Below is their rapid development (in pictures) over just one month! From featherless, totally dependent babies, to fully feathered, now almost completely independent sparrows! We still hand feed them, but just this week (the last week of August 2014), they have fully discovered how to eat seed, peck millet sprays, drink from the water dish and even take mini bird baths! So adorable!
It has been a miraculous, magical developmental transformation to observe and be a part of! Such an incredible experience for us, which not everyone would be up for, as no doubt, these sweet little sparrows absolutely consumed my life this past month. Raising 3 "Triplets" was quite different that raising singular "First Birdie" last year!
So we now have 4 sparrows that are completely "imprinted" and bonded to us. Everyone asks if, when, we will set them free. But think about it... they don't know "what they're missing" outside!They actually have NO idea what we as humans visually and intellectually know about their "natural environment". These little Triplets (and First Birdie) only know us and our house. We believe it would actually be quite cruel to set them free, as they don't have any fear of humans, dog barks, cat meows, other birds, etc. We've considered eventually moving their big aviary cage outside and acclimating them that way...
Here's a pictorial of the Triplet's amazing development
over just One month!
From featherless and totally Dependent
to
a surprise fledgling Flight, at just 2 weeks old!
They will soon be transitioned to a large aviary-type cage
which will be right in our family room!
Did I mention how messy 3 little birdies are... and the poop!
Oh my goodness, the amount of poop
3 sweet sparrows produce!
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Back at the beginning of August, 2014
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| Day 3, L to R- "Little", "Biggie", "Middle" |
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| Hungry babies! You can see the their full craws |
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| Look at the feathers already coming in! "Biggie" is in the center |
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| Wow perfect feathers emerging so fast! |
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| All eyes open! Feather beginning to flutter |
Wow! woke up to 2 babies out side the little nest,
but of course I had the little nest inside a larger pet carrier container nest!
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| More feathers each day! So incredible! |
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| Feeding time! |
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| L to R- Little, Middle, Biggie |
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| Look at all those fuzzy feathers! About 2 weeks old |
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| Biggie learning to stand! |
L to R:
Day 9 and Day 1
Look who's on Jim's shoulder!
First Birdie (as we now call her)
is not quite sure who all these little chirpers are!
But she doesn't seem to mind them
She just watches them, but doesn't really chirp to them.
Look at all those feathers!
L - R: Biggie, Little, Middle
Just before the took flight the next day and shocked us!
First Birdie herself!
She's thinking about pecking my earrings.
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And just like that!
A mere 2 weeks after the Triplets came into our life
They suddenly took flight and quickly graduated
to their mini-transitional cage!
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| 3 sweet little birdies in a row! |
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| The Triplets discussing their new real estate! |
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| Perfect feathers! |
to eat from a mini spoon, and we no longer had to
feed them from the tweezers! Jim called the spoon
"the shovel" as they became ravenous eaters!
They now are gradually lessening their desire for
"baby food" and primarily eating bird seed!
We are Successful sparrow "parents" !
What an amazing adventure this has been! The Triplets are very ready now to be transitioned to the big aviary cage . It's really big, but we wanted them to have the most flight room possible, knowing that they'll most likely be living with us forever in this "5 star birdie condo". I just need to figure out a cover (which will probably be an entire bolt of fabric!) Don't laugh... here it is! That's a lot of flight room for these lucky little Triplets! (and maybe First Birdie one day...)
Just this past week, they began to really eat bird seed, flit and fly around the little mini-cage, discovering the water dish, and now deliberately venturing in and taking little bird baths and then preening their feathers! I didn't want to transition them to the Aviary until I was certain they were eating and drinking on their own.
This has been a wonderful experience for all of us, but please be aware it is not easy to successfully raise baby wildlife! Too many well intentioned people "rescue" baby animals when they don't need "rescuing". If so many baby sparrows hadn't fallen out the nest on our porch (to their death) over the past couple of years, we never would have gotten involved. Mother Nature truly is the best Mother of her young... but if necessary- knowledgeable, loving, caring humans can be the next best thing.
