I'm really liking bird_and_moon_comic_feed, which updates Mondays

[conuly]

Last week was mnemonics for calls from some common Eastern North American songbirds.



Yellow Warbler Song

"Yellow Warbler Song" (Watch on YouTube)

Black-throated Blue Warbler Song

"Black-throated Blue Warbler Song" (Watch on YouTube)

White-throated Sparrow Song

"White-throated Sparrow Song" (Watch on YouTube)

Eastern Towhee Song

"Eastern Towhee" (Watch on YouTube)

Black-throated Green Warbler Song

"Black throated Green Warbler" (Watch on YouTube)

Ovenbird Song

"Ovenbird Song" (Watch on YouTube)

Chestnut-sided Warbler Song

"Chestnut-sided Warbler" (Watch on YouTube)

Gray Catbird Song

"Gray Catbird singing" (Watch on YouTube)

Red-eyed Vireo Song

"White-eyed Vireo singing" (Watch on YouTube)

Blue-winged Warbler Song

"Blue-winged Warbler" (Watch on YouTube)

Indigo Bunting Song

"Indigo Bunting Song" (Watch on YouTube)

Carolina Wren Song

"Carolina Wren Song" (Watch on YouTube)

Speaking of birds, yesterday I had to intervene to prevent a young starling from being "rescued" by somebody who doesn't know much about birds. If it has feathers and is happily hopping around, it is fine. Mom is literally right there. It did not fall out of its nest. Young birds in many species leave the nest as soon as they can, because they're safer on the move. Leave the poor thing alone. Even starlings don't deserve this!

(If you do intervene to rescue a baby bird, though, don't worry - you don't need to handraise it unless the parents are dead. The parents will not abandon it because they smell you. In fact, most birds don't have a very good sense of smell, because that's not a terribly useful trait when you can fly. So you can just gently and carefully pick up the young bird and put it in a safe place until its parents return. If you really, really, really think that a baby bird has been orphaned and needs to be rescued and handraised, please bring it to a wildlife rehabilitator, or at least consult with an expert.)

Comments

[wpadmirer]

We have a pair of Carolina Wrens that keep nesting on our carport each year. I love them.

[conuly]

!

[quirkytizzy]

This is good to know about the birds. I don't know a thing about what to do if I see a baby bird on the ground - now I have an idea. Thank you!

[conuly]

To recap, nearly all the time, unless the baby bird is blind and featherless or visibly injured you should either leave it alone or leave it alone while observing it to see if Mom and Dad return. If it's really in an unsafe place you can move it to a low twig in a shrub, out of traffic, but because they're small and have delicate bones you should avoid this if at all possible. It's easy for us to accidentally hurt them.

It is actually illegal in most cases for anybody unlicensed to meddle with wild animals of all types, especially including songbirds (starlings are actually an exception here in the USA because they're an invasive species, but they really should be left alone unless you intend to kill them), which is another reason to contact an expert if you think a baby bird might actually be orphaned and in distress. It's not just that they know what they're doing, it's that they are legally allowed to do it.

Note: Also, do not feed baby birds that you've rescued - if they really needed rescuing, which now you'll know that they don't! - unless specifically instructed to by an expert. You can walk back starvation. It's significantly harder to walk back disease induced by food aspiration. The same goes for any baby mammal you might have cause to rescue, in fact - kittens, puppies, and so on. Unless you know how to handraise them, and fostering them with a nursing mother of the same species or a compatible one isn't possible, get help. (Especially if they're a wild animal.)

https://tristatebird.org/babybirds/

https://www.audubon.org/news/when-you-should-and-should-not-rescue-baby-birds

[conuly]

Sorry so verbose, I just feel strongly about this.

[peoriapeoriawhereart]

I did once have to lift a baby bird because it was sitting in a bus stop, the road pavement thereof, and the bus was due shortly.

[conuly]

Certainly, that's an acceptable reason to move a bird. But you can just use your bare hands, you don't need to futz about with oven mitts.

[peoriapeoriawhereart]

Since I was at the bus stop I was not in possession of oven mitts. I may have used a leaf if one looked dependable as a gurney. Otherwise I did a gentle medevac 'claw' to the closest spot out of foot traffic and repeated to myself my hand needed to be washed before I touched my face.

[peoriapeoriawhereart]

I got to see a cardinal chick doing flightschool/training wheel edition in my yard. Mom and dad were perched very nearby. Absolutely must watch viewing. It was taking full advantage of having asters planted just hops apart. Not enough altitude? Well, alight and take off again.

(Btw, imagine a grown cardinal the size of a chicken. Feathers do not make dinosaurs less fascinating.) Young flight acquiring cardinals look just like a fuzzy floof chick, but in gray.

[conuly]

Aw!

[zesty_pinto]

Bird and Moon in general is a great strip. Rosemary Moscoe in general is a great follow on Twitter.

I honestly thought starlings at a young age though will usually be kicked out and forced to fend for themselves as they get big enough and will eventually become adults on their own quickly enough.

[conuly]

Oh, no, starlings by rights ought to be kicked out because they are awful children. How sharper than a serpent's tooth are the thankless beaks which they use to peck their parents!

But they do get five weeks of attentive parental care, whether they deserve it or not.

[robby]

We saw a baby western jay on out walk. My Dinah wanted to catch it, but I wouldn't let her. We saw gophers running around, as well.

[conuly]

Saving baby birds from overeager pets and children is the okay sort of saving.

[greghousesgf]

thank you for posting this. This is probably going to sound strange but I find listening to bird songs comforting when I'm not in the best mood.

[conuly]

I'm glad to share them, then :)

[peristaltor]

Been there, done that.