lil baby crow

[ceagle]

A most unusual event happened today..
I was at a friend's house, and their yard guy found a baby crow, not extremely young but still not full-feathered, which had apparently blown down from its nest in yesterday's wind and rain storm.
I took a few pictures

and then we put it as high up in the tree as we could.
It is about 9 inches from beaktip to tailtip, and as you can see in the pix, there are some bare spots of skin, and some empty areas still, in the secondary feathers.
The parents seemed to be slightly aware of it, as they just continued about their day, and I tried to place some berries up on to the branch next to it with a long stick after a few hours.
Now that it is almost sunset, the parents are trying to lure it back up with a lot of calling, and it has finally hopped maybe 20 feet upwards, but it is still well short of the nest.
I went to the IRC channel to see if anyone had some additional ideas, and most said to keep cats away is about the most we can do.
Hopefully by tomorrow it will get to the nest without falling, but I was wondering how long it can go without food or parental care. I think it still needs beak-feeding, since it wasn't too interested in the berries. At last check, it was trying to nibble the oak leaves on the branch where it is perched.
If anyone has any ideas, please post here, or tell someone at IRC and I'm sure to get your message.
Thanks much.. :>

Comments

[ayrebird.livejournal.com]

The parents might reject if it's out anylonger. Though, ravens and crows (and corvids in general) make incredible companions and I belive there are no laws stating crows can't be plucked from the nest. It sounds terrible, I know, but anyone who wants a raven or a crow as a 'pet' have to take it from the nest early.

Though I dissagree with these methods, but if all else fails getting the bird back to its parents, maybe it might be a good idea to keep it? I also hear they grow horribly attached to their 'owners'. :>

I was watching a documentary on ravens and crows, and this one lady keeps the corvid in something of a mew outside. It's not small, but it's not large, either. Though, because the bird is so attached, she can easily take it outside for free flight. She was even driving in a car on the back road with the darned thing following her in flight!

So, if the bird is rejected by it's parents, maybe you might want to have a feathered friend around? :>

I also think you can get bird food formula from the petsotres and it works all the same. I don't belive crows and ravens feed their young 'crow milk' or 'raven milk'. That is, of course, it doesn't have to be a special formula, but even try blending the berries to see if it'll eat that way? Something of a thick cream? :>

Good luck, with whatever you do!

[lanakila.livejournal.com]

Heehee! A corvid following the lady while she drove in her car! Unbelievable. :>

Thanks for the cute story, Ayrebird!

[timwi.livejournal.com]

When I was very young, we used to have a pet crow which my parents saved from the horde of dogs just as she fell out of her nest.

She was quite attached to us as long as she was kept inside. But as soon as we released her, she was gone for good and never returned.

wooo ...thanks!

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

Thanks for your thoughts
..to you all!.. :> *hugs featherly*

I've read a little about the bonding they can have, and I admit it was enticing to consider adopting it, considering that after being set free, I've heard they do seem to adapt to the wild quite well, if need be. *warble*

Here is the update though.. the little bird kept hopping up to the calls, and seemed to go about 20 feet per day, and on the third day it was out of sight, so I presume that it finally made it all the way back to the nest by hopping branch to branch using the parent's calls as a guide :>
We kept our eyes out to make sure we didn't see it fallen, so hopefully everything worked out well.. and I have these nice souvenir photos and the memories of the experience to enjoy.

*featherwags*
Thanks you all for your help and concern!

Well-winged-wishes... C Eagle

Crow

[lanakila.livejournal.com]

Those are some really nice pictures of the crow, dear C Eagle friend! I’m rather sorry to hear how the poor bird had been windswept out of the nest, and fallen to the ground. Awksquawk!

I think you’ve done all that you could with the crow. At Mountsberg, we always tell people that if you find a baby bird on the ground, the best you can do is return it back to the nest in the tree, or on a lower branch so that the bird is out of harm’s way of ground-based predators. The parents are nearby and are keeping a watchful eye on the young bird. (At least, we hope this is the case!). I’m hoping the bird does return back to the nest. I’m not sure if the local humane shelters or animal rehabilitation centres would accept an orphaned crow if the parents are not looking after it. Maybe something to think about if the crow fails to make it to the nest or if the parents have abandoned it.

Lanakila snugs his friend and cuddles. Thanks for making your wonderful posting yesterday evening. Take care, C Eagle, and good luck with the crow!

[genecatlow.livejournal.com]

I wanted to post here before, to find out what happened to
the baby crow! But I got to talk to C Eagle offJournal and he
let me know the baby crow was able to get back up into the
tree. Thank goodness!

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

Thank you for your posting, kitty.. yep, it was a very riveting few days!

Always great to talk to you, on journal, off journal, email, artwise, iRL, or otherwise.. my friend! :>

Take care! *eagle hugs*