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From: Jo (cache04.nyc.untd.com)
In Reply to: Re: MOCKINGBIRD BABY posted by maria on June 15, 2004 at 8:31 pm:
This must be the time of year all right..we found a baby as well but far from the nest and it looked injured. Tried to put back in nest but failed (too high up and covered with spiny lemon branches) and now it seems the mom is moving them all from the nest. So I did some research on the net(which is why I am here) and found that they are probably fledglings which is what they are called once they leave the nest of their own accord and begin to learn to fly. They still can't fly so are vulnerable but am told to listed for communication between it and it's parents who keep close by and feed & protect them for about 2 weeks after they leave. If no mom seen or heard. One source said:" Mockingbirds eat insects and fruit when they are full grown--get some beef dog food, mix it with yolk of a hard boiled egg, and mix with a little milk--make it into a medium consistancy and feed the babies every 1/2 hour or so and put them into a birdcage with perchs in it..Being that they are so small, maybe a heating pad on low underneath them and cover the cage at night..". I assume a showbox would suffice if they are very small but put the heating bad underneath the box,not in it. I put the one we found in a box and then noticed that she had the others all jump from low branches of the tree and then led them somewhere on the other side of the fence. I read that it is a myth that the parents will not aknowledge a bird that has human scent on it so I placed it back on the ground under the tree the last fledgling is in to see what would happen. Now I am waiting and watching from inside to see what happens. I am hoping that she will acknowledge the one I touched when the last one jumps down near it. If you see or hear no parent communicating with the fledgling/baby, then you can take the bird to care for it I am told. Now..what I still need to know is...do Mockingbirds abandon the runts or injured babies? This one looks kind of smaller than the others. Thanks and hope this helps if you are still out there.(-_-) ~*Jo*~
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