Susan W
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Dumb-butt Robins

I have a yard that is good for birds, and there is no dirth of a few. But, sometimes I wonder about some. This afternoon a fledgling robin still barely wiggling on the concrete back drive. Nest up at roof line. A few days earlier a bare naked one on the grass. When baby falls, that's it!

Susan W
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Let me add I just saw Parent with worm going to the fledgling and at least trying to do something. I have to add if it is not gone, dead, will be soon. I just need to close my eyes, put hand in plastic baggie and remove it.

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Kisal
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Why not just put the nestlings (featherless babies) back in their nests when you first see them? Birds have no sense of smell, so the parent won't know you ever touched the baby. It will just keep the baby safe long enough to grow up a little more.

Fledglings often fall to the ground when they first try to fly. Since a fledgling has feathers, just put it on a tree branch where the parent can continue to feed it. It will be flying before you know it. :)

Susan W
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Great suggestions, Kisal. But these fall on concrete, nest the height of your house.
I have noticed that when a baby falls, injured, often the parent ignores. (robins and other feathered friends). This last one interesting that parent kept coming over to help. But it was beyond CPR.

gumbo2176
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Susan W wrote:Great suggestions, Kisal. But these fall on concrete, nest the height of your house.
I have noticed that when a baby falls, injured, often the parent ignores. (robins and other feathered friends). This last one interesting that parent kept coming over to help. But it was beyond CPR.
I find it is doves that do the same type thing in my area. They would build nests in some of the flimsiest branches of the pine trees I had at my previous house and often fall to my driveway 15 ft. below.

Where I now live, immature birds don't stand a chance if they fall from their nests. There are probably 5-6 feral cats in the neighborhood that roam freely just looking for such opportunity.

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digitS'
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There is no shortage of robins, I suspect.

You are right, Susan. The parents aren't doing quite what they should do to guarantee that they reproduce. It may be environmental pressure but if they don't have the genetic wherewithal, it is best that their place in the next generation is taken with those robins that do.

Here, the robins are busy with nestlings and then, everybody seems to head up into the mountains for late summer. They'll be back when the weather begins to turn cold. I suppose they've got an important role to play in the environment at higher elevations. (But, I gotta wonder what role all the dang English sparrows have down here, 12 months out of the year. :wink: )

Steve



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