang of living on his own. I would suggest you feed him
at the spot where you plan to keep the food before you release him so
he knows where it is. Leave the cage open and the food dish full on
the back porch or whatever. A temporary "food backup" is really about
all that baby birds get from their parents when they are weaning.
Good luck!
Roseanne
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| Hi ,
I recently raised and weaned baby Mourning Dove, only to lose him to a
weasel after 3 months. I couldn't release him as he had no fear of
humans. I tried, but he landed in the neighbors yard and the kids
picked him up. I had him in an outside cage 8' x 6' x 4' covered with
1' chicken wire. It kept out large Rodents(raccoon), cat and Dogs, but
a Weasel could get int. Pigeons will go into a house and you can lock
them up each night, but wild birds seem to just roost in the highest
spot in the cage.
To prepare him for release, you could try to make sure he is not
freindly to humans. You could make sure he doesn't see you when he is
being and fed and not handle him except to feed him. Perhaps when you
start weaning him, you can make a lot of noise and motion when you put
the dishes in, so he will learn to fear you.
Some Phone numbers for you:
Mass Audobon, Drumlin Farm, 617-259-9005 or 259-9500
Rutland 508-724-6612
Leominster 508-537-9807
If one was to keep a Mockinbird as a pet, they would want to make sure
he had a very large cage to exercise in.
Good luck
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| Update on Moxie, the baby mockingbird.
Last night little Moxie excaped from his cage and flew away. I knew
this would be happening soon as he has been very "yancy" about being
locked up.
He was still being spoon fed so I felt just awful about this and spent
the evening beating myself up for not being able to catch him or from
preventing him from flying away in the first place.
We could see him in the trees and as nightfall came, he must have
settled down because we could no longer hear him.
Early this morning, we heard him calling and could see him flying
around from tree to tree. When I went home for lunch, my husband said
guess what? Moxie's back! I couldn't believe it!
John (my hubby) apparently went outside and offered him food and what
do you know, Moxie came down to a lower branch on the pine tree and
begged to be fed.
This is great! He's been playing on the lawn and exploring the skies
and trees. It's wonderful to see him learning how to become a real
bird while remaining smart/trusting enough to come to us for food.
By George! I think he's going to make it!!!!
Jeanne
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